Cupertino council hears hours of debate over Mary Avenue Villas; 40‑unit IDD housing proposal remains under review

Cupertino — The City Council on Feb. 3 held an extensive public hearing on the Mary Avenue Villas, a proposed 40‑unit, 100% affordable housing development on city‑owned land that would reserve 19 units for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Staff and the developer described the project as meeting the city’s housing element priorities and asked council to approve a disposition and development agreement (DDA) that includes a 99‑year affordability regulatory agreement and a city option to reacquire improvements at fair market value.

In a staff presentation, John Martier, senior planner for the city, said the two‑building project would sit on about 0.76 acres, include roughly 22 on‑site parking spaces, and require reconfiguration of the right‑of‑way that will result in an estimated net loss of about 89 on‑street parking spaces. Martier said the project qualifies for a CEQA exemption under state guidelines for infill housing (CEQA Guidelines §15332, class 32) and that the project was structured to meet surplus‑land exemptions the staff anticipates seeking from the council in a later hearing.

Kathy Robinson, deputy director of Charities Housing (the proposed developer), described the unit mix, accessibility features, an on‑site community room for service providers, and the project’s emphasis on accessible design and onsite support. She said Charities Housing has developed and manages…