SAVE CUPERTINO FROM THE FORCES OF AGGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT

Cupertino is at risk again for having development/financial interests put above your welfare, the residents. By responding to this petition, you can help.

In less than three months, the 2023 Cupertino City Council majority has moved swiftly to promote their aggressive growth agenda:

• Pushed for more housing in the city’s housing element than the required 4,588 units.

• Eliminated commissions and committees that promote dialog and public input about development policies and that audit city activity.

• Created new council policies that significantly reduce opportunities for public input and public discussion among council members.

• Attempted and in some cases succeeded in removing resident-focused committee and commission members.

• Suggested a new, much larger city hall that also contains a 500 seat event center and would cost $70 million + inflation. Although the council majority cites earthquake safety as a prime reason for the new city hall, the previous city council proposed a much less expensive plan that provided the required earthquake safety rating.
  

The new council majority is trying to gain an aggressive-development majority on the Planning Commission by removing commissioners who are fighting for your best interests as residents. When the new council majority tried to remove former mayor Steve Scharf in the middle of his term by creating a new policy, the City Attorney warned that the policy could not be retroactive. Now the council majority’s allies are attempting to discredit and remove commissioner Ray Wang in the middle of Ray’s term.

Tell Cupertino City Council to keep R “Ray” Wang on the job!

Ray Wang has a history of standing with residents and standing up to development/financial interests:

• Organized residents to challenge Redwood City’s use of secondary water (treated wastewater) in parks and residences ~20 years ago. The challenge threatened the aggressive growth industry, who attempted to scare Ray by framing him with a complaint that was never proven. Ray suffered personally and professionally from the attacks, but he persevered and his effort to protect residents was successful. For more information, see : https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/recycled-water-use-not-mandatory/article_32f75165-4b3c-5852-8203-92c9ad845b32.html

• Represented residents’ rights when the 2018 Vallco project brought out-of-town and out-of-state union-hired agitators to harass the residents who were peacefully campaigning for a better Vallco project

• Brought the approval of two large projects that exemplify sensible growth in Cupertino. Westport Cupertino (previously The Oaks) and the new Marina project provide housing that is required by the State of California (HCD requires Cupertino to build 4,588 housing units in the next cycle) and keeps office space to a minimum. In contrast, the excessive office space that has been a part of every Vallco project in the last nine years could trigger a State mandate for many more housing projects in Cupertino.
  

Ray has served twice as Chair and once as Vice- Chair over his two terms on the Planning Commission.

Stop the obstruction of democratic processes in Cupertino.

Tell Cupertino City Council to keep R “Ray” Wang on the job!

What else can we do to protect our community?

Tell the city council that we want sensible growth that is the result of public participation in democratic city government.

For more watch the video: