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Neighbors press commission over McClellan townhomes as developer touts 340-unit Marina Plaza proposal
Summary
Residents near McClellan Road urged downzoning over evacuation, parking, and sewer concerns while Marina Plaza ownership told the commission it has submitted a 340-unit proposal and seeks 50''65 units/acre upzoning.
Residents speaking during public comment at the June 23 Cupertino Planning Commission study session urged the commission to avoid upzoning for projects they said would worsen evacuation risk, parking and sewer constraints around McClellan Road, while a property owner asked the city to support a major upzoning for a large shopping-center site.
Greg Endem, who said he represents the ownership of Marina Plaza Shopping Center, told commissioners he and the ownership team submitted a proposal to the city last week for a 340-unit project with roughly 42,000 square feet of retail and extensive underground parking. "We submitted to the city a proposal for 340 units and 42,000 square feet of retail," Endem said, noting a prior unanimous approval for a smaller (206-unit) for-sale project had been paused because market conditions changed.
Nearby neighbors urged the opposite: several speakers asked that the McClellan Road site (variously referenced as 20865/28065 McClellan Road) be treated cautiously or downzoned. Ken Bell said area residents would "volunteer that site" for different treatment and asked about SB 330 status; Muni Madipalli, a former commissioner, said, "that project... doesn't belong there," citing neighborhood character and evacuation concerns. Neighbor Vicky T asked for specific safeguards, saying there is "no parking on McClellan" and raising concerns about whether sewer lines and emergency access can serve additional units.
Why it matters: Public comments illustrate the neighborhood trade-offs at the center of any rezoning decision. Developers told the commission they are ready to advance projects and praised staff for clarity and cooperation; residents highlighted technical infrastructure and public-safety constraints that they say should limit dense development on some parcels.
Follow-up and staff stance: Staff told commissioners they would continue courtesy conversations with developers and property owners; if the commission desires, staff can pursue targeted outreach to gauge owner interest. Commissioners signaled support for both exploring large corridor and office parcel upzoning and for preserving or downzoning specific neighborhood parcels like McClellan where community impacts appear acute.
The commission took public comment but made no immediate zoning decisions on either the Marina Plaza proposal or McClellan projects. Staff said they will return with narrowed site recommendations and a targeted outreach plan.
