Liang - Job-housing balance, job growth and demands on housing

From: Liang-Fang Chao <

Date: Mon, Mar 12, 2018 at 1:51 AM
Subject: Job-housing balance, job growth and demands on housing
To: City of Cupertino Planning Dept. <planning@cupertino.org>, City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>

RE: Vallco Shopping District Specific Plan (NOT Vallco Special Area, which doesn't exist in the General Plan)

This area has a housing shortage and very low unemployment rate.

Therefore, every 1000 jobs created will be filled by 1000 workers recruited from out of this area. These 1000 workers will displace 1000 local residents at the lower income level since the 1000 workers will drive up demands and housing prices.

As a result, Cupertino might be mandated by the state to build 1000 below-market-rate (BMR) housing for these 1000 displaced workers.

Therefore, the economic impact of an office building housing 1000 workers should include not only tax revenue generated, but also the social impact of displacing 1000 local residents and the financial impact on the city for funding & building 1000 BMR housing units. Please calculate the actual cost of creating BMR housing for one low-income local resident for each office job created, likely occupied by someone recruited from out of this area.

With the 2017 pro-housing laws which significantly increased the power of the state to hold the city accountable to meet the RHNA allocation. The RHNA allocation was already considered more aggressive; yet, SB 828 is likely to double the RHNA allocation. More office space will result in higher RHNA allocation. The possibility that projects will be streamlined become higher, even with only 10% affordable housing.

When projects got streamlined, it won't pay the sufficient amount of impact fees and the impact on overloaded infrastructure won't be evaluated. However, the fees will still come from the general city fund or additional tax from tax payers. Someone has to pay for the infrastructure expansion as projects get streamlined. Thus, the economic impact on the city would be greater.

Therefore, the EIR should evaluate the impacts on infrastructure and services, such as water, sewage, police, emergency response, library, community center, teen center, senior center, when large amounts of development projects get streamlined, resulting in an explosion of population.

Please also use realistic "office space per employee" numbers, not the out-dated 300 square feet per employee. Most newer offce buildings use open floor design without cubicles. An office brochure for the Main Street site showed that the space per employee is 181 sf. Please do not under-estimate the number of office workers by using out-dated numbers.

Silicon Valley area already absorbed the majority of the tech talents from the entire U.S. Adding more jobs here would take away more tech talents from else where and deprive the other areas of a chance for better prosperity. Creating more jobs here, where the economy is already ultra strong, is simply selfish. Creating more jobs here, while the housing shortage is severe and gentrification is severe, is simply irresponsible.

Sincerely,

Liang Chao

Cupertino Resident