Cupertino Matters
- City Council and Cupertino Matters on hiatus until Sept. 3
- Cupertino in the News
- RECAP – Planning Commission, Tues., July 22, 6:45 p.m.
Though summer is passing quickly, many Parks and Recreation activities extend into August. Of note, the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities organization will be holding its third annual Bell Ringing for Peace event on Wednesday, August 6 at 6 p.m. behind the Quinlan Community Center near the corner of Alves Drive and Anton Way.
Council recesses for August, so there will be no council meetings that month. Cupertino Matters will also go on hiatus until council resumes regular meetings on Wednesday, September 3. (Recall that regular meetings are shifted to Wednesdays when, as here, they follow a Monday holiday like Labor Day on September 1.)
Questionable decisions by the Cupertino City Council’s majority splashed back across local front page headlines in the Mercury News on Friday, July 25: Records reveal Cupertino spent more than $20,000 to investigate ex-city manager who stepped down last month. The article underscores the extra expense Council undertook in investigating the city manager–an investigation apparently into missing election lawn signs, and which resulted in a costly legal settlement. The article also specifically notes that Councilmembers Sheila Mohan and JR Fruen voted against placing the city manager on leave, especially in light of the added expense, as recapped in the Mercury News’ Quote of the Week: They said it: Investigation of city manager. As previously reported in Cupertino Matters, the city also had to pay $311,089.53 in a settlement to Wu so this investigation is another undisclosed expense. In addition, legal expenses for April and May did not appear in the July Accounts Payable invoices. Did the council hand the contract interim city attorney a blank check?
Housing and retail revitalization are major concerns in Cupertino as vacant retail and aging office spaces are proposed for residential redevelopment. A new townhome development at the Staples, Pizza Hut and Fontana’s site received Council approval on July 2, 2025 as highlighted in the San Jose Spotlight: Cupertino retail space to become townhomes. The current list of proposed housing projects also has another new entry: 10268 Bandley. There is an ongoing debate about loss of retail space, yet many existing retail spaces are vacant, including the retail at the Westport senior apartments.
The city’s Economic Development Manager in collaboration with the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce has been very active in promoting and assisting local businesses as outlined in a July 24 Council Informational Memo entitled Economic Development Update 2025. Given the extent of these activities with full time staff, the yet-to-be-determined role of the reinstated Economic Development Committee is questionable. What value does a quarterly committee with yearly appointed commission members and five industry representatives, who have shown little interest in applying, contribute?
Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga invites residents to an important community meeting to discuss the current status of the Lehigh/Heidelberg Cement Plant and Permanente Quarry on the border of Cupertino. The meeting will provide updates, share key information, and offer residents an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns. The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 31, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Quinlan Community Center.
RECAP – Planning Commission, Tues., July 22, 2025, 6:45 p.m., Regular meeting
YouTube: 2 hr. 24 min. Commissioner Lindskog attend via Zoom from Sweden
Item No. 2: Study Session: Sample Objective Design Standards. This was a lengthy session with the project consultant reviewing the sample structure of the design standards that Cupertino is preparing new residential structures. These standards are intended to be objective so as to be clear to both applicants and the public while remaining enforceable under the Housing Accountability Act. The general agreement is that the sample was readable, with recommendations to include statements of value. Priorities were to emphasize placemaking, community and parks/parklets. More seating is needed, particularly for our aging population. Walkability and retail activation remain ongoing themes.
Item No. 3: Selection of Economic Development Committee Representative. Lack of enthusiasm for this appointment was obvious. The role is undefined, and potentially, the representative would only have one quarterly meeting before a new representative would be chosen in February, 2026. Vice Chair Kosolcharoen agreed to represent the Planning Commission
CUPERTINO COURIER: July 25, 2025
The front page and community brief on page 3 is entitled Restoring Permanente Creek: Quarry owner to begin multimillion dollar cleanup of mining waste. Project is part of a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club. Additional community briefs are (1) Shakespeare’s ‘Gentlemen’, and (2) Hop on a Ride Share, free Hopper rides this summer. Page 5 is a previously published article from the Mercury News entitled Kapoor is appointed interim city manager. The legal notice is the Second Reading of the re-established Economic Development Committee.
Warm regards,
Jean Bedord
Cupertino Matters
Publisher and Editor
