Cupertino Matters
- In the News
- UPCOMING – City Council, Wed. April 1, 2026, 6:30 p.m. Special meeting; 5:30 Closed;
- RECAP – Planning Commission, Mon., Mar. 24, 2026
It’s April Fool’s Day, so keep an eye out for pranks!
Housing in Cupertino, specifically The Rise/Vallco redevelopment, is again in the news with an SFGate article entitled ‘It isn’t working’: Bay Area town’s housing plan takes major hit. The city’s Housing Element had depended heavily on high density housing on this site, but the latest plan revision legally reduces below-market-rate (BMR) housing to 356 units while increasing the overall units to 2669 units. The reduction of BMR housing and community amenities is a direct result of the ten year delay caused by lawsuits against the property owner and turnover in the city administration. The impact of the delay is summarized in this quote from the article:
Ilya Gurin, volunteer lead with South Bay YIMBY, is not surprised by the reduction in affordable units. He noted that delays in the project have come “largely because the city has been conflicted about what it wants.”
“The reality of housing development is that the longer a project is delayed, the more costs increase, which necessarily reduces the community benefits (such as subsidized affordable housing) that the developer can afford to provide,” he said in an email. “Macroeconomic conditions continue to be unfavorable, so cities all over the region are grappling with pipeline projects reducing the number of affordable units from earlier projections, even sites that haven’t experienced as much conflict as Vallco.”
Similarly, other city housing developments to fulfill the city’s state RHNA obligations face delays. A development project on Evulich Court referenced in the council agenda below faces objections as described in a San Jose Spotlight article.
In transportation matters, a long-awaited improvement for the I-280/Wolfe Road interchange in Cupertino, will begin this year. Readers are invited to attend a Virtual Community meeting on Wednesday, April 1 from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM PST. Register here: https://280-Wolfe_Meeting.eventbrite.com Attendees will have the opportunity to:
- Learn about upcoming construction activities
- Understand what to expect during construction
- Review the project schedule and key milestones
- Ask questions and provide feedback
UPCOMING – City Council, Wed., April 1, 2026, 6:30 p.m., Special Meeting; 5:30 p.m. Closed session.
Closed session
Item No. 1: Conference with legal counsel – anticipated litigation; California Government Code Sections 54954.5(c) and 54956.9(d)(2): (1 case).
Item No. 2:Conference with legal counsel – existing litigation; California Government Code Sections 54954.5(c) and 54956.9(d)(1): Garden Gate Coalition for Mary Avenue Safety v. City of Cupertino, Santa Clara Superior Court, Case No. 26CV488611. This is a frivolous lawsuit intended to delay the project, with claims likely to be dismissed under state law. As of March 26, the judge overseeing the case has already denied the petitioners’ demand for a temporary restraining order.
Special Meeting
Item No. 3: Consider a Tentative Map, Architectural and Site Approval, and Tree Removal Permit for the construction of a 51-unit townhome condominium development on Housing Element Priority Housing Sites 25 through 28. The project utilizes Senate Bill 330 and provisions of State Density Bonus law. (Application No(s): TM-2024-009, ASA-2024-015, TR-2024-044; Applicant: SummerHill Homes, LLC; Location: 10857, 10867, 10877, and 10887 Linda Vista Drive; APNs: 356-06-001, -002, -003, and -004). (Continued from March 17, 2026). Known as Evulich Court, this project is a Priority Housing Site included in the state-approved Housing Element primarily for townhome-style development. The site has been continuously included in the update to the Housing Element since the first meeting on new development sites in 2022. There has been neighborhood opposition to townhouse development, citing perceived wildfire danger and increased traffic, but the city is bound by state law. As such, review of the project is limited by several laws including the Housing Accountability Act, the Housing Crisis Act (SB 330), and the Density Bonus Law, among others. Five waivers and one concession are requested under the Density Bonus Law, which allows applicants to trade affordable housing built on-site for waivers of development standards that would otherwise apply. The alternative for the site is a higher density apartment style development which would be inconsistent with the existing single family family homes. The townhomes are large family units ranging from 2356 to 2727 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms, comparable to existing homes in the neighborhood. These townhomes are the lowest density allowed, which contributes to the “No Net Loss” shortfall that the city faces with lack of enough Moderate Income units across all approved projects.
