Joan - First Do No Harm

Sent to the City before Feb. 2, 2016 Council Meeting

Dear City Council Members,                                                                                        

First Do No Harm! 

Developers are proposing large and irregular constructions to you, because the market is favorable for them to profit enormously. The constructions are irregular because they would require many exceptions to the General Plan, which you have been elected to follow.

In considering any of these development proposals, I ask that you take the other view. Instead of seeing these developers as long-awaited suitors, excited that any property owner would want to build something in our city, take the stand that you have something great to offer to developers, that you have to be persuaded that their plans have much to offer the city, which exists as a body of residents, businesses and workers. Yes, we need to build our revenues, but only in a way that benefits the community as a whole. We are the city. 

Yes, the city exists because of its residents, businesses and workers. We the people. The city is nothing without us. You have been elected to represent us, not to go overboard with excitement on every grandiose idea coming our way.

First do no harm. There are some diseases and physical disabilities in our wonderful city. 

• Traffic on our highways that is so dense that drivers are choosing to use our city streets and just pass through Cupertino, making it difficult for us all to get where we need to go within the city. 
• Schools that don't favor the individual student. The crowded conditions and limited resources only allow a percentage of the students to benefit from the great schools. There is also a significant percentage of students that are hurt by our schools and fall between the cracks.
• Infrastructure was only built for the city we have been, not for mass developments with urban density. It was never planned for Cupertino to become a mega-suburban center.  We don't have the land to support great growth. We do have the people to support a great mall in our part of west Santa Clara County.
• Environmental concerns must always be in the forefront of our decisions. Water usage, air safety, protecting our Bay, real green development (not that ridiculous green slanted roof).
• Growth that is already approved but not yet up-and-running. This is a situation we need to allow to happen and play out, before we approve more significant developments.

These are the situations that must be your chief concern as we receive proposals that will only make all these problems and concerns worse. 

First do no harm. The key to that may be to put a moratorium on new oversized developments for, say, three years. 

Then, push back on the development proposals to bring them in line with our city's General Plan and the spirit and soul of the city. Remember that the Cupertino is not just whatever you want to envision, Cupertino is first and foremost the people, businesses and workers that make this our home.

Thank you for reading my views.

Joan Chin

Resident of 33 years, HP employee of 23 years, Block Leader