Cupertino — The City Council voted Dec. 2 to authorize a letter asking the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and ABAG to explain key growth and job assumptions in the draft Plan Bay Area 2050+ and its draft environmental impact report, citing concern the plan’s projections could become a basis for state housing targets and local up‑zoning. The motion, made by Mayor Liang Qiao and seconded by Council member Mohan, passed 4–0 with Council member Fruin abstaining.

Council members and the mayor said they support participating in the public comment process for the plan’s draft EIR but want the region’s agencies to justify the numbers that underlie future housing targets. Mayor Liang Qiao said inflated forecasts have consequences for Cupertino’s housing element, possibly forcing the city to rezone sites to meet “paper capacity” and exposing the city to streamlined approvals and other legal risks when projects do not materialize. “When we inflate growth forecasts, developers will not build the units since there is no real market demand,” he said, and that could leave the city with “a huge legal risk” if targets are unrealistic.

Public commenters reinforced both sides of the issue. Jennifer Griffin told the council she believes the regional draft deviates from required state data and called the plan’s figures “lunacy,” saying the draft uses data she described as “not true” and urging a legal review. Luis Sadati urged the council to balance criticism of the projection method with the city’s obligation to meet the state housing element and avoid what he called the “builder’s remedy,” a process that can streamline housing approvals when jurisdictions fall short of state targets.

Council staff noted the draft EIR has a public comment period and that residents may submit written comments; Mayor Qiao said the city will submit the packet letter as formal comment and also send a cover request for an explanation to MTC/ABAG leadership. Staff said the EIR portal will accept public comments through Dec. 18 and the region will respond to substantive comments in the final EIR.

The motion explicitly authorized the mayor to submit the letter in the agenda packet and directed staff to fact‑check the letter before filing. The vote was recorded as: Mohan — yes; Wong — yes; Vice Mayor Moore — yes; Mayor Liang Qiao — yes; Fruin — abstain. The council did not change the draft language substantively at the meeting but asked staff to prepare a separate cover letter to regional leadership requesting explanation of the numbers.