Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: The views expressed here are the author's own Saturday, 11:00 amSunnyvale, CA Please join us for a meal at Chipotle on Wed Order online for pick up using the promo code TZGXD4H or show the flyer (above) in restaurant and 25% of your meal will be donated back to CHS Grad Night for a safe and sober celebration for our graduates Breaking news for everyone's consumption Health inspectors shut down a Whole Foods Market in Cupertino earlier this month after finding widespread vermin violations including live rodents in multiple parts of the store had rodent droppings throughout the store and live rodents spotted in eight locations prompting the suspension of its operating permit according to the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health This was the store’s third closure in two weeks the agency reported to NBC Bay Area on April 23 The county’s health department said permit suspensions are issued when violations pose “an imminent threat to health and safety” and cannot be immediately corrected Such suspensions require stores to remain closed until all violations are corrected Prior closures affected the store’s deli and bakery sections on March 26 and April 8 because of similar vermin contamination according to inspection reports shared with NBC Bay Area The departments briefly reopened after the first closure but were shut down again after failing follow-up inspections “Our Cupertino location is temporarily closed while we complete necessary maintenance and repairs We will reopen once the repairs are completed thoroughly to support our high standards for food safety and service.” Dangers of vermin in food storage areasThe closure raises larger concerns about vermin risks in food retail environments Rodents and insects in these settings are a serious public health concern The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that rodents can carry pathogens like Salmonella a single rodent can produce up to 25,000 droppings annually the agency linked more than 1,200 Salmonella cases to contaminated food environments When pests access food preparation areas or packaging The presence of live rodents in the Cupertino store amplifies these dangers as they can actively spread pathogens throughout the facility Health officials are conducting ongoing inspections to ensure compliance before the store can reopen Consumers are urged to inspect food packaging for signs of tampering or contamination and report concerns to local health authorities (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.) The Cupertino Whole Foods just three miles from Apple’s headquarters apparently has a vermin problem and has been ordered closed by Santa Clara County health officials until they can get it cleaned up If you’re shopping at the Whole Foods in Cupertino that’s located just three miles from Apple headquarters you are probably paying a great deal of money for your groceries and other pests while shopping for your organic vegan muffins "The permit to operate has been temporarily suspended at this facility," the department said of the most recent closure "A permit suspension occurs when an imminent threat to health and safety is observed and the violation(s) cannot be corrected The facility must be closed until the violation is corrected and the permit is reinstated." NBC Bay Area obtained a copy of the report and it reportedly "showed an inspector found rodent droppings in various spots throughout the store and at eight points the inspector observed rodents Whole Foods put out their own statement acknowledging the closure and committing to making “necessary maintenance and repairs.” “We will reopen once the repairs are completed thoroughly to support our high standards for food safety and service,” the chain said  in a statement to the Chronicle “We apologize to our customers for this inconvenience.” There is currently no timeline for the store’s reopening The Cupertino Whole Foods is located at 20955 Stevens Creek Boulevard Related: Mid-Market Whole Foods Closing Due to Terrible Street Conditions Outside [SFist] Image: YueStudio Y. via Yelp Saks Fifth Avenue has officially announced the closure of its Union Square store — which has been operating on an "appointment only" basis since last summer Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox editor / reporter who has been published in almost every San Francisco publication Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox Get San José Spotlight headlines delivered to your inbox Criminals driving through Cupertino could be caught by just their license plate as the tech hub becomes one of the last in Santa Clara County to install detection technology The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to allow the County Sheriff’s Office to implement 15 cameras that automatically read license plates throughout Cupertino The cameras — which connect back to the sheriff’s office California Highway Patrol and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children databases — allow police to track stolen cars or cars associated with a crime They do not capture faces and data is deleted every 30 days Supervisor Susan Ellenberg abstained from voting over concerns about officers violating procedures including sharing data with unauthorized law enforcement agencies listed in the sheriff’s annual surveillance report between July 2023 and June 2024 Pruneridge Avenue and Perimeter Road; and De Anza Boulevard at Prospect Road Apple’s headquarters and the eastbound offramp on Interstate 280 who represents District 5 including Cupertino supported the technology because she’s seen it work in other cities Abe-Koge was surprised Cupertino didn’t have them already since its a tech hub where residents have growing concerns about property crimes “It’s always hard to have enough staff to do the patrols so I look at this as technology that provides another tool for our law enforcement and peace officers to be able to keep our neighborhood safe,” Abe-Koga told San José Spotlight The technology is already implemented in nearby cities the sheriff’s office serves “It’s been such a successful program and residents have come forward to us (who) were victims of a crime expressing to us how grateful they are to have these cameras,” Davis told San José Spotlight Cupertino hit a 12-year crime low last year, with 798 reported incidents want to maintain the downward trend through new tools such as the cameras Mohan was part of a unanimous council vote last October that approved the cameras locally before it went to the county for a vote “It’s not a perfect solution (to crime) but I think it’s a step in the right direction,” she told San José Spotlight Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" You must be logged in to post a comment San José Spotlight is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom dedicated to fearless journalism that disrupts the status quo holds power to account and paves the way for change We’re changing the face of local journalism by building a community-supported newsroom that ignites civic engagement educates residents and strengthens our democracy 408.206.5327[email protected] Submit a News TipSubscribe to our newsletters San José Spotlight is a project of the San José News Bureau a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128 ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " TrendingCommercialSan FranciscoASanta Clara County Eden eye teacher housing in Cupertino250-unit workforce housing complex joins homes for educators across Bay Area has homes priced between $2 million and $3 million with rents generally beyond the reach of schoolteachers That’s why Santa Clara County and Hayward-based Eden Housing plan to build a 250-unit apartment complex for teachers and staff at 10333 Wolfe Road, the San Jose Mercury News reported Pending approvals, the 5-acre project launched two years ago with a land swap from Apple The average monthly rent for an apartment in Cupertino is $3,158 The workforce housing is expected to provide homes for 75 to 100 teachers and staff, south of Interstate 280 and the Apple Park campus. The average starting salary for a teacher in Cupertino is $80,475 The project, to be developed by Eden, is expected to be approved next year. It would be built next to the defunct Vallco Mall, being turned into a 2,400-unit housing, retail and office development The idea was hatched by Supervisor Joe Simitian who heard tales of teachers commuting long distances or living doubled-up in tiny apartments because they couldn’t afford housing near their schools SIGN UPConcern for teacher housing has mounted throughout the Bay Area where it’s hard for educators to find affordable homes Teachers and school employees often fall into the “missing middle” — people who make too much money to qualify for traditional affordable housing but not enough to afford a pricey Bay Area home the Mountain View Whisman School District and the city built a 123-unit apartment complex for teachers that opened in February Los Gatos developed a four-unit affordable complex for its teachers Daly City opened a 122-unit apartment building for teachers faculty and staff from the Jefferson Union High School District The Palo Alto City Council recently approved a proposal to build 55 units of housing for local teachers the Berkeley Unified School District is building 110 units of affordable housing for its district staff — Dana Bartholomew KRON4 KRON4's Lindsey Ford reports: https://www.kron4.com/?p=2158697&preview=true Made in the Bay Area and being shown on the big screen local filmmakers discuss being featured at SFFilm Festival this year Video shows aftermath of tree crushing San Francisco parklet One man is in jail and another was hospitalized after a seemingly random attack in the Castro on Easter Three people are dead and three more are hospitalized with serious injuries after a Volkswagen Tiguan hit a tree on San Geronimo Valley Road just west of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard shortly before 7:30 p.m San Francisco Fire Department firefighters rescued an injured dog and an uninjured person from a cliffside along Mile Rock Trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Thursday afternoon Bay Area photographer Lani Tinio shared a timelapse of the Moon rising over the Bay Bridge on Sunday with KRON4 and there is no shortage of activities going on around the Bay Area KRON4 Chief Meteorologist Lawrence Karnow has 4 Fun Things going on this weekend Housing advocates are suing Cupertino over two controversial development proposals the city claims can’t be built Cupertino argues the projects had one 90-day window to submit a final formal application under state law before expiring But the housing groups say a correct legal interpretation gives developers an unlimited number of 90-day periods to resubmit their applications California Housing Defense Fund and the two projects’ independent legal teams are asking the Santa Clara County Superior Court to rule Cupertino must review and process the proposals again “Making sure these builder’s remedy projects actually become homes eventually is really important to ensure that state housing policy is functioning as it’s intended,” Casey told San José Spotlight “It would be perverse if those same provisions were flipped around and used to ensure that housing never gets built on a certain site and that a project is stuck in limbo for years.” The city maintains its actions comply with state law “Cupertino has always welcomed development projects from responsible developers who care about our community and the impacts their projects may have,” Mayor Liang Chao said in a statement “We remain committed to holding everyone to the same objective standards so that more housing can be approved in accordance with our general plan The lawsuits represent bigger questions about builder’s remedy projects in nearby communities. Los Gatos filed for legal clarification over the 90-day technicality last month to determine if two of its larger builder’s remedy projects have expired and can no longer qualify for additional 90-day extensions an attorney representing the Linda Vista Park project applicant said the lawsuits are significant because they could prevent technicalities from blocking housing in other jurisdictions such as Los Gatos “There’s no reason to read the law that way except that you want to defeat the builder’s remedy,” he told San José Spotlight then other cities are going to do the exact same thing … It’s a desperate move to defeat the builder’s remedy.” Cupertino resident and member of Cupertino for All said the pro-housing group would support these developments if they were in a different neighborhood well suited for them even if 20% of their homes are affordable under builder’s remedy but not anything everywhere,” Sadaati told San José Spotlight “The problems with these two builders’ remedies are they’re just not a good fit as submitted.