Refuse to sign petitions for initiatives for over-sized, unapproved, development projects in Cupertino, including specific initiatives such as the Oaks initiative and the Vallco office park initiative.

 

Why Support an Initiative to Ensure Sensible Growth in Cupertino?

 

The City of Cupertino is under constant pressure from developers to amend its General Plan. Developers
push to increase building heights and densities and to change land use. Currently, development projects only need to appeal to the majority (three) of City Council members.

Amendments to the General Plan are changing Cupertino. Cupertino is losing its pleasant suburban character. Cupertino will be indistinguishable from other densely populated communities, except Cupertino will be without the infrastructure required to support intensive development. The City lacks sites for new schools; lacks parks and recreational facilities; and lacks sufficient road capacity to handle increased pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle traffic safely

Major provisions of the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative include:

• Control the density of new development to ensure that projects fit with the city’s infrastructure by maintaining citywide limits on building heights, setbacks, lot coverage and building planes.

• Affirm that the land within the Vallco Shopping District will be used for major retail, entertainment, dining, and hotels.

• Require that proposed changes or exceptions to the building limits and land uses described in the initiative will not be enacted unless first approved by Cupertino voters.

The initiative is a follow­-the­-law initiative, or more specifically, a follow­-the­-General-Plan initiative.
Amendments to the General Plan are intended to be rare because the General Plan is the long­term guide for the City’s future. The initiative intends to change the way the developers plan for projects they will bring to Cupertino. The initiative promotes development projects that are suitable to the characteristics of the City and discourages projects that do not fit within the guidelines of the General Plan.

As supporters of the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative, we advocate sensible growth. We advocate growth that considers the impact of major housing and office developments on the existing infrastructure. Sensible growth requires that major housing and office developments will be accompanied by sufficient schools, parks and transportation to meet the needs of Cupertino’s residents. We believe the passage of the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative is essential to ensure a future of sensible growth in Cupertino.

 

Join us in supporting the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative.