Cupertino Matters
- In the News
- UPCOMING – Planning Commission, Tues., Feb. 10, 2026, 6:45 p.m.
- UPCOMING – City Council, Tues., Feb. 10, Closed Session
- RECAP – City Council, Tues. Feb. 3, 2026
The economic impact of this weekend’s SuperBowl continues to tally up. That said, the event appears to have been a great regional success: the weather cooperated, there were no ICE incidents, and the commercials and Bad Bunny half-time show seemingly eclipsed the actual football game. Though the game may be over, you can still take the opportunity to Explore Cupertino During Big Game Week for Valentine’s Day!
The major news from the last city council meeting was the approval of the development and disposition agreement for the Mary Avenue Villas project for the IDD (Intellectual and Developmentally Disabled) population. The council chamber was packed with signs from both advocates (mostly unified in wearing blue shirts) and opponents as highlighted the Mercury News: After marathon meeting, South Bay City moves toward housing project for disabled adults:The Cupertino project would offer 40 affordable housing units, but take away public parking and in the San Jose Spotlight: Cupertino council approves unique affordable housing project. The city also issued its own press release: Council Decision Moves Mary Ave. Development Ahead.
While Mary Avenue represents important progress in meeting the needs of the IDD population, it represents only a minor slice of the 4,588-home regional need planned for in the city’s Housing Element. Even after a project is approved by council, the builder has to obtain construction financing and building permits before there can be shovels in the ground–often a two-year (or more) process. Only two projects are under active construction: (1) Bianchi Way – 7 townhomes next to Union church which was approved January 17, 2024, and (2) Meridian at McClellan – 6 single family homes approved October 18, 2022. Two mixed use developments approved by the city council could not get financing so are returning as townhome modifications: (1) Canyon Crossings, now 29 townhomes/condos, and (2) Coach House at1655 DeAnza Boulevard, now 35 townhomes. There are other housing projects wending through the Planning Division, but cumulatively, these still won’t meet the 4,588 quota. The most recent modification to The Rise (formerly Vallco) remains pending, though, as a much larger project, will take longer to build out when sticks finally come out of the ground.
UPCOMING – City Council, Tues., Feb.10, 6:00 p.m.,10300 Torre Avenue, City Hall, Conference Room C; and Teleconference Location JW Marriott Desert Springs 74-855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, California, 92260
Closed Session
Item No. 1 Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 and subdivision (e)(1): (one case)
UPCOMING – Planning Commission, Tues., Feb. 10, 2026 2025, 6:45 p.m., Regular Meeting
Item No. 1: Election of Planning Commission Chair and Vice Chair and make the following appointments to other Commission and Committees: a Housing Commission Non-Voting Representative and an Economic Development Committee Representative.
Item No. 2: Approval of the December 9, 2025 Planning Commission Minutes.
Item No. 3: 2026 Planning Commission meeting schedule.
Item No. 4: Review of the proposed Mary Avenue public right-of-way vacation and determination of the location, purpose, and extent of property disposition for consistency with the General Plan. The Mary Avenue Villas project for a 40 unit low income housing development was approved at the February 3, 2026, city council meeting. This should be a pro forma approval of consistency with the General Plan, which has already been reviewed extensively with legal and planning staff, and constitutes narrow consideration.
Item No. 5: An update on the development of the Active Transportation Plan, including a summary of Phase 2, explanations of plan edits, revised scoring criteria, and next steps. A new, comprehensive Active Transportation Plan (ATP) is being developed, which combines recommended projects from the 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan and the 2018 Pedestrian Transportation Plan to meet evolving community needs. This unified, citywide plan will align bicycle and pedestrian initiatives while accounting for the needs of drivers of motorized vehicles. This coordinated approach ensures consistency across policies and projects, avoids duplication, and addresses overlapping concerns. The City Council approved the FY 24/25 City Work Program on April 3, 2024, with the ATP included as an approved project. City staff then identified Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) funds as an external funding source to wholly fund the Plan’s development. On December 3, 2024, the City Council authorized the City Manager to award a contract to Alta Planning + Design, Inc., for development of an ATP. The Planning Commission will provide input on Phase 2 of these plans to improve safety in our city. The plan has remained funded throughout the 2025-2026 budget process.
RECAP – CITY COUNCIL, Tues., Feb 3 2026, 6:45 p.m.; Cupertino Public Facilities Corporation, 6:00 p.m.
YouTube: Part 1 – 2 hr. 34 min. Part 2 – 1 hr. 53 min.
Agenda and Presentations – Regular Session
Item No. 8: Consideration of (i) an Architectural and Site Approval permit, (ii) adoption of a Notice of Exempt Surplus Land Act Declaration, and (iii) a Disposition and Development Agreement by and between the City of Cupertino, a municipal corporation and Mary Avenue, L.P., a California limited partnership in connection with the development of a 40-unit below market rate development (Mary Avenue Villas Project) on a Housing Element Site, of which 19 units are dedicated to the Intellectually Developmentally Disabled and 21 units reserved for extremely low, very low, and low income residents of the community, located on public property. (Application No(s): ASA-2025-006; Applicant(s): Charities Housing; Location: (APN: 326-27-053, Mary Avenue Right-of-Way). Recommended Actions 1. Find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 2. Adopt Resolution No. 26-016 approving Architectural & Site Approval Permit (ASA-2025-006) (Attachment A); 3. Adopt Resolution No. 2. There was over an hour of public comment on this agenda item–primarily from advocates for this 40 unit project on city surplus land. Opponents pushed for additional meetings over largely irrelevant legal issues, though the project has been in the housing pipeline for over 10 years with multiple community meetings and extensive legal review. This approval was essential for the project to apply for funding, though there are some additional formalities to effect the surplus land transfer. Mayor Kitty Moore observed past precedent in vacating a public right-of-way for purposes the city deems in the public’s best interest noting the vacation of Prunridge Avenue for the development of Apple Park. Council approved 3-1-1 with Wang voting nay and Chao abstaining. Because the agreement had to be adopted by Resolution, Chao’s abstention has the same legal effect as a “nay” vote.
Item No. 9: Transition of Business License Administration to HdL Companies and consideration of a Business License Amnesty Program. All businesses operating in the city of Cupertino are required to have a business license as determined by the Cupertino Municipal Code, though the ordinance has not been updated since 1992. Staff estimates there are approximately 800 unlicensed businesses in Cupertino (including, up until just before the council meeting, Councilmember Ray Wang’s Constellation Research). If brought into compliance, these businesses would generate an estimated $580,000 in annual, ongoing revenue. Approval of this agenda item authorizes the city manager to implement an amnesty program for previously unlicensed businesses. HDL is the leading provider for administrative services to administer, audit and and improve revenue for business licenses and taxes. Council approved unanimously.
CUPERTINO COURIER: February 6, 2026
The front page photo and community brief on page 5 is entitled ‘Unbridled’ vision: Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival looks forward to its 35th year. Cinequest keeps it interesting after 35 years. Community briefs on page 5 are (1) Free college meals, (2) Transparently excellent, and (3) Outreach ambassador training. The sole legal notice is a notice inviting bids for the service center electric vehicle infrastructure project.
Warm regards,
Jean Bedord
Cupertino Matters
Publisher and Editor
