The Cupertino Courier

Rancho gets stricter codes

By Pam Marino

Starting April 17, two neighboring county pockets will have building standards that more closely mirror Cupertino's, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors decided last week.

It was another victory for a group of Rancho Rinconada residents who have spent the last year asking the county to stop the steady stream of large houses being built in their neighborhood.

Some of the same residents have also been pushing for Cupertino, which has stricter building codes than the county, to annex Rancho. Rancho is located between Miller Avenue and Lawrence Expressway.

But one leader from Garden Gate, which may also be annexed by Cupertino within the next year, said his neighborhood has different issues than Rancho and never should have been included in the board's vote Tuesday, March 17. Garden Gate straddles Stelling Road between the Quinlan Community Center and Highway 280.

"Rancho got what it wanted," Jay Cena said. "The other areas were forced to eat what was given to them."

Plans that get approved after April 17 will mean homes can be no more than 28 feet high, instead of the county's present 35-foot limit. It will also mean that the homes cannot take up more than 45 percent of a lot. Second stories will have to be set back from the front property line by 20 feet.

About 50 homes remain in the county planning department's pipeline and will not be affected by the new rules.

"Overall we're pretty pleased," Marc Auerbach of Rancho said. He said there was some disappointment among residents that side setbacks were not also required.

Lots in Rancho are typically only 5,000 square feet, which is smaller than lots in Cupertino, many of which are closer to 10,000 square feet. Cena said lots in Garden Gate are in the 10,000-square-foot range.

Cena estimated that 30 percent of Garden Gate homes have been rebuilt or remodeled to the larger county standards. He argued that the new standards will limit homeowners' abilities to expand and become compatible with recent construction.

"Now I've got to build a house that does not conform with the others," he said. The result will be a decrease in home values, he said.

The controversy echoes debate in Cupertino as the Planning Commission decides whether to further restrict home sizes. The commission is tentatively scheduled to discuss the issue again on April 13.

At a February commission meeting, real estate agents and others used the same argument that home prices will decrease with stricter building rules restricting size.

Auerbach said he doesn't buy the argument. He said that real estate agents usually tell everybody " 'location, location, location.' Now they're saying 'size, size, size.' "

Now that the resolution has passed, Auerbach said work will progress in annexing Rancho to Cupertino. While approximately 60 percent of Rancho residents appear to be in favor of annexation, Cena said he estimates it's just the opposite in Garden Gate, with 60 percent against annexation. He said he plans on organizing his neighbors in a campaign to possibly overturn the new regulations, as well as fight annexation.

The Cupertino City Council decided in February to annex Rancho first, possibly this summer, and then Garden Gate.

A third county pocket, Monta Vista, bordered roughly by McClellan Road, Bubb Road, Stevens Creek Boulevard and Blackberry Farm, is polling heavily against annexation. Lots have been annexed over the years one by one, resulting in a Swiss cheese kind of situation. In part because of residents' opposition, the Board of Supervisors set aside deciding on standards for Monta Vista until a later date.

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