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] A Cupertino assisted living facility is one step closer to being built after years of delays — but not as originally planned City Council will review the changes at a later date Related California representatives said the changes are largely due to difficulty financing the project in an economy with skyrocketing prices The developer is allowed concessions by the state for projects with affordable housing Eliminating the underground parking and reducing retail space would save the developer between $15 million to $22 million senior vice president of development for Related California said the decreased parking shouldn’t cause issues because many of the future older adult residents won’t be able to drive “There’s probably nobody in this room more than the developer that wants to see this project move forward,” he said at the meeting “We’ve invested tremendous amounts of money to date and it doesn’t do us any favors to let the project sit like this for three years.” Planning Commission Vice Chair Tracy Kosolcharoen had concerns about the retail reduction because she said residents want more The site used to be the Oaks Shopping Center But she supported it because the vote reached a fair compromise between the developer and residents “Westport represents an incredible opportunity to contribute to the vibrant city center many residents desire,” Kosolcharoen told San José Spotlight “But a thriving heart of the city doesn’t just happen — it takes proactive collaboration between the city The facility is one of the last pieces needed to complete the 8.1-acre project which already has 88 townhomes and rowhouses and 48 affordable apartments for adults 62 and older It’s unclear when the assisted living facility will be finished Oakmont Senior Living will run services such as memory care Richard Adler, chair of Age Friendly Cupertino, said Cupertino needs more housing for older adults in a city with a growing older population The city has 221 homes for older adults across four assisted living facilities Adler said the development is helping create a centralized older adult community with the senior center and more older adult homes next door created the institutions and the systems to support (older adults),” he told San José Spotlight that may be my next stop and we have a dire need for housing,” Ferris told San José Spotlight “I just don’t like the way the law is set up (for developer concessions) I don’t think it’s useful for communities like Cupertino that don’t have the infrastructure.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Article mentions transit, Cupertino has a bargain all electric transit service: SV Hopper that only costs $1.75 per ride for seniors: https://www.cupertino.gov/Your-City/Departments/Public-Works/Transportation-Mobility/SV-Hopper They have wheelchair accessible electric vehicles on demand as well Apple funds a multi-million dollar private bus system across the Bay Area for their employees Cupertino has more than enough nimble transportation options to get you where you need to be Most of the staff can’t afford to live close enough for practical transit use Visitors and volunteers make a big difference in the lives of residents Few Apple employees live in assisted living You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] R “Ray” Wang has won a spot on the Cupertino City Council in a tight race that triggered a recount for one of two open seats Wang will take the second open council seat with 7,641 votes, or 18.5% of the vote, as of Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. He got 63 more votes than Rod Sinks, who received 7,578 votes or 18.4% of the vote. The contentious, at-large race automatically triggered a recount by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters which happens when the margin of victory is either less than 0.25% of ballots cast or fewer than 25 votes The recount ended Monday for the five-person council and final results will be certified Dec The results signal a significant shift in the Cupertino City Council’s power balance. Wang, a former city planning commissioner, ran on a political slate with frontrunner Councilmember Kitty Moore Wang and Moore will shift the council majority — which consists of Mayor Sheila Mohan Fruen and Councilmember Hung Wei — from its pro-development stance to a less development-friendly one Both Moore and Wang said they are resident-first and advocate for responsible development Wang said he’s grateful for the grassroots campaign he and Moore ran “We’re just massively overjoyed in the sense that residents are looking for more responsible and responsive services from the city There’s a chance to actually make sure that they see that we get more resident input,” he told San José Spotlight a former mayor who pushed a pro-development campaign ran alongside Wei on his own political slate Cupertino’s largest housing development at the former Vallco Mall site despite its status as a ministerial project — meaning the city council doesn’t have as much say His campaign was complicated by Wei’s stage four lung cancer diagnosis He congratulated Wang and Moore on their win but voiced concern over the outcome and the city’s future under their leadership “I think the city is going to fall on challenging times now because I ran on a platform of economic development,” he told San José Spotlight lose the opportunity to get a downtown at  Vallco.” The last time the council majority flipped was in 2022, when Mohan and Fruen were elected. Other council candidates included Parks and Recreation Commissioner Claudio Bono and former mayors Barry Chang and Gilbert Wong She’s hopeful the council will be able to collaborate even though Mohn will be in the minority “I am confident we’ll all be able to work together more vibrant than it has ever been,” she told San José Spotlight “These are visions or ideas that we all have in common.” The election was divisive this year, with topics such as development and the budget splitting residents. All candidates touched on The Rise and about 1.95 million square feet of office space The next city council may have some say over the project but not as much as other developments because its ministerial status allows it to bypass some requirements Candidates also addressed the strained budget — largely a result of the loss of Apple sales tax revenue after a state audit. The city was recently told it could keep the more than $70 million in sales tax revenue officials thought it might have to give back. Councilmembers voted to allocate about $10 million of that windfall into a public employees retirement benefit plan last month but officials still anticipate future budget shortfalls who’s lived in the city since 2013 and worked in it since 1998 said he’s glad Wang and Moore won because previous city leadership accepted staff recommendations without thoroughly vetting the information “Residents were able to see through what was going on in the city,” he told San José Spotlight “It is a victory for the residents and let us hope that common sense can prevail once again.” Wang said once he officially takes the seat his goals include increasing fiscal accountability The more you speak with people and learn what they need bring people together — that’s how you build community inside of a city,” he said that’s really what we’re trying to do Congratulations to Kitty Moore and Ray Wang and did not respond to baseless personal attacks by special-interest groups or engage in that kind of unethical behavior themselves They came to my house while canvassing and it was heartening to witness their knowledge and dedication They were the ONLY two City Council candidates that came by during the campaign ─ where were the other candidates Wang’s victory signals that voters understand and support a pragmatic understanding of the role of local government — and what it can While everyone expected popular Council Member Kitty Moore to cruise to an easy re-election victory Ray Wang defeating the developer-backed candidate Sinks speaks well and if a voter isn’t familiar with his record he can come across as knowledgeable and reasonable 2) The shenanigans of convincing Hung Wei to re-enter the race after she wisely pulled out due to her health issues The goal was to siphon Chinese votes away from Ray Wang Now it’s time to begin undoing the damage of the past two years Transparency and accountability suffered greatly during the past two years and restoring the public trust in government is vitally important A great campaign that understood that Cupertino voters don’t like negative campaigning It is interesting that the partisan political organizations like Rotary appear to have lost much of their influence at least in highly-educated cities like Cupertino Several things were impressive about Kitty Moore and Ray Wang despite all the nasty attacks from those political organizations they never descended in to that same kind of nastiness they had a detailed understanding of the issues facing Cupertino and what could be done to solve them the YIMBY attacks on Wang and how they kicked him off of Planning Commission for no valid reason were well understood by many residents and that angered many voters ─ commission members should not be political pawns that get kicked off a commission The one thing that was really upsetting in this election was how Council Member Hung Wei was exploited Hung Wei wisely dropped out of the race due to her health issues Everyone understood why she made that difficult decision when polling made it clear that the second seat was a close contest between Ray Wang and the third place candidate political groups forced Hung Wei to re-enter the contest in an attempt to take Asian votes away from Ray Wang showing Dolly Sandoval trying to help an obviously very ill Hung Wei record a campaign video was very sad (mercifully Ding-Ding TV pulled the video from their web site) and competence to the Cupertino City Council should be their first priority Hopefully council member Mohan will join them in these efforts The Council needs to come up with a practical plan for what can be built at Vallco (if the owners are willing to come to their sense and negotiate a plan that everyone can accept) You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] After more than a year of unprecedented fiscal uncertainty Cupertino’s future could be flush with cash The unexpected turnaround in the city’s mid-year financial report projects a $4.5 million budget surplus in 2026 This comes on the heels of a $30 million loss largely due to a depletion of sales tax revenue from tech giant Apple over the past year and a half The city credits this reversal to an array of cost-cutting measures It has a $217.4 million budget for the current fiscal year and is projecting an ongoing surplus through 2034 the extra funds are expected to drop to $500,000 A state audit prevents Cupertino from receiving ongoing sales tax revenue from Apple, which created a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall last year that has since been resolved Councilmember J.R. Fruen said the projections are likely modest because they don’t account for the city’s growth with projects such as The Rise at the former Vallco Mall site. He said new housing in the pipeline will create a larger tax base later “Having the breathing room is really important,” Fruen told San José Spotlight “It gives us the opportunity to make better decisions about what we do as a city in terms of what sort of services we offer and what kinds of projects we undertake and what we might build.” The report states the city should remain cautious with its finances because its expenses are expected to outpace revenue The city relies on sales and property tax for revenue Property tax and franchise fees are expected to increase by $1.9 million in fiscal year 2025-26 but the city’s sales tax revenue has plummeted 72% within a year to about $6.2 million as of the mid-year report due to the Apple sales tax revenue loss who ran a large part of his political campaign on fiscal accountability last year said the city has a money problem he wants to mitigate in upcoming budget discussions He wants to save money by training staff on services the city could do itself rather than outsourcing “What I’m more worried about is the type of spending we’re doing,” Wang told San José Spotlight “We have a lot of projects that we could probably stop and a lot of consulting fees we could probably end.” “I envision a world where many of the city services are a complete online experience which would not only help with staff shortage but also make these services more efficient,” Eschelbeck told San José Spotlight “Any budget surplus and funds should directly benefit residents and (go) less into administrative areas.