The 51-unit development will include 10 deed-restricted below-market-rate (BMR) homes, which will increase the number of affordable housing units in the city. Rather than shoehorning a small park into the project which is immediately adjacent to existing parkland, staff is recommending a parkland in-lieu fee of $1,998,000 for the 37 market rate units (the parkland fee is waived for BMR units).The applicant is proposing reducing the required in-lieu fee to $1,621,000 by building a pedestrian trail connection between the project property and the adjacent Linda Vista Trail at a cost to construct, not to exceed $377,023, thus reducing the in-lieu fee to $1,621,000. This modification would significantly improve access to the city’s existing parkland and open space for the entire neighborhood. The Planning Commission recommended approval of this option because of the trail access.
Item No. 4: Conduct public hearing pursuant to Cupertino Municipal Code section 2.08.096 to hear Petitions for Reconsideration filed on behalf of the Garden Gate Coalition for Mary Avenue Safety, including: (1) Petition for Reconsideration, dated February 27, 2026, pertaining to actions taken at the February 3, 2026 City Council meeting pursuant to the Mary Avenue Villas Project, including (i) CEQA Exemption Determination, (ii) Resolution No 26-016, regarding Architectural and Site Approval Permit, and (iii) Resolution No. 26-018, regarding the Disposition and Development Agreement; and (2) Petition for Reconsideration, dated March 13, 2026, pertaining to actions taken at the March 3, 2026 City Council meeting pursuant to the Mary Avenue Villas Project, including (i) Resolution No. 26-024, regarding the vacation of public right-of-way, and (ii) Resolution No. 26-025, regarding the surplus land act exemption. This is another frivolous legal petition which asserts that new evidence has been identified which warrants reconsideration of this project. The 12-page staff report clearly refutes these assertions item by item with over 800 pages of evidence.
RECAP – Planning Commission, Tues., Mar. 24, 2026, 6:45 p.m.
YouTube: 2 hr. 35 min.
Item No. 1: Consider a Use Permit, Tentative Map, Architectural and Site Approval, and Tree Removal Permit for the construction of a 122-unit residential development, consisting of 66 small-lot single family homes and 56 townhomes located at the Stevens Creek Office Center site, which includes a multi-tenant retail building (Voyager Coffee and Panera Bread). The project utilizes Senate Bill 330 and provisions of State Density Bonus law. (Application No(s): U-2024-008, TM-2024-006, ASA-2024-011, TR-2024-033; Applicant: Kevin Choy, Harvest Properties; Location: 20807, 20813, 20823 & 20883 Stevens Creek Blvd; APNs: 326-32-050, -051, -052, and -053. This project, located between Stevens Creek Boulevard and Alves Drive, and adjacent to Whole Foods, is included in the Housing Element. There will be 24 BMR housing units. Currently, most of the property is office buildings which are reaching the end of their useful life. Apple occupies 65% of the office, but will be vacating when their lease ends this year. Two retail businesses front Stevens Creek Boulevard. Panera Bread’s lease ends in June 2026; it was unable to make rent during COVID so is now operating on a percentage of revenue. Voyager Coffee’s lease runs until 2028; relocation would likely involve a higher rent.
While the Planning Commissioners regretted the loss of these two businesses, which are well regarded community hubs, there were insufficient grounds to deny the application. Commissioner Lindskog moved the staff recommendation with the modification that the city provide substantial assistance with relocation of the two businesses. This motion was approved unanimously.
CUPERTINO COURIER: March 27, 2026
The front page photo and community brief on page 5 are entitled Cellist comes home: Benjamin Lai plays concert on Sunday at De Anza College. An additional Community Brief on page 5 is entitled Distinguished schools, with Kennedy and Lawson middle schools receiving 2026 California Distinguished Schools Awards. The sole legal notice is recruitment for the Teen Commission..
Warm regards,
Jean Bedord
Cupertino Matters
Publisher and Editor
