Cupertino residents tell planning commission parking cuts at Westport senior housing harm residents; ask city to seek RHNA credit for off-site student housing

Several Cupertino residents urged the Planning Commission to address parking shortfalls at Westport Senior Apartments and to examine whether a state provision cited by a developer correctly applies.

Diana Ferris, a Westport resident, told the commission that the apartment complex's garage was eliminated during construction so a private developer could meet state tax-incentive deadlines. Ferris said the complex has 48 units and described the parking supply as "9 parking spaces" plus "1 EV space, 1 EV and handicap space, and 1 handicap space," which she summarized as "a total of 12 parking spots for 48 units." She said street parking and nearby lots are not practical overnight alternatives.

The complaints focused on a state provision the developer cited to justify removing a garage, which Ferris said the developer described as requiring proximity to "major transportation." Ferris said she checked bus schedules and found no service every 15 minutes, which she said the law would require if the exemption applied. "I don't think that it qualifies for AB 2097 at all," she said.

Jennifer Griffin, who said she has long followed Cupertino planning issues and whose family has used Alzheimer care locally, argued removing parking is especially burdensome for seniors and people with disabilities. "Where else are you paying $8,000 a month and not having a parking space? That is so cheap and trivial. It's insulting," Griffin said.

Rhoda Frey raised a separate, but related, concern about a recent acquisition by Foothill'De Anza Community College District. Frey said the district purchased a 94-unit Terrace Apartments project on McClellan Road for about $67,000,000 and that the district intends to use the property for student and possibly staff housing. She asked staff to pursue Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) credit for that conversion and to seek RHNA credit for certain elder-care units that she said currently do not generate credit for the city.

Lisa (last name not given), calling in by Zoom, said she is "disgusted" by repeated developer "bait-and-switch" practices and flagged recent retail-to-residential sales in the city. She also urged the commission to scrutinize projects that eliminate retail and to hold community workshops.

City staff said the Westport item had been postponed from February and has not been rescheduled; staff said the project will be placed on a future agenda when ready. The commission did not take formal action on the remarks during oral communications.

Why it matters: Residents said the parking shortage at a senior housing property raises accessibility and safety concerns for a protected group (seniors and disabled) and asked the city to review developer claims that a state statute allows reduced parking. A separate request to pursue RHNA credit for off-site affordable housing could affect Cupertino's housing-element accounting toward state requirements.