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] TrendingResidentialSan FranciscoAKoret Foundation sells 468-unit multifamily property in Cupertino for $207MBoston-based Rockpoint Group buys aging complex for $443K per unit A foundation tied to the former Koret of California apparel firm has sold a 468-unit apartment complex in Cupertino for $207.2 million The San Francisco-based Koret Foundation sold The Villages at Cupertino at 20875 Valley Green Drive, near Interstate 280 and De Anza Boulevard, the San Jose Mercury News and Silicon Valley Business Journal reported The buyer was Boston-based Rockpoint Group 2.8 percent less than a part of the complex sold for two years ago Rockpoint landed a loan from Husky Finco for $182.1 million Koret bought 110 units within the 27.1-acre complex in June 2023 for $50.1 million built in 1964 near Apple’s former hub on Infinite Loop contains two-story buildings with 468 units and an outdoor lounge with a kitchen and barbecue stations Rents for studio to three-bedroom apartments range from $1,704 to $4,200 a month SIGN UPOther recent multifamily deals include Interstate Equities Corporation’s purchase of Summerwood Apartments in Santa Clara for $203 million and Acacia Capital Corporation’s purchase of Franklin 299 Apartments in Redwood City for $184 million a Jewish philanthropy that supports community building across the Bay Area known for permanent press fabrics such as Koratron along with sportswear In early 2023, it sold an older Sunnyvale apartment complex for $106 million Cupertino’s decision to draw in new businesses and support longtime merchants has the commerce community cheering The Cupertino City Council voted 3-2 earlier this month to prioritize economic development and small business support for the next two fiscal years as part of a citywide work program Fruen and Sheila Mohan supported the effort unrelated items listed in the work program Cupertino’s goals include streamlining the small business permitting process attracting new businesses and creating a small business council The city plans to explore filling vacant storefronts and themed events such as a restaurant week The city council also reestablished the Economic Development Committee citing a desire to take direction from experts in the field rather than committee members who may be less qualified Councilmembers will appoint the five-person committee this spring Mayor Liang Chao said while the city has an economic development team it doesn’t have the authority to influence policy decisions like the council or the reformed committee “I found that (other mayors) are actively working to build up an ecosystem for a target industry they wish to grow (like) biotech,” she told San José Spotlight “It is important to retain and recruit small businesses but it is more important to retain and recruit mid-sized businesses (which) would generate more significant revenue for the city.” with costs expected to outpace revenue as the city spends the surplus Cupertino Chamber of Commerce CEO Deborah Feng said she’s encouraged by the city’s efforts because she wants Cupertino businesses to feel connected to their community said her business has been in Cupertino’s Portal Plaza since 2008 She hasn’t felt supported by the city and is glad Cupertino plans to shift its focus toward retaining small businesses She wants the city to help out with small business costs “A lot of small businesses move because the rent’s so high so (there’s) a lot of empty space now,” Nguyen told San José Spotlight the city prioritized goals regarding public safety transportation and housing rather than economic development said the renewed priorities are important to the small business community She said city help with costly renovations and burglaries would be appreciated adding small businesses bring vibrancy to Cupertino “They make the neighborhood have more diversity and different (cultures),” Hou told San José Spotlight “It’s not like everything is a chain store.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X unrelated items listed in the work program.” Can you provide any additional details on what these “separate and why they were blockers for Mohan and Fruen to support the overall program Glad to see the pro-business majority on City Council support the business community It’s important to expand the sales tax base and business tax base by encouraging businesses to locate Sad that two council members voted against this program but not surprising given their past voting record You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] One of Cupertino’s top officials is leaving the city City Attorney Christopher Jensen submitted his resignation Thursday and said “it has been a pleasure to work with everyone at the city,” according to his resignation letter obtained by San José Spotlight 22 after serving more than three and a half years in the position Jensen’s letter doesn’t say why he is leaving but notes Cupertino will continue to be well-served by city workers and the City Council “I am proud of everything the city has accomplished during my tenure in Cupertino,” Jensen told San José Spotlight “I will be rejoining the Hanson Bridgett law firm as a partner where my practice will focus on local agency Mayor Liang Chao said the city has about one month to find a temporary replacement to fill the role after Jensen’s departure Councilmembers will appoint a replacement in closed session “Chris has served the city really well,” Chao told San José Spotlight “The relationship between the council and (attorney) actually has been always really present and we have always respected his expertise.” Jensen sometimes clashed with councilmembers including some on the new council majority Chao was the sole no vote against an amendment to Jensen’s contract that raised his salary to $310,500 annually and increased severance pay from three to nine months Chao said she voted against it because she wanted to leave the door open for negotiations and had concerns about the city budget. She said the previous council majority, including Councilmembers Sheila Mohan and J.R. Fruen and former Councilmember Hung Wei put Jensen in uncomfortable situations during council meetings Wei said Jensen was a valuable city worker while Fruen commended Jensen and denied Chao’s assertions He added Jensen left when the previous council majority flipped Mohan said the city owes him a debt of gratitude for his work “He was not only my friend and colleague but also a mentor whose guidance and advice were invaluable to me and everyone in this organization,” he told San José Spotlight Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Jensen did not understand the Brown Act and allowed Council Members to violate it I trust Mayor Chao to help hire a capable replacement she was one of the two councilmembers who hired Mr Cupertino will benefit from their leadership Cupertino was just picked by one national ranking as the most livable city in California it is necessary to be fair to people about their experiences and the efforts they make to understand those they represent You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] Cupertino has amended several of its governing rules — leaving some constituents happy and others concerned about what it could mean for the city The Cupertino City Council voted 3-2 to adjust and add some council procedures March 4 One change includes removing language restricting the mayor and vice mayor from serving consecutive terms which ensured a yearly mayoral rotation among councilmembers The five-person council annually appoints the mayor who doesn’t have much power outside of helping set meeting agendas with the city manager and setting the order for special meetings A council majority vote can overrule the agenda order But that likely won’t happen if at least two other councilmembers back the mayor in a city largely divided over controversial developments Vice Mayor Kitty Moore and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang have consistently supported Mayor Liang Chao since her appointment last year Chao said changes and additions to city rules are intended to clarify ambiguity restore previous longstanding practices and improve transparency between the public and councilmembers One of the additions ensures agenda items are written in layman’s terms for public transparency “There have been a lot of complaints from residents who have been attending council meetings for many years,” Chao told San José Spotlight but we should revert back to preexisting policies if they do not work out.” Other council procedural changes include removing language restricting former councilmembers from serving on city commissions until more than four years after their term; removing a rule preventing councilmembers from submitting public record requests; and allowing councilmembers to yield the remainder of their speaking time to other councilmembers who have used all of their time Mohan said the changes could lead to unintended consequences such as taking up staff time and ultimately affecting the community the council represents she doesn’t feel her colleagues heard her concerns about the changes Mohan served as mayor last year and said switching annually is healthier for the city “I’ve been hopeful that after the dust settles a little after (the last meeting) which was not a pleasant experience by any long shot we will all be able to at least provide some sort of rationality to our discussions,” Mohan told San José Spotlight Former Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong who unsuccessfully ran for reelection last year said the change in mayoral and vice mayoral terms is concerning He said it doesn’t matter which side has the council majority — all councilmembers should have a chance to be mayor who’s lived in the city for about 30 years said she doesn’t mind these amendments as long as the councilmembers represent the residents She said some of the changes could increase transparency in the city anyone who is looking out for the needs of the residents is very very important for me,” Swamy told San José Spotlight “It is less about a round robin and it is more important about what that leader is bringing to the table.” Councilmembers will continue discussing more policy changes at their next meeting on March 18 under the resolution Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X There is no logical reason that a city council should not be able to select whomever they want for mayor he or she should not be restricted from serving multiple consecutive terms Voters select their council members with the expectation that they will appoint a mayor and vice mayor that will govern the city well Cupertino had two recent occurrences of mayors with two consecutive terms; two excellent mayors and both served in the midst of the pandemic Cupertino dodged a bullet in the last election with Ray Wang winning the second open seat Catherine Moore of course cruised to a landslide victory The 2023-2024 City Council acted like President Trump is now acting eliminating transparency and attacking those that don’t support their harmful agenda A wave of transparency is sweeping over Cupertino The new city council is acting quickly to undo the harmful policies but there is more work to be done to undo all the damage ─ unfortunately We now have a super-smart mayor with Liang Chao This is the first time Liang Chao has been mayor (she gracefully supported Darcy Paul for a second year as mayor) and this is the first time that Catherine Moore has been vice-mayor Vice-Mayor Moore and Councilmember Wang for restoring flexibility in selecting our City’s Mayor and Vice-Mayor This allows our City Council to do what is best for the governance of our City rather than preventing a councilmember from serving consecutive leadership terms Fruen and Wong’s assumptions of what is best for our City are deeply flawed as is the assumption that most people who run for Council aspire to be mayor or even vice-mayor Consider that by the end of his term as mayor who was initially elected to council in 2016 following a long stint as Planning Commissioner if Sunnyvale had Cupertino’s former rules Klein would be prohibited from serving on a commission after his term is out – what a waste of institutional knowledge and expertise Restoring the original succession rules also avoids forcing a councilmember into a more demanding role for which they might not be suited Cupertino is lucky to have a majority Council that is doing the right things for the residents of the city You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] One of Cupertino’s most dangerous roads will soon become safer for cyclists The Cupertino City Council approved the extension of a protected bike lane project down Stevens Creek Boulevard in a 3-2 vote last month Mayor Liang Chao and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang support protective bike lanes but voted no citing concerns about the project’s design Golden Bay Construction will install cement barriers between cyclists and cars along a roughly 2.5-mile stretch between North Wolfe Road and Mary Avenue — creating some of the most well-protected bike lanes citywide Chao said she’s advocated for options other than concrete barriers since 2019 because of the unintended dangers they may cause “Concrete barriers create hazards for both cars and bicyclists since they are low in the ground and hard to see at night,” she told San José Spotlight they will likely fall and get hurt badly.” The project is expected to cost more than $2.2 million supplemented by approximately $807,000 from a One Bay Area grant and and $693,000 in Senate Bill 1 funding Both funding sources support transportation infrastructure throughout the region Construction begins this month and is expected to be completed by September The project will not reduce car lanes once complete Councilmember Sheila Mohan said she supports improving safety for cyclists and students walking or biking to nearby schools “It is really important to me because it’s the right thing to do from the carbon emissions that come out of the excess use of cars,” she told San José Spotlight The city’s recently adopted Vision Zero plan identified Stevens Creek Boulevard as one of its most dangerous streets Approximately 16 incidents resulted in severe injuries on the road between 2012 and 2021 according to data from Vision Zero — which aims to eliminate severe traffic injuries and deaths by 2040 The boulevard had the most reported incidents resulting in severe injuries citywide in that timeframe This is the second phase of the city’s plan to improve bike safety on Stevens Creek Boulevard Cupertino installed cement barriers between Tantau Avenue and North Wolfe Road in 2021 to kickstart safety improvements The effort is one of the highest-ranked priorities in the city’s 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan The project adds to the city’s bike network. Cupertino began installing protected bike lanes along De Anza Boulevard between Bollinger and Homestead roads last year reducing some roads from four car lanes to three board member of pedestrian and bike safety organization Walk-Bike Cupertino said she bikes on Stevens Creek Boulevard multiple times a week and has had numerous close calls who serves on the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission and bikes about 2,000 to 4,000 miles a year said he wants more emphasis on bike lanes in areas with fewer cars traveling at high speeds He said narrow bike lanes on busy roads could lead to dangerous situations where faster cyclists unsafely pass slower cyclists It’s why he avoids biking on major roads Madhdhipatla said protected bike lanes on McClellan Road are often blocked by debris and haven’t worked as well as officials hoped Or are we creating a problem?” Madhdhipatla told San José Spotlight That same thing might happen on Stevens Creek.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Sounds like they’re planning their own version of operation maximum grid lock like we have in San Jose Interestingly enough I don’t really ever remember seeing many bikes on Stevens Creek Instead of adding a bunch of environmentally hazardous plastic cones (at least that’s what the county supervisors say) and removing a traffic lane how about we upgrade the existing sidewalks and turn them into full blown multi-use trails ALL bike lanes and existing sidewalks should be merged and turned into multi-use trails It makes the multi-use trails safer for everyone alike all the while allowing roads to maintain safety features like turn and merge lanes Joe Dummy’s idea makes too much sense and could never be adopted Has this effort been coordinated with planners in San Jose Many of these faddish designs are not only poor despite the appeal to emotion routinely used by proponents by mislabeling cycling and some pedestrian facilities instead as “safety” [sic] facilities Climate and anti-car activism is not a basis for You must be logged in to post a comment A Cupertino official is back in the City Council race almost a week after she dropped out due to her health Councilmember Hung Wei on Monday said she will continue her reelection bid, despite previously suspending her campaign on Sept 17 because of her ongoing battle with stage four lung cancer She said she’s campaigning again after an outpouring of support from residents who believe in her — and intends to serve all four years of her second term if reelected “Your words reminded me why I first decided to run for office: to serve our community with every bit of strength and love I have to give,” Wei said in a statement your belief in me and your unwavering support have reignited my passion to continue this campaign.” All are vying for two seats on the five-person council meaning voters can chose from all candidates rather than just those running in their political district — the more common method used by nearby cities such as Campbell and Sunnyvale Sinks said he met with Wei multiple times at her house as she’s weighed the decision He said they’re effectively running side by side it will signal a strong message to Cupertino residents about the city’s trajectory “(It’s) going to announce to the world that we are willing now to go bigger right We are willing to fulfill our housing element,” Sinks told San José Spotlight “We’re willing to build the downtown who she endorsed after suspending her campaign She donated $5,500 to his campaign last week She said residents should vote her and Sinks into the two open seats Wei said Cupertino is her home and she wants to continue improving the city along with residents “I feel more determined than ever to fight for the issues that matter most to us—education I know we can make Cupertino an even better place to live and thrive.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X but whoever convinced her to get back in this race is very unethical and not thinking of Ms She’s been unable to attend any of the candidate forums In the video her campaign released she’s having trouble even reading the narrative that was provided to her by someone else to recite Not sure what is behind her abandoning the race and then coming back in It was a good idea to drop out given her serious health issues and a bad idea to restart her campaign you can’t just spend a fortune on mail pieces you have to be out there talking to voters I’ve already had candidates from three different races come by my house It’s very sad to watch the original Hung Wei video, starting at around 6 minutes. She is clearly in no position to run or to serve. Her campaign quickly removed the original and replaced it with an edited version, but fortunately the original was saved: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hWkI4N4A3w&t=309s I talked with one political pundit who explained the likely reason for Ms Wei re-entering the race and who is behind it The idea is to split the Chinese vote four ways (Chang This dilutes the vote totals of the Chinese candidates which would increase the chances of one of the developer-friendly candidates winning This is really unconscionable to do this kind of thing to Ms The link to the dingding tv video of hung wei has been taken down due to an assertion of copyright It’s interesting how a political piece masquerading as journalism tries to assert copyright when the political view is questioned You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] As one Cupertino Union School District candidate inches toward a win alarm bells are sounding among LGBTQ+ advocates worried about his stance on inclusive curriculum Parent Long Jiao’s apparent second-place finish for one of the two open seats on the five-person school board has families worried about what it could mean for queer students and faculty Jiao has about 21.1% of the vote as of Thursday behind top vote-getter and sitting board member Sylvia Leong with about 35.9% Votes are still being tallied, but some community members said Jiao’s lead is troubling because of his alignment with Curriculum Integrity — a parent group whose concerns over gender identity and queer topics in the classroom led to the investigation of a nonbinary transitional kindergarten teacher who San José Spotlight chose not to name over safety concerns is on leave while the investigation determines whether they went beyond district-approved curriculum by having a poster with different pronouns and a book showing boys wearing skirts Jiao said curriculum should be similar in classrooms across the district He wants parents to have the opportunity to opt in and out of “experimental” teaching that goes beyond district curriculum similar to opting in or out of sex education in fifth and seventh grade Jiao said he stands out from other candidates because of his willingness to stand up for what he believes but the best way to include all students is to hang the American flag and avoid mentioning different identities entirely because it’s difficult to include everything “If the teachers just stick to (the curriculum) without engaging their personal beliefs it’s actually the most inclusive thing because all the students no matter which culture they come from and no matter which background they come from they can be accepted and not feel alienated,” he told San José Spotlight Jiao would likely represent the minority opinion on the board and have little power during votes outgoing board President Phyllis Vogel said She added it would be difficult to allow parents to opt out of queer topics because subjects like gender identity and expression come up naturally without a start and end date like sex education But Jiao’s potential to take the seat is still worrying to parents like Robb Zimmerman He said representation like Jiao’s can cause damage to queer students and faculty Zimmerman is working on building community to help protect his child in anticipation of Jiao’s win “It takes nothing more than some political savvy to preside from a minority position (to cause hurt),” he told San José Spotlight “Even if he’s the lone voice he might bring out some sympathies of people on the board who were maybe on the fence or had some concerns but didn’t feel like those concerns would be heard.” The Cupertino Educators Association wants clearer guidelines on queer topics so groups like Curriculum Integrity have a harder time questioning their place in the classroom A union statement said it’s optimistic about the final results said the board has a protocol outlining that members who vote in the minority should support the final outcome She wants that to continue with the new board “We’ve been very good listeners to public opinion and I hope that continues,” she told San José Spotlight “I would like to see the whole inclusivity (message) Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X “worried about what it could mean for queer students and faculty” it means they work and attend school just like any other faculty member or student Equality and equity means treating everyone like anyone else Stop trying to make everything and LGBT+ issue and stop trying to “raise awareness” Just assimilate and stop trying to make this a big deal I can tell you for a fact at the elementary level there are NOT parents and children running around creating unsafe environments for any group No one is specifically calling out LGBT students and ALL students are safe and seemingly not at all thinking about race or gender many who don’t have kids – and people basically uninformed about what is going on at schools Same with the middle and high-school levels no student/parent conspiracy to single out LGBT kids – or any other group These kids don’t need to be lectured by adults with political motives like they are somehow the problem That is how many kids feel – like they are constantly being lectured when they have nothing but love for their classmates It’s condescending and inappropriate All CA schools should focus on teaching kids how to read do math – give them opportunities to socialize and play sports together You will see on the vast majority of campuses if you just remove the social justice and gender ideology obsession coming from adults – these kids coexist peacefully happily w/ out the manufactured conflict coming from adults as I worked in schools between 2005-2008 – many of the discussions around gender today we were trained to avoid we were trained if we heard adults talking about sexuality to little kids – it was a red flag “The Cupertino Educators Association wants clearer guidelines on queer topics so groups like Curriculum Integrity have a harder time questioning their place in the classroom “The Cupertino Educators Association wants clearer guidelines on Christian topics so groups like Curriculum Integrity have a harder time questioning their place in the classroom but I like to think I’m sensible and try to take a balanced approach Replace “Queer” with any other word and the idea that a governing school body can be beyond question starts to sound like it’s wielding a little too much power The stream of consciousness changes in society as time progresses 60 years ago even mentioning queer in schools might have been a fireable offense It boils down to how much time will be dedicated to teaching about that subject and I guess the bigger question is with all the acceptance do we even need to teach queer diversity anymore much of that has changed in 60 years as well I don’t think many schools are having courses in ethnic diversity as much either Learning diversity is something that should be taught in the home and schools can more or less take their turn at it No more time should be spent on teaching queer diversity No school body should ever be given the authority to operate without question either You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] A tight West Valley city council race is headed to a recount with fewer than 10 days until the vote must be certified The candidates are vying for the second open seat in an at-large election to control the five-person council’s majority Councilmember Kitty Moore is the frontrunner with 10,334 votes The registrar must certify the recount to the state by Dec “We told all our supporters this was going to be a close race,” he told San José Spotlight The recount comes at a critical time for the power balance on the council regarding one of the city’s most contentious issues: development want to shake up the existing development-friendly council majority of Mayor Sheila Mohan Fruen and Councilmember Hung Wei — who is running to keep her seat but sitting in fourth place Wang and Moore describe themselves as resident-forward and pro-responsible development The duo has been less development-friendly in the