Liang - Valleo impact on loss of retail in a regional shopping center

From: Liang C
Date: Sun, Nov 15, 2015 at 6:15 PM
Subject: Comment on Vallco EIR - impact on loss of retail
To: "City of Cupertino Planning Dept." planning@cupertino.org

RE: Comment on Vallco EIR

Please study the impact on the loss of a regional shopping center, which provide a large variety of stores of various sizes and varying categories in one place. Cupertino hasn't had a good shopping center for a long time, but it doesn't mean Cupertino doesn't need one.

GPA Retail Strategy Report shows Cupertino residents are shopping outside of Cupertino for different consumer goods and services.

Not only Cupertino residents have to drive further longer to waste gas and time, Cupertino also does not capture the sales taxes generated.

Please study the option of having a fully revitalized shopping center that can compete and even surpass Valley Fair.

Vallco has a great location and affluence demographics and at the heard of a booming Silicon Valley economy.

The only reason that Vallco hasn't done well is because it is mismanaged. Please study the option of inviting a professional shopping mall operator to revitalize Vallco.

The Macy's at Valley Fair occupies 396,000 sq ft, and Macy's Mens and Home occupies 316,000 sq ft.

The entire retail space at The Hills at Vallco will be 625,000 sq.ft., which is only 87% of the space of Macy's in Valley Fair.

When visiting a large department store or a large shopping center, a family can often purchase multiple items and also dine and entertain within one trip. However, when a shopping center only has a limited selection of stores or when a department store only has a limited selection of goods, one family has to make several trips in order to fulfill their shopping needs. Families also tend to carpool when going to a large shopping center. But families would make separate trips when visiting smaller shops.

So, The Hills at Vallco only contains a reduced retail space of 625,000 sq. ft. And most of the stores will be tailored towards the worker population from Apple Campus 2 and its own office park and residents, according to Sand Hill's description. How many stores will serve the shopping needs of Cupertino residents and the surrounding cities, who are mostly working families? The loss of retail options for families' with kids should be studied.

When a regional shopping center is take away from Cupertino, Cupertino residents will have to drive further to other regional shopping centers to satisfy their needs in order to access a wider variety of goods. Cupertino residents will also have to make multiple trips to smaller shops to buy less number of items in each trip. That generates more greenhouse gas emission and more time wasted on the road and adding to the more congested traffic.

Please study the impact on additional trips generated due to the loss of access to a large regional shopping center of 1.2-million-square-foot at Vallco.

Please use realistic figures when estimating retail space available in The Hills at Vallco.

Deduct the space taken for entertainment, such as AMC, Bowling Alley, athletic clubs, and civic uses, such as innovation center, community center and transit center.

Thus, the true retail space available for shops and restaurants is only 400,000 sq. ft., which is as large as Macy's in Valley Fair (not even counting the part for Mens and Home).

Thanks.

Liang Chao