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Cupertino council authorizes negotiator to explore purchase of 10480 Finch Avenue for park use
Summary
The council voted to appoint negotiators and start due diligence on a potential purchase of a 1-acre parcel at 10480 Finch Avenue from the Cupertino Union School District; staff will order title, appraisal and environmental reviews before returning to council in closed session.
The City Council on July 1 authorized staff to begin negotiations and due diligence on the potential purchase of 10480 Finch Avenue, a roughly one-acre parcel in the Rancho Rinconada area that the Cupertino Union School District owns, as a possible park site.
Chad Mosey, director of public works, told the council the district purchased the parcel in 2016 for about $5.4 million and that the site has been remediated for previously identified contamination. "The property is approximately 1.0 acres ... it is currently vacant," Mosey said, adding the city has about $13.2 million in park-in-lieu funds that could be used toward acquisition.
Mosey said the next steps, if council wants to proceed, are to obtain a title report, a preliminary site assessment and an appraisal and then return to council in closed session to discuss terms. The school district has discussed disposing of the site and signaled interest in conversations with the city, staff said; any sale would require further board action by the district.
Public commenters urged the city to proceed carefully and to first examine alternate options, including county-owned land and possible annexations. Supporters argued the parcel would help address a longstanding park shortage in the eastern neighborhoods — several residents said the area has comparatively little parkland and that the site is adjacent to Sedgwick Elementary and could be a neighborhood resource.
Council voted to appoint negotiators and begin the due-diligence step. The motion carried with Vice Mayor Moore recused from the vote; staff said the earliest next council return could be in September after the due diligence is complete.
Ending: Authorization to begin negotiations does not obligate the city to buy the property; council directed staff to complete title, environmental and appraisal work and report back with findings and recommended next steps.
