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Residents urge action on retail conversions, Mary Avenue Villas and a planning commission ethics complaint
Summary
Public commenters at the Feb. 19 meeting urged the council to address retail conversions tied to SB 330, protect public parking ahead of the Mary Avenue Villas right‑of‑way vacation, and investigate a written‑communication ethics concern about the Planning Commission chair using an official email and title for a personal advocacy letter.
Multiple residents addressed the council Feb. 19 during oral communications. Jennifer Griffin said Stevens Creek Boulevard is losing active retail to projects enabled by SB 330 and asked the city to push back to preserve neighborhood storefronts, naming closures and impending projects including Panera Bread and Voyager Coffee. Lisa Warren and other speakers raised concern about a large commercial parcel (Target site on LoopNet) that they said could be rezoned for housing, with implications for retail access.
Jean Bedard filed a public complaint seeking a city attorney review after she said the Planning Commission chair sent a letter to a sheriff's deputy from an official city email address and signed it with the chair title while stating the letter was sent as a resident; Bedard said staff was unaware and that it may represent misuse of public resources for personal advocacy. The city attorney and council discussed guidance and the possibility of a procedural memo clarifying when officials must disclose they are speaking as private residents and when official account use is appropriate.
Residents near Mary Avenue and speakers at the meeting urged the council to delay moving forward with related construction until the right‑of‑way vacation is fully adjudicated. A neighbor said the proposed vacation would eliminate public parking used during events and regular neighborhood circulation and urged denial or postponement unless a clear public benefit is demonstrated.
Council asked staff to prepare guidance on communications protocol for commissioners and to consider adding an agenda item to investigate the alleged sheriff conduct incident raised by a speaker. Speakers also raised homelessness and landlord affordability concerns.