past Sinks was also part of a political slate, running alongside Wei, with the goal of keeping the development-friendly majority. Their campaign largely focused on getting The Rise done but was complicated by Wei’s stage four lung cancer diagnosis The project is the city’s largest housing development to date It has consistently divided residents and whichever majority wins will play a large role in shaping it said he’s disappointed with how the election is going as a Sinks supporter “I believe in everything that Rod has to offer the city,” he told San José Spotlight “I think the city is going to be sorry that they didn’t vote him in whereas the Cupertino recount will not cost the candidates who’s lived in the city since 1996 and supports Wang and Moore said she has faith the recount will keep Wang ahead County elections spokesperson Steve Goltiao said residents who have questions about the recount can visit the registrar to observe the process He said the county will get the results out as soon as it can “We’re working diligently to make sure that every vote is coming properly,” he told San José Spotlight Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] TrendingResidentialSan FranciscoAYIMBY Law sues Cupertino for denying builder’s remedy projectsCity claims developers have 90 days to fix applications Cupertino has employed a filing technicality in the state builder’s remedy to contest controversial projects One project filed by Chunhua Tang would build a 20-unit, five-story, condominium building at 20739 Scofield Drive The proposal faced opposition from neighbors last year who said it would add congestion and safety issues to a busy single-family neighborhood The other project filed by Lixin Chen would build 25 single family homes and eight condos on an 86.1-acre site known as Vista Heights west of Linda Vista Drive and Mount Crest Drive and south of Linda Vista Park a decades-old loophole in state housing law that allows developers to bypass zoning rules in cities that fail to certify their state-mandated housing plans providing they include 20 percent affordable housing Scofield and Vista Heights were submitted before Cupertino’s housing element was approved last May. Under the state housing element plan, Cupertino must plan to build 4,588 homes by 2031 is how the city handles the builder’s remedy provision that allows developers 180 days after submitting a preliminary application to submit a full application Developers have 90 days after that to resolve any missing information said Cupertino’s interpretation of the law gives developers only 90 days after the first revision request to complete the updates “This would allow a city to ask for more work just hours before the end of the 90-day period,” Pressman said They’re clearly doing this to try and get out of building homes just like they’ve been doing for decades.” The state Department of Housing and Community Development says a developer can have successive 90-day periods to fix their applications The department also threatened to get the state attorney general to enforce its interpretation Interpretation of the builder’s remedy has been subject to debate. Last week, the town of Los Gatos filed a lawsuit seeking to clarify the 90-day rule after insisting it wouldn’t roll over for developers who wanted unlimited time to complete their applications In 2023, Yimby Law and the California Housing Defense Fund sued Cupertino and a dozen Bay Area cities over their failure to meet the state deadline for housing element plan submissions You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience settling a sales tax dispute that reshapes how tech giants and cities do business in California Since 1998, Apple has treated all of its online sales within California as if they originated in Cupertino. That arrangement allowed the city to collect 1% of Apple's 7.25% sales tax, according to Silicon Valley In its latest move to resolve the long-running dispute City Council approved the payment during a Tuesday meeting with no discussion The refund covers sales tax revenue Apple generated between January 2023 and June 2024 and the money came from Cupertino's general fund which supports most of the city's services The settlement followed an audit by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) which found that the state — not Cupertino — was entitled to the revenue from Apple's online sales The long-standing agreement between Apple and Cupertino shaped where sales tax dollars went and sparked growing controversy over time Apple received about a third of the revenue back The returned revenue is a common incentive used by cities to attract or retain major employers The arrangement benefited both parties for over two decades Cupertino received tens of millions of dollars annually so did scrutiny from other cities that argued they deserved a share of that tax revenue That scrutiny led to the CDTFA's 2023 audit The agency concluded that tax revenue from Apple's online transactions should be distributed across the state based on where purchases were actually made or delivered — not where the company is headquartered Cupertino was initially expected to return $56.5 million prompting budget reductions affecting city staff A settlement reached in October 2024 allowed the city to retain $74.5 million in previously collected revenue the agreement also required Cupertino to refund Apple $12.1 million from its own general fund The Cupertino-Apple case may set a precedent for other municipalities in California that have similar revenue-sharing arrangements with large companies It's a reminder that digital-era tax deals are subject to state oversight and legal challenge especially when they appear to concentrate public revenue disproportionately While local governments often offer incentives to keep major employers within city limits the state is increasing scrutiny over how those arrangements affect broader tax fairness and distribution the refund is minor in the context of its overall finances But the CDTFA's decision may prompt the company and others to reconsider how they report online sales within California the settlement brings a measure of closure though the long-term budget implications remain unclear The case has also sparked wider discussions about how local economies should structure tax policy in an increasingly digital retail environment Andrew is a writer and commentator who has been sharing his insights on technology since 2015 He has authored numerous online articles covering a range of topics including Apple I apparently did not understand this particular issue perhaps because I have usually done so from the same county. It's strange that Apple would just bill every online tangible item as a sale from Cupertino.Anyhow Cupertino gets to keep some of their tax revenue and now has to tighten their belts and find other sources of revenue While Apple TV+ has a reputation for micromanagement it seems that it's not as bad as it once was so long as you're not damaging Apple's brand image A developer is seeking a class action lawsuit for funds developers could have earned for the last fifteen months with links outside the App Store instead of mandatory in-app subscription purchases the device you need can range anywhere from $1,600-$6,000 If you're looking for a smarter way to buy Upgraded makes it easy and affordable with one low monthly subscription EA Sports FC Mobile players can stream MLS matches in-game and get a free month of Apple TV MLS Season Pass While complying with the courts and their mandated changes to the App Store as fallout from the Epic vs Apple has now also filed its appeal against the ruling Before your iPhone ever reaches your hands and drop tests inside a secretive Irish lab Apple may have been able to mitigate against Trump's tariffs before their full extent was announced but the company's latest SEC filing reveals that this was only a short-term tactic Apple is allegedly preparing to sell corporate bonds in a sale that could raise billions in cash and finance a $100 billion share buyback plan CEO Tim Cook's working relationship with President Donald Trump has once again helped Apple escape issues in the U.S.-China tariff battle Synology is pushing for consumers to buy its own brand of hard drives for its newest NAS appliances with only certified drives getting the full suite of software support A visit to the marble-covered Apple Via del Corso is an Apple Store experience that offers unexpected artwork and masses of culture AppleInsider visited the store to check out the mix of old and new 2025The Whole Foods in Cupertino has been ordered to temporarily shut down after repeated health violations.CUPERTINO (KGO) -- The Whole Foods in Cupertino has been ordered to temporarily shut down after repeated health violations The grocery chain is located at 20955 Stevens Creek Boulevard near North Stelling Road Santa Clara health officials say a recent inspection found evidence of insect and rodent infestations deli and juice bar had closed because of similar health and safety violations Cupertino can keep millions of sales tax dollars from Apple despite a lengthy state audit questioning the city’s tax agreement that left it with a budget shortfall The city on Thursday announced a settlement with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, allowing Cupertino to retain sales tax revenue from Apple since the state began an audit in 2021 through August. Last year, the state audit found some of Apple’s local sales tax dollars were misallocated the city will no longer receive the sales tax distribution the state determined should go to other jurisdictions beginning in 2025 The Cupertino City Council set aside roughly $77.5 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year budget for potential sales tax repayments to the state tax association all of which it will now be able to access How the funds will be used is up to councilmembers Cupertino was saddled with a roughly $15 million deficit due to the audit and the settlement could relieve some of that Mayor Sheila Mohan said she didn’t have high hopes for the audit’s outcome because the city hadn’t dealt with something like this before “This has definitely been really the best outcome that we could have envisioned It’s been three years (since) this whole thing started so we’re basically happy with how it went,” she told San José Spotlight Interim Assistant City Manager Tina Kapoor said she couldn’t speak to if or how the settlement will affect the city’s tax-sharing agreements She said Cupertino is still looking at the ongoing shift to its sales tax revenue as the city projects a deficit for the coming years due to the drop in sales tax She said the amount of money the city will lose in sales tax revenue in 2025 is being compiled and will be shared soon “The settlement provides a reprieve to the city and will keep us balanced for a little bit longer,” she told San José Spotlight Cupertino had a longstanding agreement with Apple dating back to 1998 in which the company designates all online product sales to California residents as taking place in Cupertino and allocates the local 1% portion of the state’s 7.25% sales tax from those transactions to the city The city in turn gave back about a third of that tax revenue to Apple All that changed when the state began auditing Apple’s local sales tax allocation in 2021 and ordered the tech giant to reimburse it about $20 million because of misallocation director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration said the settlement will help get money to the right places “We (need to do) long-term planning on how we want to use this because our sales tax revenue will still take a hit,” she told San José Spotlight Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] Three prominent Cupertino government buildings are set to switch to green energy as the city warms up to the idea of solar power 4 to install solar panels at the Quinlan Community Center Cupertino Sports Center and Community Hall Mayor Liang Chao and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang voted no Fremont-based Syserco Energy Solutions and Pleasanton-based 4LEAF are the contractors for the roughly $4.4 million project Councilmember Sheila Mohan said she supports the project because solar energy is the future “We’re all trying to get away from fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions and this is the first step,” Mohan told San José Spotlight The plan aligns with Cupertino’s energy goals in its 2022 Climate Action Plan Wang said as someone with solar panels and batteries at his home he would support the project if it wasn’t reliant on Inflation Reduction Act funds President Donald Trump froze the majority of the law’s money funding clean energy last month in an attempt to stop Green New Deal efforts The effects the freeze could have on local energy efforts are uncertain Cupertino would have to foot the whole $4.4 million especially with the city predicting budget deficits for the coming years “We went ahead with this because we’re worried about losing funding but we’re going to end up paying more,” he told San José Spotlight “I just think this is the wrong contract.” The project first came to councilmembers last year as one of the city’s fiscal year 2024-25 improvement projects It was initially expected to cost about $6.3 million but was reduced