The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Residents, workers have
right to know about TCE

As a resident of Birdland, I want to thank you for your article about the underground water contamination and possible air contamination with TCE. We had been led to believe that we were on the flat portion of the curve and that most of the contamination had been cleaned up. Now we hear that due to some new findings that the TCE may still represent a significant health hazard. That leads me to ask the following questions:

Who is the responsible agency for assuring that there is satisfactory cleanup of the contamination?

Who is the responsible agency for defining what is the magnitude of the problem as understood today?

Who is responsible for informing the neighborhood and the people who are employed by the companies located on Tantau of the status of the problem and the status of the cleanup?

Are the companies that caused the contamination still in business so they can also pay for the cleanup?

I hope you will continue to cover this story so the residents and employees in the area will understand the magnitude of the problem and what is being done to correct the situation.

Werner Gans

Sunnyvale

'Yes' on Measures D and E helps, not hurts, retail

In Stuart Chessen's letter (Courier Sept. 13) he states, "No on D & E is about not rezoning tax-generating land that pays for infrastructure and city services to housing." Nothing could be further from the truth. Let's look at both pieces of this "tax-generating" land. The Vallco land is at the far end of the parking lot and would never be used for additional retail space. By allowing a small 137-unit housing project, Vallco can provide additional tenant improvements to its main site and attract the typeS of stores needed to complete its transformation and truly generate the taxes we need to maintain our city services.

The Toll Brothers property has stood vacant for the last 30 years. During that time there were several proposals to build very large-scale office projects that would not generate much tax revenue, and in fact would add to our jobs/housing imbalance, requiring additional housing elsewhere in Cupertino. The current proposed project contains 115,000 square feet of tax-generating retail, along with a 3.5-acre public park and 80 units of below-market senior housing.

While we can intelligently disagree on how fast Cupertino should add to its housing inventory, we should not lose sight of the fact that these projects will significantly add to the quality of life in Cupertino, both through their tax-generating potential and the additional places to meet, shop and play.

Orrin Mahoney

Cupertino City Council

Kudos to Cupertino
Public Safety efforts

On Sept. 19, my seventh-grader had a mishap on his bike on Bubb Road as he was leaving Kennedy Middle School. I was amazed by the number of good Samaritans who stopped to ensure he was OK (an off-duty doctor picking up her kids and an off-duty firefighter picking up his child). In addition, the emergency crews (fire, paramedics, police) were very responsive. Fortunately, my son was fine (bumps, bloody nose and bruises). The officers were very sensitive, and commended him for riding with a buddy, for wearing his bike helmet and for having a cell phone to call a parent. The public safety officers also communicated to the principal that there was an accident, and everyone was fine. We are very fortunate to live in a community where the schools have a strong partnership with public safety as well as community members that care for the safety of our students. As I was at work at the time of the accident, I was not able to personally thank those who responded.

Emily Lee Kelley

Cupertino

Enough is enough;
protect your kids

How many young bike riders need to be hit by cars in order for our community to take notice? I have read articles about the "temporary insanity" that takes over normally law-abiding citizens when they are trying to drop off/pick up their children to/from school. This is no longer funny.

In the past few weeks, there have been five incidents that I'm aware of, where bike riders or pedestrians have been struck by cars. On Saturday, Sept. 9, in the late afternoon, a rider was struck by a car. On Monday, Sept. 11, by the post office at 7:15 a.m., a biker was struck by a truck. On Friday, Sept. 15 around 7 a.m. on McClellan, a child was hit in the crosswalk. On Tuesday, Sept.19 around 3:15 p.m. on Bubb Road there was another biker struck by a car. Then, on Sept. 20 in the morning, another child was struck by a car, and the car didn't even stop.

This does not even account for near misses and unreported incidents. This is outrageous!

We have been encouraging our children for years to walk or ride their bikes to school, yet we are unable to make it safe for them. I have personally seen the abominable behavior of parents at Stevens Creek Elementary, Kennedy Middle and Monta Vista High schools. Parents disregard cones and volunteer walking guards. I've seen drivers curse at the volunteers because they are made to wait while they are crossing with children. Mr. Ottey, the principal, is out in the mornings personally guiding cars at Kennedy. Parents park in red zones, jay-walk with their children, double park and totally disregard the recommended drop off/pick up procedures (procedures set up for their child's safety).

