Cupertino council declines moratorium, adopts resolution to study student housing after McClellan Terrace debate

The Cupertino City Council on May 6 voted to adopt a resolution directing city staff to study student-housing options and tenant protections after heated public comment over the proposed purchase of McClellan Terrace Apartments by the Foothill–De Anza Community College District. The council did not adopt the interim urgency moratorium that had been proposed.

The vote on the measure to adopt the resolution and not approve the moratorium was 3–2 (Council member Wong, Vice Mayor Moore and Mayor Chow in favor; Council members Fruin and Mohan opposed). The issue drew dozens of speakers and more than an hour and a half of public testimony (the council reduced individual public-comment time to two minutes for this item).

City staff told the council the college district moved quickly: the district voted to proceed with purchase-related due diligence the day before the meeting and had retained relocation consultants. Staff described the interim urgency ordinance as a tool under state law that, if adopted, would have imposed a 45‑day pause on conversions of multifamily housing while the city studied zoning or other regulatory responses. Staff said the sale price on the table was about $65.5 million, the district planned to close in July, and the district had indicated residents would need to vacate by June 30, 2026 if the conversion proceeded.