Cupertino neighbors press city over Tessellations’ conditional use permit, citing traffic, parking and promises to relocate high school

Neighbors living near the former Regnart Elementary campus urged the Cupertino Planning Commission on July 22 to enforce conditions of Tessellations School’s December 2023 conditional use permit and to oppose proposed changes they said would worsen traffic and safety in their neighborhood.

Residents who said they represent about 30 households within a quarter mile of the campus told commissioners the school’s on‑site parking is far short of the 148 spaces required by the city’s permit, that a shuttle arrangement with New Life Church has not solved congestion, and that the school’s enrollment has climbed close to the CUP cap and may be proposed to increase substantially.

The complaints matter because they relate to public safety, neighborhood livability and whether the city must exercise permit conditions or require changes if Tessellations seeks to amend its CUP. Neighbors said the immediate harm includes blocked driveways, illegal parking, vehicles using oncoming lanes and near collisions involving children on bikes and scooters.

Residents’ accounts and numbers Vik Menon, who identified himself as a Cupertino resident, said neighbors are concerned that Tessellations may ask to increase the school’s enrollment cap “by over 40% from 300 to 425” and to keep and expand high‑school grades on the former elementary school campus. Menon also said the neighbors live on streets “most impacted by Tessellations’ current CUP.”

Pinaki Mukherjee summarized the permit’s early implementation and said the school opened in August 2023 and later received a retroactive CUP in December 2023 that set a 300‑student cap. Mukherjee said early staff parking on neighborhood streets prompted a neighborhood permit‑parking application that had petition support from more than 80% of surrounding households but was withdrawn after a short‑term parking addition to the nearby lot.

Multiple speakers gave similar counts for current enrollment and impacts. Bindia Desai said Tessellations’ enrollment rose from about 141 students to roughly 268, and Bonnie Libby said enrollment had climbed to about 266. Carl Fong said the school projected 277 for the upcoming school year. Neighbors said those figures are below the 300 cap but, they argued, already creating traffic and parking problems not foreseen when the CUP was issued.

Traffic, parking and safety examples Neighborhood speakers described routine congestion at peak pickup and drop‑off times. Ravi Kumar said queuing for afternoon pickup often extends along Yorkshire Drive and can reach “up to the Rainbow Stelling intersection,” blocking residents’ ability to exit driveways. Neighbors reported drivers entering oncoming lanes to pass queues and said a bicycling child was struck at Yorkshire and Rainbow — the speaker characterized the incident as a near‑serious injury and linked it to the school‑period congestion.

Bonnie Libby, a former Cupertino teacher who identified herself as a resident, said the CUP required 148 parking spaces but the campus contains fewer than half that number, and the school negotiated an exception to use up to 81 spaces at New Life Church with a shuttle. Libby said staff and some teachers view the shuttle as “untenable” and that, in practice, parents and visitors frequently park in the neighborhood; she told commissioners she estimated 20–25 parents regularly park in the neighborhood rather than join the on‑campus queue. Libby also said event parking procedures described in the CUP were not consistently followed in 2025: while the CUP allows the school to park about 100 cars on the blacktop for up to seven large events per year, she reported that for some 2025 events about 30 cars instead parked on Yorkshire Drive during evening hours.

Promises about high school and concerns if grades remain Mira Nateson reviewed language in Tessellations’ CUP application and earlier public statements about moving a proposed ninth‑grade program to another site after one year. Nateson said that, contrary to that promise, the school’s revised approach appears to keep ninth grade on the Regnart campus and add grades 10–12. Neighbors said a high school on an elementary campus would increase trips, create new parking and safety pressures, and risk students parking on local streets.

What staff and commissioners said City staff told the commission there is currently no timeline for any amendment application and that proposed changes to a CUP of the kind neighbors described must come to the Planning Commission for review. A staff member summarized enforcement options and encouraged residents to report violations through the city’s 311 system so code enforcement has a record; staff said response depends on code enforcement staffing, prioritization and available time.

At the meeting commissioners asked whether changes to the CUP could be approved administratively; staff replied that the type of amendment determines the review path but that the particular changes discussed (enrollment increase and adding high‑school grades) would have to come before the Planning Commission.

What the neighbors are asking and next steps Neighborhood speakers asked the commission to: limit Tessellations’ enrollment to the CUP cap of 300 students; require the school to follow its original statement about moving high‑school grades off the Regnart campus; and require active monitoring or enforcement (examples included Santa Clara County Sheriff patrols) and stronger assurance that event parking and daily parking remain within the school footprint.

Staff said the city will consider any formal application from the school and reiterated that enforcement typically begins when residents file complaints that code enforcement can investigate. Commissioners said the item would return to the commission if and when an application to amend the CUP is filed.

Residents and staff said they expect the school to appear again before the commission if it pursues enrollment increases or permanent high‑school grades. In the interim, staff encouraged neighbors to document complaints through 311 and to work with planning staff if they collect evidence that conditions of approval may have been violated.

Speakers Vik Menon — Resident Pinaki Mukherjee — Resident Bindia Desai — Resident Ravi Kumar — Resident Bonnie Libby — Resident, former Cupertino elementary teacher Mira Nateson — Resident Carl Fong — Resident Staff member — City planning staff (unnamed) Chair Rao; Vice Chair Kasselstrom; Commissioners Fung, Lindskog and Scharf — City of Cupertino Planning Commission

Authorities { "type":"policy","name":"City of Cupertino conditional use permit (CUP) for Tessellations School — issued December 2023","referenced_by":["Vik Menon","Pinaki Mukherjee","Bonnie Libby"] } { "type":"regulation","name":"Cupertino Municipal Code: parking requirements for schools (148‑space requirement referenced in December 2023 CUP)","referenced_by":["Bonnie Libby","Pinaki Mukherjee"] }

Actions []

Clarifying details [ {"category":"enrollment_cap","detail":"Existing CUP enrollment cap","value":"300","source_speaker":"Pinaki Mukherjee"}, {"category":"reported_current_enrollment","detail":"Neighbors' reported current enrollments (various speakers)","value":"~266–277","source_speaker":"Bonnie Libby / Carl Fong / Mira Nateson"}, {"category":"proposed_expansion","detail":"Neighbors reported the school may seek to expand enrollment and add high‑school grades","value":"possible increase to 425 students / add grades 9–12","source_speaker":"Vik Menon"}, {"category":"required_parking","detail":"Parking required in CUP","value":148,"units":"spaces","source_speaker":"Bonnie Libby"}, {"category":"alternative_parking_arrangement","detail":"Shuttle arrangement with New Life Church","value":81,"source_speaker":"Bonnie Libby"}, {"category":"event_parking","detail":"CUP allows ~100 cars on blacktop for up to seven large events per year; neighbors reported noncompliance for some 2025 events","source_speaker":"Bonnie Libby"}, {"category":"neighborhood_impact_examples","detail":"Queueing extends about a quarter mile from campus and can reach Rainbow Stelling intersection; driveways blocked; drivers using oncoming lane; cited near‑collision and bicycle strike","source_speaker":"Ravi Kumar"} ]

Proper names [ {"name":"Regnart Elementary School","type":"school"}, {"name":"Tessellations School","type":"organization"}, {"name":"New Life Church","type":"organization"}, {"name":"City of Cupertino Planning Commission","type":"agency"}, {"name":"Santa Clara County Sheriff","type":"agency"} ]

Community relevance { "geographies":["Regnart/Regnard neighborhood","Yorkshire Drive","Rainbow Drive"], "impact_groups":["neighbors within quarter‑mile","parents of students at Kennedy, Lincoln, Monte Vista"], "funding_sources":[] }

Meeting context { "engagement_level":{"speakers_count":8,"duration_minutes":~45,"items_count":1}, "implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2023-12-01","note":"CUP for Tessellations issued (retroactive)"} ] }

Searchable_tags ["Tessellations","Regnart Elementary","conditional use permit","parking","traffic","Cupertino"]

Provenance { "transcript_segments":[ {"block_id":"seg_173.56-199.92","tc_start":"00:02:53","tc_end":"00:03:20","evidence_excerpt":"Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to address the planning commission. My name is Vic Menon and I'm a resident of Cupertino. The topic is the Tessellations Bridal School located at the former campus of Regnard Elementary. We represent about 30 neighbors living in a quarter mile radius of Regnard Campus.","reason_code":"topicintro"}, {"block_id":"seg_1429.425-1449.825","tc_start":"00:23:49","tc_end":"00:24:09","evidence_excerpt":"When the item is ready to be heard, yes. It is the final body unless that decision is appealed.","reason_code":"topicfinish"} ] }