Cupertino residents urge pause on Summer Hill and Village Court projects after updated fire-hazard map

Dozens of Cupertino residents told the City Council on March 4 that newly updated fire-hazard maps and other recent information require the city to pause or reassess several housing proposals near Linda Vista Drive.

Speakers during the meeting’s public-comment period said portions of the city — including areas around Linda Vista Park and Linda Vista Drive — were designated on an updated CAL FIRE ‘‘very high’’ fire hazard severity map issued in February, and they urged the council to require additional environmental review, evacuation planning and insurance-impact analysis before allowing higher-density projects to proceed.

The residents’ comments focused on two closely related topics: site-specific life-safety and evacuation concerns where projects are proposed near Linda Vista Drive and broader questions about whether recent hazard-map changes were considered in earlier environmental assessments for projects under review. ‘‘We are in a very high risk area,’’ said Parimal Kopardekar, a Baxley Court resident, asking the council to ‘‘conduct a thorough environmental review, including the fire risks.’’

Why this matters: Speakers said the combination of denser housing, narrow local streets and new hazard-zone designations could impede evacuation and emergency response, drive up insurance costs for homeowners…