Liang - Vallco Specific Plan Should be Based on the Max Allocations in the Adopted General Plan

From: Liang C
Date: Sun, Feb 25, 2018 at 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: Vallco EIR NOP Provides Inaccurate Information on General Plan Allocation
To: David Brandt <davidb@cupertino.org>, Aarti Shrivastava <AartiS@cupertino.org>, Catarina Kidd <CatarinaK@cupertino.org>, Piu Ghosh <PiuG@cupertino.org>
Cc: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>

Dear Vallco Project Managers,

The EIR consultant has provided inaccurate information for Vallco Shopping District Specific Plan in the adopted General Plan during the EIR Scoping Session. It refers to 600,000 square feet of retail space and 800 housing units when the maximum allowed retail space is 1.2 million square feet and the maximum residential allocation is 389 units.

In fact, the 9212 report for Measure D correctly specified the allocation. How come the EIR consultant is provided inaccurate information this time?

Notice that the above paragraph uses the "max" allocation for all land uses, which is consistent. These numbers appear as the "Buildout" column (namely the maximum buildout allowed).

Yet the NOP states that the Specific Plan would only include ONLY 600,000 sqft of retail space, but doubled the residential allocation to 800 housing units.

This is quite confusing.

When did the City Council decide to only evaluate 600,000 sqft of retail space and double the residential allocation to 800 units? Just wondering when was such decision made?

Shouldn't such decision be made AFTER the so-called community-driven specific plan process?

Thank you for making the attempt to create a community-drive specific plan process with ample chances for community inputs. I am looking forward to a transparent and interactive process that involve all stakeholders.

Please clarify the notices sent out from the city to reduce confusion and improve transparency and trust in the community-driven specific plan process.

Thank you.

Liang

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From: Liang Chao
Date: Sun, Feb 25, 2018 at 5:10 PM
Subject: Re: Vallco EIR NOP Provides Inaccurate Information on General Plan Allocation
To: David Brandt <davidb@cupertino.org>, Aarti Shrivastava <AartiS@cupertino.org>, Catarina Kidd <CatarinaK@cupertino.org>, Piu Ghosh <PiuG@cupertino.org>
Cc: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>

I found the rationalization to allow 800 units of housing at Vallco from the 9212 Report of Measure D:

The Initiative does not specify how many additional residential units may be developed in the Vallco area “consistent with the General Plan.” For purposes of analysis, this Report assumes that the maximum number of residential units
that could be authorized with a CUP is 800, based on the following assumptions:
• The total number of residential units allocated citywide under the General Plan is 1,882.
• Of that total number, 1,400 residential units are specifically allocated to Priority Housing Element Sites and 28 additional units have been approved, which leaves 454 units to be allocated.51

By the time a developer of the Vallco area could apply for a CUP for additional residential units, the City assumes that sufficient unallocated units (approximately 410) would be available to develop a maximum of 800 units in the Vallco area. Moreover, the General Plan Strategy LU-1.2.1 provides that allocations may only be transferred among planning areas provided “no significant environmental impacts are identified beyond those already studied in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR)” for the General Plan. The General Plan EIR studied a maximum 800 units for the
Vallco area. As a result, 800 is considered the likely maximum number of residential units that could be developed within the Vallco area, consistent with the General Plan and with a CUP.

Sorry for my ignorance earlier. Now I understand where the "800 units" come from. However, I believe many Cupertino residents would be as confused as me.

And it still doesn't explain when the City Council decided that the Specific Plan for Vallco Shopping District would only evaluate 600,000 sqft of retail space and would be allowed to double the residential allocation to 800 units?

Regards,

Liang