Friday, February 19, 2016

DO NOT SIGN Developer's Petition for Oaks Initiative



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Stop Noncompliant Oversized Project by NOT Signing Developer’s Initiative

Cupertino voters beware. Signing the developer's petition for Oaks Shopping Center, rejected by the City Council, in fact help promote the developer's noncompliant oversized project. Some voters have been misled to think that signing the petition for the Oaks initiative would allow them to make decisions on Oaks. Don't fall for the developer's trap. Without enough signatures, Oaks won't be on the ballot and the project remains rejected.
However, in case the developer collected enough signatures, they would be able to place the Oaks project, which does not conform to the General Plan and many other requirements, onto the ballot for voters' approval. In addition, Oaks project will be able to by pass environmental review, mitigation for traffic, schools and other infrastructure, public hearings and approval by Planning Commission and the Council.

Please help forward this important note and the flyer below to your network of friends.

Here is a summary of the proposed Oaks plan for revitalization. 



Paid for by Committee supporting Cupertino Citizens' Sensible Growth Initiative, PO Box 1132, Cupertino, CA 95015, FPPC# 1381645.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Petition for Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative is Submitted Four Months Ahead of Deadline





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It's official. The petition of Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative (CCSGI) is submitted on Feb. 2 with 4198 signatures, 50% more than the minimum required.

A stream of passionate speakers from all around Cupertino spoke during Feb. 2 Cupertino City Council meeting in support of Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative (CCSGI). The speakers urged the Council to put a moratorium on all amendments to the General Plan until CCSGI is put on the ballot for voters to decide. To reduce the period of uncertainty, CCSGI should be either adopted by the Council right away or be put on the ballot of the June election.
Highlights:
  • Time 17:40 - speech by a representative of Concerned Citizens of Cupertino (CCC): "90% of the voters approached signed the CCSGI petition. It's time that the Council listens to the voters and do what they want, not what the developers want."
  • Time 21:45 - speech by a representative of Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative (CCSGI). "In a city that's relatively apolitical, [the outpouring response to the initiative] is indicative of the level of outrage the citizens feel in the Council and the developers' attempt to turn Cupertino into an urban planning nightmare."
  • Time 23:00 - speech by a representative of Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative (CCSGI). "180 days is allowed for the initiative. We collected in 35 days. We could have kept collecting and gotten 8 or 10 thousand, but we didn't for a reason. We wanted to show how fast we can collect!"




  • Time 44:48 - speech by a former Sunnyvale Planning Commissioner - "The fact that there could be General Plan Amendments for individual developments is the wrong guidance to this town, is the wrong guidance to developers, and it certainly doesn't set the expectations correctly."
  • Time 57:10 - "Circulators collected 2000 signatures in the last week." "The initiative itself is not pro- or anti-growth. The initiative gives the people power to decide the direction of growth in Cupertino. The initiative would not freeze Vallco. A reasonable amount of mixed use at Vallco is possible as long as the people approve. If the majority of people would like Vallco to stay retail only, Vallco should stay retail only."

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Press Release: Petition for Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative is Submitted Four Months Ahead of Deadline
The Committee supporting Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative announces the delivery of over 4,000 signatures gathered from Cupertino voters to the Office of the City Clerk of Cupertino on Tuesday, February 2, 2016.

The Committee is deeply gratified by the tremendous reception the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative has received from Cupertino voters. The Committee recognizes our determined community members who made it possible to collect the signatures required to qualify the Initiative for the ballot in 2016. More than 4,000 signatures were collected in just five weeks—four months ahead of the 180-day petition-circulation deadline. This rapid pace of signature collection is a testament to community support for the Initiative. The Committee offers appreciation and thanks to everyone who volunteered time, donated money, or shared encouraging words with our petition circulators.

The Initiative’s proponents and supporters recognize that Cupertino and nearby neighborhoods are under tremendous pressure to build very large projects that are not suitable to the suburban character of the region. The developers of these over-sized projects are not responsible for funding the infrastructure improvements that will be required to maintain the favorable quality of life the residents in the region value today. These essential improvements include water supplies and infrastructure, sewer infrastructure, closed-path transit (including BART), a sufficient number of affordable housing units, and school facilities.

The passage of the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative is one way to ensure that projects built in Cupertino will meet the needs and requirements of a majority of voters in Cupertino. When adopted, the Initiative will change the way the developers plan for projects they will bring to Cupertino and the standards the City will apply uniformly to those projects.