Are we a community that can only react if there is a tragedy? What can we do? Can we hire traffic officers who can pay for themselves with the tickets they write? We need help.

Parents, do you even realize that I'm talking about you?

Linda Orvick

Los Altos

Toll Brothers þier doesn't
tell the complete truth

I recently read the flier sent by Toll Brothers about Measure E. It states that the Measure E will provide a park, senior housing and affordable living for Apple employees, it will not add new students to Monta Vista High, etc. In my opinion, the developer did not tell the whole truth.

A park is required for this location for any development. The proposed park is too small for a soccer field. It has no parking. If the developer cares about Cupertino, should they donate a bigger park?

The 80 units (out of total 380) of senior housing are built on a flood area facing freeway. It is also far away from bus stops. If the developer really cares about senior citizens, should they give a better location?

Apple has voiced concern about converting commercial/ industrial properties to high-density residences. At a city planning meeting, an Apple representative urged the city to preserve industrial land for the future expansion of the company and its suppliers. The current work force is very dynamic. Rarely people will work for a company for their lifetime. There should not be a tie between workplace and residence. And when condos are in the $600,000 range, are they affordable?

Toll Brothers' project may not add new students to Monta Vista High directly. However, when about 1,000 households (including other projects) are added to the Cupertino High area, the district will move ELD and other special-needs programs to the less crowded schools, if not redraw the boundary. This happened to Eaton Elementary, which got the ELD program from overcrowded Collins this year. Is Monta Vista really immune to this development?

If we don't say NO to Measure D and E today, more similar projects will come. Our schools will be more crowded, our city finances will be worse and our property values will be down. Vote no on both measures.

Sean Huang

Cupertino

Resident worried about
Hansen Quarry pollutants

I have lived near the Hansen Quarry for over five years and am concerned about the significant level of particulate pollution the company produces. Everything from cars to patio furniture and windowsills are covered with cement dust and who knows what the impact is on our lungs.

There are times when the quarry has so much dust it looks like it is on fire. The dust plume can be seen from miles away. Reporting the situation is tricky because they raise the dust near the end of the day. This makes it difficult to police because they are located on the western side of the Santa Clara Valley.

Since the sun is supposed to be at the inspector's back when the dust plume is assessed, this requires a long drive high into the hills at the end of the inspector's working day.

Additionally, people may be unaware the quarry operates practically all night under bright lights that are evident on overcast nights, or when the dust practically creates its own cloud cover.

I have called the Air Pollution Board regarding it but the situation only improves slightly for a short time after each complaint and the quarry operators get smarter about when they execute the dustier steps of the quarrying process.

Something needs to change and I thank the Courier for following this story.

Janet Geiger

Cupertino

Smart-growth housing is long
overdue in City of Cupertino

The Bay Area is poised to grow by another 1.7 million people by 2030. We can't stop growth, and it's foolish to think it's someone else's problem. Instead, we need to prepare for it. Cupertino now has an opportunity to do just that.

This November, Cupertino voters will decide whether to approve rezoning to allow the Toll Brothers project. This project is an example of a smart way to accommodate growth. It's a compact, mixed-use development with much-needed affordable homes for seniors. Cupertino's leaders should be commended for thinking about and planning for the future.

They're trying to create more homes that people can afford, so that people don't have to move away when they retire. They're also helping local workers like teachers, nurses and police live nearby, instead of commuting from remote areas.

The thing is, if it doesn't get built in Cupertino, it could end up as sprawl on farmlands in Gilroy or the Central Valley. And if you think that doesn't have an impact on your daily life, think again. We'll all suffer from the long commutes and a lower quality of life. It's not only the hours we'll have to sit in our cars but the pollution that creeps into the water we'll drink and air we'll breathe. That's everyone's problem.

Cupertino residents should applaud the city's leaders for being proactive in dealing with growth. Projects like the Toll Brothers development will mean more green space, more affordable homes, and a more vibrant retail district--and a healthier future for all of us. Vote Yes on Measure E.

Michele Beasley

Greenbelt Alliance