after the city removed Blackberry Farm Golf Course Cupertino Civic Center and the city’s library from the plan The solar panels aren’t Cupertino’s first climate-friendly effort. The city uses Silicon Valley Hopper an affordable ride-share service fully powered by electric cars solar-powered electric car charging stations using grant funding from nonprofit Silicon Valley Clean Energy deputy director of decarbonization programs and policy at Silicon Valley Clean Energy said localized efforts are critical — especially while federal policy is uncertain “Solar panels are never going to completely replace certain forms of energy but to the extent that we can utilize our wonderful sunshine I’m all for it,” she told San José Spotlight Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Running the numbers… after a 30% credit $291,000 in (average?) annual savings x 30 years is $8.7 million I am not an expert on how city accounting works You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] Cupertino voters will decide between seven City Council candidates vying for just two seats this November Councilmembers Kitty Moore and Hung Wei — who briefly suspended her campaign due to health concerns — are competing to keep their seats against several former officials meaning voters can choose any candidate unlike cities divided into political districts where voters are restricted to their area — the more common method used by nearby cities such as Campbell and Sunnyvale The election will determine if the development-friendly council majority, including Mayor Sheila Mohan, Vice Mayor J.R. Fruen and Wei, will keep control of the five-seat council. The city council was less supportive of housing projects such as controversial development The Rise before voters elected Fruen and Mohan in 2022 Mail-in ballots will be sent to voters starting Oct Here are the candidates seeking office in alphabetical order by last name: The Cupertino Hotel General Area Manager Claudio Bono, 52, said a big factor in his decision to run was the council’s loss of control over new developments due to delayed approval of the city’s state-mandated housing plan — resulting in builder’s remedy projects which can bypass local zoning and development standards to get swift approval but I strongly believe in compromise because simply voting no is not an answer and that has put our city in jeopardy,” he told San José Spotlight Bono moved to Cupertino in 2014 from Miami after growing up in Italy and working in the hospitality industry nationally and internationally He is the founder of homeless nonprofit Give A Roof Assemblymember Evan Low and Mohan have endorsed him and said his business experience and worldliness could bring a new the city is not better off than it was about six years ago when he termed out Chang did not respond to requests for comment but his campaign website said he wants to bring needed change His priorities include addressing traffic congestion senior services and homelessness and mental health He is the founder of Cupertino’s G-50 Global Smart City Summit “I think I’ve done a pretty good job for the residents and I’ve really done my homework diligently,” she told San José Spotlight “I really have studied how the city works really thoroughly.” who grew up on food stamps and was financially independent before 18 served on the Planning Commission for about two years and studied civil engineering at the University of Vermont She also received paralegal training from De Anza Community College Fremont Union High School District Trustee Rod Sinks said he would’ve preferred to stay on the school board but decided to run for council after no other candidates entered the race he could wholeheartedly support besides Wei was elected to Cupertino City Council in 2011 and served until 2020 before becoming a school trustee last year he voted for The Rise’s 2018 plan and said the future council needs to work with developer Sand Hill Property Company to get the Vallco project done and build up a booming downtown getting that project actually rolling and done — it may take a decade honestly — that is such an exciting (thing),” he told San José Spotlight Sink is endorsed by Councilmember Hung Wei Congressmember Ro Khanna and Louise Saadati board member of pro-housing group Cupertino for All founder and principal analyst of high-tech research and advisory firm Constellation Research plans to use his expertise to boost his tech-driven city if elected Wang, 52, wants to increase public safety, support affordable housing through smart development and improve quality of life for residents He said he plans to facilitate neighborhood watch groups to discourage crime in tandem with law enforcement He is supported by Better Cupertino and endorsed by Councilmember Liang Chao and former Cupertino Mayor Darcy Paul “Our theme throughout this whole campaign is really we deserve better,” Wang told San José Spotlight Let’s all get on the same page and make things better for everyone else.” Wang said he supports the idea of The Rise project along with its affordable housing component but is concerned about its environmental impact Wang previously served on the Cupertino Planning Commission from 2019 to 2023, but councilmembers removed him last year because he faced criticism for repeatedly belittling city workers and harassing residents who don’t agree with him He also faced a lawsuit in Redwood City after allegedly emailing explicit sexual images to a former councilmember in 2003 He pleaded no contest to one charge and two charges were dismissed Wang has denied the sexual harassment allegations but also said he’s learned how to work better with others since his removal He said he’s ready for public service again a Foothill-De Anza Community College District trustee but local government positions are where it’s at previously served on the Cupertino City Council for about nine years where he said he didn’t see many other Chinese Americans He moved to Cupertino in 1990 after he attended West Valley College where he saw more people that looked like him Wong’s platform includes improving neighborhood safety and cleanliness, maintaining neighborhood integrity while adding affordable housing along major thoroughfares and ensuring housing for the older and younger generations but said this election goes beyond housing Dave Cortese and Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen have endorsed him “It is not about housing or no housing,” Wong told San José Spotlight “I am fighting for the residents of Cupertino Wong is suing the Foothill-De Anza Community College District after other trustees censured him for allegedly making racist remarks to the De Anza College’s former president Lloyd A Wong said he couldn’t comment on the lawsuit but said he will work to serve Cupertino regardless Councilmember Hung Wei said the race is personal to her because Cupertino is where she’s raised her family and dedicated her public service career. She reentered the race on Sept 23 after suspending her campaign the previous week due to her ongoing battle with stage four lung cancer was elected in 2020 and said she plans to expand affordable housing improve transportation infrastructure and maintain government transparency if elected She supports The Rise project and wants to streamline the affordable housing approval process while addressing traffic safety concerns by improving street design and crosswalks and I want to ensure that Cupertino remains a city where people of all backgrounds can succeed and feel at home,” she told San José Spotlight Wei is endorsed by Low and the South Bay Labor Council. She previously served on the Fremont Union High School District from 2007 to 2018. Her other goals include pushing for environmental sustainability through expanding trails, walkways and bike lanes Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Why is San Jose Spotlight only listing negatives about our resident-friendly candidates who have never been beholding to developers Hung Wei has missed all council and committee meetings since mid-July In October she attended one meeting from Taiwan to free up funds that were set aside in a tax-repayment account for future spending she voted $170K to explore partnering with developers to put housing on the City’s Sports Center She also wanted to build a new City Hall on Vallco property One of the Chinese newspapers has claims that she re-entered the race shortly after dropping out of the race to focus on her health You must be logged in to post a comment A local community college district is no longer facing legal action from a politician who used to serve on its board Wong argued the board violated open meeting laws district policies and his due process rights in the roughly year-and-a-half-long legal battle Board President Peter Landsberger and Trustees Pearl Cheng and Laura Casas “The district is happy to put this matter behind us and focus on the important work of helping our students reach their goals,” the district spokesperson told San José Spotlight Casas and Holmes did not respond to requests for comment Landsberger told San José Spotlight he’s glad the case ended in “a manner that is favorable to the district.” Wong sued the district after its board censured him in March 2023 The censure followed a “determination panel” of board members and administrators releasing a report finding probable cause that “Wong subjected Dr Holmes to unlawful harassment and discrimination on the basis of race or color in violation of district policy as a result of his comments regarding skin color.” In one conversation Wong allegedly had with Holmes he told Holmes he wouldn’t be supported by the college district’s Asian Pacific American Staff Association in a possible bid for district chancellor because he was African American “Now we can turn our attention to serving our students and community without the distraction of a lawsuit that should never have been brought in the first place,” he said Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X He should have paid $5 million to the district The district spent over $46K in outside attorney fees to fight Gilbert Wong’s lawsuit (per public records) There were other costs and countless board meetings Wong’s tax-deductible contribution to the education foundation does not make up for the loss to the District The Foundation is separate from the District which came in 5th place (out of 7) spent over $80K for 3,333 votes If only that money had gone to the District instead Wong derived income from the District and other benefits for having attended board meetings I hope that he refunds the District for their cost of legal fees You must be logged in to post a comment By: 5:00 am on January 6 The most recent details about the project are limited to a single passage from the preliminary review application The developer aims to create 249 rental units across seven structures Parking will be included for 219 cars between surface lots and concrete-frame podium garages The complex site plan includes a mix of outdoor spaces and a portion of the planned Tamien Innu bicycle-pedestrian trail The trail would run along the southern edge of I-280 between the Don Burnett Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge and Vallco Parkway Architects FORA is responsible for drafting design, with landscape architecture by Creo Eden Housing has been coordinating community outreach for the project with several workshops and a pop-up booth in the neighborhood as early as April last year the team is aiming to finish the permitting and financing process by the end of the second quarter of 2026 Construction is expected to last a little over two years The 5.16-acre property is located at 1033 North Wolfe Road, next to the I-280 off-ramp, next to the demolished site of the former Vallco Shopping Mall, where Sand Hill Property Company is planning a massive mixed-use development Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews That’s impressive density in an undesirable part of what is currently a single-plex area Could you please include a Link to the source I have noticed several articles on SF Yimby where the source is not linked and every reader ends up having to go search for it which adds unnecessary time YIMBY stands “Yes In My Back Yard.” But You are advocating to build housing units on toxic wastes in someone else’s backyard ga('send', 'event', ‘Robert ‘Becker, 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/desktop-ad.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'SF YIMBY', 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/sfyimbyadnews.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'SF YIMBY', 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/sf-yimby-dot-com-graphic.