Referendum opponents wrong; 'No' on D and E

CONDOTINO Scorecard

137 Condos (N. Tantau)
46 Condos (TraVigne)
206 Condos (Montebello)
130 Condos (Morley Brothers)
80 Condos (Kentwood Plaza)
37 Condos (Silverstone Prunridge)
46 Condos (Oak Park Village)
142 Condos (Civic Park)
23 Condos (Adobe Terrace)
176 Condos (Cupertino Villas)
204 Condos (Vallco/Rosebowl)
107 Condos (Metropolitan)
137 Condos (Vallco Condos)
380 Condos (HP-Toll Brothers)
TOTAL: 1,851 Condos
TOO MUCH, TOO EXTREME
D & E will add 517 condos
IRRESPONSIBLE and POORLY PLANNED

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Referendum opponents wrong; 'No' on D and E

Don Burnett is confused about the two measures that will be on the November ballot. These are not anti-housing measures; they simply seek to overturn two ill-conceived, developer-backed, rezoning ordinances. Residents collected more than 10,000 signatures to put these measures on the ballot. The developers hired goons to disrupt the signature gathering, and then filed a spurious lawsuit in a failed attempt to keep the measures off the ballot.

The facts are that developers want to build condominium projects on the last large parcels of commercial and industrial land in Cupertino. Residents want to retain the existing zoning, preserving this land for future retail, commercial and industrial development. There is no opposition to building housing on land that is zoned for residential.

The Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors and Apple Computer have opposed the conversion of industrial and commercial land to housing. San Jose's planning director spoke out against this type of rezoning because of the devastating effect it has on revenue and city services. The Sierra Club spoke out against suburban sprawl because it causes environmental degradation and hurts schools.

Condominiums must not displace vital retail and industrial development. The success of Vallco as a retail center depends on keeping Vallco's land zoned for retail. The success of Cupertino's high-tech employers, current and future, hinges on keeping the HP land zoned for industrial. It's about balancing land use and looking at the big picture, instead of simply allowing windfall profits for developers and the politicians they control.

Burnett is also confused about Apple's new campus. Apple's spokesman stated the new campus will consolidate existing leased buildings; there will not be 3,500 new employees. Apple is on record as opposing the conversion of industrial land to residential, so developers and their allies should look elsewhere for justification of their plans to destroy Cupertino's tax base, industry, schools and quality of life.

These rezoning ordinances, if enacted, will devastate the tax base, cause school overcrowding, create suburban sprawl and hurt retail and high-technology companies. The only beneficiaries are the developers.

Vote no on D & E.

Steven Scharf
Cupertino Courier Letters
Wednesday, August 30, 2006