Residents urge Cupertino to intervene after Foothill‑De Anza signals intent to buy McClellan Terrace apartments

Dozens of residents of McClellan Terrace and other community members told the Cupertino City Council on April 8 that a proposed Foothill‑De Anza Community College District acquisition of McClellan Terrace apartment complex could displace about 94 families, including children who attend local schools.

Lee Lambert, chancellor of the Foothill‑De Anza Community College District, told the council the district is "currently in the due diligence period" on acquiring an apartment complex near the De Anza campus and believes the purchase "is a good investment of taxpayer dollars" to meet student housing needs.

Residents and advocates said the proposal, as described publicly so far, would force families to move and asked the city to pressure the college to pause and seek alternatives. "If I'm forced to leave, I won't be just moving. I'll be losing my community, my friendships, and the stability that helps me thrive," said Parth, a McClellan Terrace resident. "Please consider the effect that this will have on families like mine. Help us keep our homes."

"This is not just a simple property transaction — this is an eviction of 94 families and over 60 children who attend their neighborhood Cupertino schools," said Sean Ling, an area resident. Speakers named Lincoln Elementary, Kennedy Middle School and Monte Vista High School as neighborhood schools that serve McClellan Terrace children.

Speakers asked the council to press the college board to pause the transaction until there is a transparent relocation plan, and to advocate for student housing solutions that do not displace existing families, including on‑campus options or use of hotels or other non‑displacing alternatives. "We are not opposing the students — we want to work with the students. They are peacefully living. We co‑exist together," said a representative for McClellan residents, Sion Biswas.

Residents also urged the council to consider zoning or land‑use protections to prevent conversions of family rental units into other uses. One speaker pointed to San Francisco Municipal Code Section 317 (as cited in public comment) as an example of a conversion‑of‑use regulation the city could study.

Foothill‑De Anza officials said the district has considered multiple options, including off‑campus and on‑campus housing, and that the acquisition under review was selected after a feasibility analysis. Lambert described the purchase as a way to "meet our needs" and to support students facing basic needs challenges.

The council did not take formal action on the McClellan Terrace matter during the meeting. Multiple speakers asked the council to use its influence with the college board and to coordinate with Cupertino Unified School District and other local agencies to ensure transparency, relocation assistance and alternatives that would avoid family displacement.

The public comment sequence on this topic included parents, current residents and community members who described the potential ripple effects they say displacement would have on school enrollment, teacher staffing and the neighborhood fabric. Several speakers urged the city to seek transparency from the college and the property owner on relocation plans and timelines.

The council did not add the McClellan acquisition as an agenda item or direct staff to take a specific action at the meeting; several speakers asked the council to agendize or otherwise intervene in the coming weeks.