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY LLC With Cupertino absolved from paying California millions of sales tax dollars it collected from Apple city officials are strategizing how to use it Cupertino was allowed to keep the roughly $74.5 million in Apple sales tax revenue it set aside from 2021 through August after reaching a settlement with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration last month the Cupertino City Council voted 4-1 to allocate $10 million into CALPERS the retirement benefits program for public employees The remaining $64.5 million will be allocated in January when a new council is seated Councilmember Kitty Moore was the dissenting vote The settlement is a direct result of an audit the state began in 2021 that examined whether Apple’s sales tax revenue was going to the right places. The audit found the tech giant was misallocating funds and Cupertino was caught in the crosshairs To make up for the millions it would’ve needed to pay the state, Cupertino cut services — including stripping 13 full-time positions reducing part-time staff and eliminating Fourth of July fireworks Now councilmembers will decide the best use for the rest of the money early next year “It’s better if we have a holistic discussion study session discussion first,” Councilmember Liang Chao said Moore did not agree with putting $10 million into CALPERS She said she wanted to hear more from city workers regarding the historical impact on Cupertino when interest rates have gone down “I think we have more study on it,” Moore said “And I would like to hear what the new councilmember has to say I think that’s very important to wait for them to weigh in on it.” Several residents advocated for the city to put the money away and be careful with how it’s spent the city will no longer receive the Apple sales tax distribution the state determined should go to other jurisdictions Before the settlement and audit, Cupertino had a longstanding sales tax agreement with Apple in which the tech giant designated all online product sales to California residents as taking place in Cupertino It allocated the local 1% portion of the state’s 7.25% sales tax from those transactions to the city and the city in turn gave back about a third of that tax revenue to Apple “We’re not going to get this money back,” resident Rhoda Fry said during public comment we were getting about $27 million sales tax revenue (from Apple) We’re going to be going down to about $10 (million) so that means we need to save about $17 million a year and the way to do that is to put money away and get it in interest and live off the interest.” The audit left Cupertino saddled with some of the worst financial hardship it has seen — about a $15 million deficit for fiscal year 2024-25 The influx of cash from the settlement will help it replenish some cut services or help it grow interest whichever option councilmembers choose in January The city is exploring other revenue sources to make up for the loss in sales tax “Now is not the time… to be making decisions on the cusp of changing council,” resident Sam “We need to just take our time and not make these decisions in haste.” Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] Cupertino residents facing displacement because of rising costs and expiring contracts may find a reprieve through new city policy The Cupertino Housing Commission unanimously recommended implementing anti-displacement policies last month to help residents living in 114 affordable homes where rents will likely skyrocket to market-rate value by 2040 The policies include a push to prioritize residents facing displacement The policy could require private property owners to pay relocation assistance about three months of Santa Clara County fair market rent as of 2024 based on home size leaving property owners of seven apartment complexes free to hike rents Forge Homestead and Cupertino Park Center apartments City staff still needs to iron out the policies which if approved by the City Council could be implemented by June Housing Commission Chair Connie Cunningham said since she joined the commission anti-displacement policies have been a goal “(We) certainly hope that the council feels the same way understands that the workers in our community need to live in our city and we need to continue to have our robust different kinds of housing for different levels of income,” she told San José Spotlight To qualify for assistance under the potential policies a resident must be a tenant facing a looming expiration within 12 months But these policies could still lead to displacement despite the relief promised There is no guarantee residents will find affordable housing or come off the waitlist in time Even though they’d be near the top of the list they’re competing with other prioritized groups including Cupertino workers Cupertino first formed its affordable housing program in 1992 before the city could impose 99-year or lifetime property deed restrictions The affected properties don’t fall into that window said the company is giving tenants more time before their restrictions expire in 2026 by pushing it out to 2028 “We are giving the required three years’ notice as per state law and we are extending the program by approximately 1.5 years beyond our agreement with the city of Cupertino,” the spokesperson told San José Spotlight Alison Cingolani, SV@Home director of policy, said she’s pleased the city is thinking about displacement, but said rent stabilization is a more permanent solution. Neighboring San Jose has a rent stabilization policy which caps the amount rent can increase each year Cingolani said relocation assistance helps displaced residents avoid homelessness “These are people who are established members of the Cupertino community they are very likely raising families or have close ties to the community there in Cupertino,” she told San José Spotlight “It would be kind of a weakening of the social fabric of the community for these folks to be pushed out.” Cupertino officials identified anti-displacement measures in its eight-year But Cunningham said building affordable housing as a long-term solution hasn’t been a priority in years past even though the city is losing cheaper homes Cupertino’s largest housing project, The Rise, is in beginning stages of construction on the former Vallco Mall site after about 10 years of delays The development promises 890 affordable homes Cunningham said the housing plan shows the city is moving in the right direction “I would be very heartened indeed to see the city step out and support below-market-rate housing,” she said that’s just the worst — to take people who live here and make it impossible for them to live here anymore.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X I thought I read like eight years ago that The Hamptons was going to be torn down and rebuilt with a lot more apartments There seem to be way too many empty expensive apartments in Silicon Valley with offers of multiple months of free rent if new tenants sign a lease so maybe the property owner decided to abandon the project about three months of Santa Clara County fair market rent as of 2024 based on home size.” I wonder how many of those people receiving that money will exhaust those funds attempting to find comparable housing before becoming unhoused and living in the streets They will be reduced to a data point in a future Point In Time Count or Memorial of those who passed while living unhoused You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] Two opposing candidate duos are trying to nab the two available Cupertino City Council seats to have power over one of the city’s most divisive issues — development creating the opportunity for either camp to snag the majority Fruen hold the existing majority that has often led to a 3-2 split on development and housing issues with Moore and Councilmember Liang Chao in the minority who are also somewhat development-friendly Wei and Sinks are running their campaigns on getting The Rise done something Sinks said has resonated with voters tired of seeing an empty lot for years He doesn’t believe the council majority will change “I think that Cupertino voters are buying the message that it’s time for Vallco to move forward and Kitty and Ray have done everything they’ve been able to do to oppose any real opportunity for Vallco to be redeveloped,” Sinks told San José Spotlight along with 1.95 million square feet of office space Both candidates have weighed in on the project during their time on the dais and supported most of its aspects Wei and Sinks’ candidacy is complicated by Wei’s diagnosis with stage four lung cancer. The councilmember briefly suspended her campaign last month to focus on her health before reentering the race about a week later She is seeking medical treatment in Taiwan She said she’s been able to manage her health and council responsibilities adding her passion for Cupertino is stronger than ever “It’s important that the majority be sustained because we have been able to move forward on key issues such as housing climate initiatives and community services,” Wei told San José Spotlight “The current majority understands the need for balanced development that benefits everyone in Cupertino The last time the council majority flipped was in 2022 when voters elected Fruen and Mohan They have made the council more development-friendly board member of pro-housing group Cupertino for All is worried the council could flip again because she’s seen Moore and Wang’s message resonate with the older and first-generation Asian population Approximately 70.2% of Cupertino’s population identifies as Asian She said Wei’s diagnosis could impact votes but Wei’s decision to reenter the race shows her resilience “(Anti-development people) have stagnated the amount of development and the amount of progress the city council could have,” Siva told San José Spotlight “It’s been detrimental before and we need to change what the previous majority has done.” Moore and Wang are running their campaigns on the idea of putting residents first through scrutinizing developments like The Rise for the environmental issues it could cause but rather want more transparency and resident input on bigger projects Moore and Wang said they want to hold developers accountable for affordable housing rather than allowing them to pay an in-lieu fee to avoid building them something they’ve said other candidates have mentioned “It’s interesting that we’re considered against housing (because) it’s like no (we’re not),” Moore told San José Spotlight Moore said it’s important to flip the existing council majority because while she’s been part of the voting minority she hasn’t felt like she’s had room to fully dissect issues Wang said Moore and Chao ask important questions They are supported by historically anti-development group Better Cupertino who didn’t respond to requests for comment Wang said he and Moore aren’t extreme in the negative way opponents have painted them We’ll take that label,” Wang told San José Spotlight “We’re not divisive for the sake of being divisive,” Begur told San José Spotlight Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X It’s absurd to label Moore and Wang as being against housing both Moore and Wang approved a large number of housing projects no projects submitted by a developer were denied It’s important to also remember that the Planning Commission completed the site selection for the 2023-2031 Housing Element in 2022 plus a 20% margin (even though the State is okay with only a 10% margin) The developer-driven City Council intentionally delayed the submission of the Housing Element to the State after development interests insisted on a “complete re-do,” for no reason Kitty Moore is Cupertino’s own “Erin Brokovich” holding the owners of Vallco accountable to clean up the soil contamination on the site prior to construction The “big lie” is that if not for concerned residents that the Vallco project would already be completed Yet the property owner has delayed even cleaning up the site for eight years which is necessary before construction can begin with the collapse in the demand for commercial office space there is no way that the property owner is still going to build nearly 2 million square feet of Class A office space It’s also questionable whether the property owner still wants to build the apartment towers given the population decline in the Bay Area and a lack of demand for both market-rate rental apartments and market-rate condominiums It’s vital that the City Council majority be flipped from developer-controlled to resident-centric and that can only be accomplished by electing Ray Wang and Kitty Moore Developers and the real estate industry have dumped so much money into politics that many of our politicians are now compromised While they have done a brilliant job in wrapping their concreate around a virtuous wrapper most residents don’t want to turn into Los Angeles Concrete heat islands are contributing to climate change We need to ensure that new housing has adequate tree cover and is self-sufficient in terms of energy production which is not difficult with townhome or single family homes and solar roofs This type of housing also uses less energy per resident than high-rise buildings The new townhomes at The Oaks/Westport are very nice and are a reasonable alternative to single-family homes which use a lot of land Cluster houses like have been built in parts of San Jose and other cities in the area are also an excellent way to preserve open space that is being used unwisely for water-hungry crops like almonds and rice We’re seeing that in cities like Lathrop and Tracy and Mountain House that are meeting the demand for new housing for families It’s a small sacrifice of some farmland for sustainable housing with solar on every roof You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] The political tides in Cupertino are shifting again exciting some residents while worrying others The new