The Initiative promotes development projects that are suitable to the characteristics of the City and discourages projects that do not fit within the guidelines of the General Plan.

Major Provisions of Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative include:

  • Control the density of new development to ensure that projects fit with the City’s infrastructure by maintaining limits on building heights, setbacks, lot coverage and building planes.
  • Affirm that the land within the Vallco Shopping District will be used for major retail, entertainment, dining, and hotels.
  • Require that proposed changes or exceptions to the building limits and land uses described in the Initiative will not be enacted unless first approved by Cupertino voters.

Visit www.CCSensibleGrowth.org to learn more about the Initiative, find out about future events, and donate to support the passage of the Initiative in 2016.

Paid for by Committee supporting Cupertino Citizens' Sensible Growth Initiative, PO Box 1132, Cupertino, CA 95015, FPPC# 1381645.



Monday, February 1, 2016

Wear RED to Attend Feb. 2 Council meeting - GPA on Oaks and Goodyear Tire




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Wear RED to attend Feb. 2 Council meeting to support the initiative and hear a big surprise announcement about the initiative.
Location: Community Hall (next to the library)
Time: 6:45pm, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016

On Tuesday, February 2, the Cupertino City Council will consider requests to amend the General Plan for the Oaks Shopping Center and the Goodyear Tire location for double building heights and other exceptions on setbacks, building planes and open space. The committee supporting Cupertino Citizens' Sensible Zoning Initiative (CCSGI) urges all residents of Cupertino to attend this Feb. 2 Council meeting wearing RED to oppose any General Plan Amendment for specific projects before the CCSGI is put on the ballot for the voters to decide.

Through Christmas and New Year vacation and rainy El Nino January winter season), CCSGI circulators collected more than expected number of signatures. The voters of Cupertino have spoken. They want a say in the future direction of development in Cupertino. Those who signed the petition thanked the circulators (all volunteers) for their dedication for braving such cold weather. Some even hugged the circulators to show their appreciation.

The initiative is a wake-up call for the city to listen to the residents and fully engage with residents for important decisions that affect our lives.
Wear RED to say STOP any more General Plan Amendment for specific projects, like Oaks and Goodyear Tire.
Wear RED to say STOP to uncontrolled development.
Wear RED to say STOP ignoring the residents' voices and concerns.
Wear RED to support the initiative.



LET VOTERS DECIDE.  WE LIVE HERE!


Home page: ccSensibleGrowth.org
Paid for by Committee supporting Cupertino Citizens' Sensible Growth Initiative, PO Box 1132, Cupertino, CA 95015, FPPC# 1381645.
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More project details about Oaks Shopping Center (near 85, across from De Anza College) and Goodyear Tire (next to Cupertino Inn, near 280/De Anza)
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On Tuesday, February 2, the Cupertino City Council will consider requests to amend the General Plan for the Oaks Shopping Center and the Goodyear Tire location. 
  • Oaks Shopping Center – Height up to 88 feet (7 stories). 280,000 sq. ft. office + 200-room hotel + 270 apartments + 47,660 sq. ft. retail. Requesting exceptions for heights, setbacks, building planes, open space, and parking spaces. (retail ≈7.6% of the proposed project)
  • Goodyear Tire -- Height up to 104 feet (8 stories). 270 hotel rooms + 5,727 sq. ft. conference/banquet room.
Goodyear Tire requests an exception to the height limit of 45 feet to accommodate a structure 104 feet tall. The Oaks requests exceptions to the General Plan, Specific Plan, and Municipal Code. Here is a subset of the exceptions requested:
- increase building height from 45 feet to 88 feet.
- add office use from 0 square feet to 280,000 square feet. (Current zoning does not include office use.)
- reduce the requirement for common landscaped open space for residential use from 70-80% to 30%.
- reduce setback and increase slope of the building plane on all sides of the project.
- reduce parking spaces to 60% of what is required under the Municipal Code.

Here is Cupertino City Council agenda item to consider the developer-requested amendments to the General Plan for the Oaks Shopping Center and the Goodyear Tire location:
https://cupertino.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2558698&GUID=1EE1D7B9-F7A2-497D-B765-E6E08361791E&Options=&Search=

Find additional project information here: GPA Authorization, First Cycle 2016.

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