majority on the five-person council, solidified in a tight race in November Vice Mayor Kitty Moore and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang The trio have historically taken less development-friendly stances and used their majority vote to appoint some residents with similar views who supported their political campaigns The appointments included positions on the Planning Public Safety and Sustainability commissions These commissions serve primarily in advisory roles to the council and each commissioner typically serves a four-year term Chao said the council majority’s decisions aren’t unusual “The commissions serve at the pleasure of the city council,” she told San José Spotlight the city council has always appointed commissioners that align with their policy directions Sheela Sreekanth and reappointed Seema Swamy to the parks and recreation commission Kumarappan supported Wang and Moore in their council campaigns last year a resident activist group often opposed to development that backed Wang and Moore Kumarappan said he plans to prioritize the youth and older adults while on the commission “This power shift is absolutely going to bring some change in Cupertino and I’m sure the community will feel it,” he told San José Spotlight “I’m going to watch and I’m going to question (the majority) The council majority appointed Gerhard Eshelbeck and Munisekaran Madhdhipatla and reappointed Ilango Ganga to the bicycle and pedestrian commission Madhdhipatla supported Wang and Moore in the last election cycle The council also reappointed former Cupertino Mayor Steven Scharf and appointed San Rao and Tracy Kosolcharoen to the planning commission Some residents are concerned about the effects the appointments could have on the city because the council majority’s supporters now hold the majority on several commissions Cupertino resident Jennifer Shearin was previously on the parks and recreation commission and served as chair last year Shearin didn’t run for reappointment because she said she knew she wouldn’t get it due to her beliefs that don’t align with the council majority Shearin’s concerned about the chilling effect the appointments could have on city growth adding she wants the best for the city regardless of who’s appointed because they can influence big projects such as the city’s 10-year active transportation plan “We really don’t know whether or not things like that which will improve the quality of life for all of our residents will continue to move forward or will be mired down in a lot of these anti-growth issues,” Shearin told San José Spotlight now in the council minority with Councilmember Sheila Mohan said the appointments speak to more than just aligned values with the majority “It’s important that the commissioners serve the needs of the residents not the needs of whatever advocacy groups they belong to,” she said “Public resources should be used for public goods.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Not sure who one of the new Planning Commissioners Probably the first Thai commissioner in the history of Cupertino One of the Planning Commissioners that did not get reappointed doesn’t even live in Cupertino his permanent address is in New York City and he uses his parents’ address in Cupertino Too bad Shearin decided to “take her ball and go home” since she likely would have been reappointed after serving only two years She did a good job on Parks & Recreation I thought that the commission appointments were all four years You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] By: 5:30 am on September 29 The initial details of the proposal describe the construction of 139 units across the 6.93-acre property this would create an average density of around 20 units per acre Unit types will vary with single-family homes though the exact quantity of any category has not been shared there will be 28 units designated as affordable housing This allows the developer to pursue a streamlined approval process through Senate Bill 330 and an increase in allowable residential capacity through the State Density Bonus program The property is located along Stevens Creek Boulevard between De Anza Boulevard and Sterling Road Future residents will be close to several retail strip malls The estimated timeline for development has not been published Harvest Properties has yet to reply to a request for comment as well as those other corporate offices at Steven’s Creek x Sunnyvale-Saratoga There are so many parking lots in that picture that need to be redeveloped too This whole area is notoriously low-density and NIMBY Everything should be stopped until balco is built and then let’s put some people around where there’s stores so they can buy something without having to travel 20 minutes by car all the way across the valley to another city I’ve lived here for 50 years and I grew up here Apparently it’s not hard to develop something except if it’s called valco This land is bordered by a Whole Foods and Target and dozens of other grocers restaurants and retailers within 1000′ This may be the most walk-able area in all of Cupertino If Cupertino is serious about wanting mass transit on Stevens Creek their development strategy should be adding density to create demand for ridership 20 du/acre SFR developments on the main drag doesn’t do that Density is already high behind the target with apt complexes but it can handle some more on Stevens creek you should find out about the history of why it was torn down There were plenty of stores and a movie theater trying to stay (pre COVID of course) They kicked them out and made it the way it is so it would look bad and persuade the city to allow the extreme high density the middle east backed landlords were banking on it should be developed ASAP to a reasonable density that that the off ramp can handle (apple campus is there already with huge traffic in/out) They can’t seem to compromise so we are where we are in fact nearer than the Vallco Mall which was 2 miles away and was bulldozed years ago You will live next to Wholefood and Target 20863 Stevens Creek Boulevard happens to be Apple Computer’s first office location after moving out of the Jobs family garage in 1977 and where the Apple II was designed And the rest as they say is history… This was a formal application to lock in the possibility of developing under the old zoning With Cupertino’s new housing element and recent upzoning of this area I expect that the developer will put forth a new application for a higher-density project Crime is the lowest it’s been in more than a decade in one West Valley city Cupertino had 741 reported criminal incidents in 2024, the lowest number in 12 years, according to the city’s crime dashboard The most common crime category was identity theft followed by grand theft and car burglaries with 111 and 106 instances The other more than 300 crimes include 79 commercial and 71 home robberies 54 instances of vandalism and 29 stolen cars The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office took six minutes on average to respond to high-priority emergency calls which officials attribute to multiple calls at once The sheriff’s office serves Cupertino which doesn’t have its own police department Crime in Cupertino between 2012 and 2024 peaked in 2019 when the city had 1,112 reported incidents 121 home robberies and 102 cases of identity theft Car burglaries have been the city’s top-ranking crime over the years at 2,835 incidents spokesperson for the sheriff’s office credits the overall downward trend to programs the office runs including dozens of neighborhood watch groups it supports The sheriff’s office also analyzes trends and hotspots to determine areas deputies should prioritize Davis said the department encourages residents to report incidents even if they’re unsure if a crime is occurring because it could be a lifesaving decision if the hairs on your neck feel like they’re standing up give us a call,” he told San José Spotlight Although crime citywide has decreased, it played a significant role in last year’s Cupertino City Council elections. Winning candidates Vice Mayor Kitty Moore and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang ran part of their campaigns on increasing public safety Wang said residents told him public safety was a top priority. He met with crime victims including people robbed at an ATM. He supports Proposition 36 which creates harsher punishments for some drug and theft crimes It was approved by 68.4% of voters statewide Wang said the city needs to improve its neighborhood watch programs to assuage residents’ concerns about public safety “It’s good to see that stats are going down but there’s also a belief that there’s a lot of crimes that are unreported and that’s what worries people,” he told San José Spotlight who’s lived in the city for about 56 years He said he hasn’t seen a significant difference in crime over the years and that the sheriff does a good job keeping crime low Davis said the goal of the sheriff’s office is to improve service across the whole region it doesn’t stop us from doing the proactive work by keeping the community safe and keeping those light stats even lower than they were before,” he said Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X When voters from across the state overwhelmingly voted for Proposition 36 there is a clear indication of widespread issues with crime During the election and just after the election where was this outlet’s coverage on issues of crime and public safety in this election Why not report on what produced these overwhelming voting numbers even in the most liberal of counties like ours Why not examine how people don’t feel safe when they know that reporting crimes does them no good Thank goodness that the voters of this state were able to voice their concerns and yet there are still political games to be played de-criminalizing thievery results in more thieving while people are helpless to do anything about it The pipeline of criminalization here went the other direction A significant enough percentage of kids were growing up believing that it was okay to steal It’s this kind of ridiculous approach that has made everything non-functional Spewing ideals and then maligning people for trying to figure out the logistics is precisely the wrong course of action to take When I think of crime hotspots – Cupertino doesn’t come to mind Accepting that your car windows have been busted out and your stuff taken while knowing that if you reported the crime the police will do nothing and therefore not reporting the crime doesn’t equate to less crime The only thing we get are meaningless statistics You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected] One mid-sized West Valley city’s council race is raking in cash in what some residents are dubbing a high-stakes election with divisive housing issues on the table The Cupertino City Council race has brought in about $222,000 among seven candidates vying for two seats in a city of about 60,000 residents according to election data from January to Sept Cupertino doesn’t have campaign spending limits, so candidates can spend as much as they want. Money is still coming in from pro-development and anti-development residents trying to cement their choices At the top of the leaderboard is former Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong But $60,000 of that is from personal campaign loans from Wong He is trying to fundraise enough money to help repay his loans Some of his higher-profile contributors include Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee Josh Becker and the San Jose Water Company He supports smart development growth along major thoroughfares Wong said running a successful campaign is not just about fundraising “It’s a combination of what works the best There might be some campaigns that can do it strictly by word of mouth,” he told San José Spotlight especially knocking on doors (and) phone banking Fremont Union High School District trustee and former Cupertino mayor has received the most contributions at nearly $44,000 which includes a $5,500 contribution of his own money This is the most an individual can give any candidate Sinks said he’s received more donations in this race than in his previous runs for council in 2011 and 2016 when he netted about $30,000 and $33,000 former Cupertino Mayor Richard Lowenthal and Fremont Union High School District Trustee Rosa Kim “We are going to use (the donations) to tell our story That story is essentially if you vote for Rod Sinks and Hung Wei and we’re going to work very hard to do that,” he told San José Spotlight “We’re going to bring the community into the discussions about what that looks like and what benefits we would like to have at (Vallco).” Former Cupertino Mayor Barry Chang comes in last Housing Commission Chair Connie Cunningham who’s lived in the city for about 35 years She said she doesn’t look much at the campaign contributions but the key reason she supports Sinks is because of his stance on housing She said whoever ends up on the dais will have a large role in how the yearslong development pans out “I think there’s a lot at stake and decisions waiting to be made and it behooves people to get their candidate in,” she told San José Spotlight “It’s a kind of a scary time for people Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327[email protected]