Cupertino: Process to petition for single-story only neighborhoods headed to council – The Mercury News

A process for allowing residents to petition to make theirneighborhoods single-story only will go to the Cupertino City Council next month after the planning commission voted 4-1 last week in favor of the plan.

Often, neighborhoods will ask fora single-story overlay district to preserve history or a certain character of the neighborhood. Predominantly Eichler-style home neighborhoods in nearby cities like Sunnyvale have adopted single-story overlay districtstoprotectprivacy and access to natural light and views.

Cupertino currently has four single-story overlay districts, all near Highway 85 and De Anza Boulevard. There is also one designated Eichler home district and one agricultural district in the city thathave specific restrictions on alterations and additions to homes.

At its meeting on March 14, the commission heard a presentation from city planner Erick Serrano, who explained that there is no existing application process for residents who want to make their neighborhoods single-story overlay districts.

Only neighborhoods with 75 percent existing single-story homes will qualify for a single-story overlay district under the proposal.

According to the staff report, property owners from the Creston-Pharlap neighborhood to the east of Highway 85 and north of Stevens Creek Boulevard asked the city last summer about making their neighborhood a single-story overlay district,citingconcerns related to the approval of a complying two-story home in their neighborhood.

The city was concerned that a lack of an official process for creating these districts would result in problems and confusion among neighbors, leading to a contentious environment. So in August, the city council recommended staff study the itembefore moving forward with the request.

The proposedprocess would require the applicant to circulate a petition in the neighborhood. At least two-thirds of the property owners must sign the petition in order to submit an application with the city.

Once the application is submitted, the city would then look at zoning requirements, including compliance with existing regulations and environmental review.

Then, the affected property owners would be included in a formal mail-in voting process, of which two-thirds of the property owners would again have to agree with the proposal.

If the majority voted in favor of a single-story overlay district, the application would then be scheduled for public hearings with the planning commission and city council.

Serrano told commissionersthat city staff looked at surrounding jurisdictions for examples of single-story overlay district approval processes. Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Los Altos all have a process for approval, though each differs in their parameters.

According to the staff report, a neighborhood is anything that can be separated by boundaries, which are defined in the staff report asnatural or manmade features such as, streets, waterways and existing zoning boundaries.

Commissioner Geoff Paulsen voiced opposition to single-story exclusive neighborhoods, but supported the proposed petition process.

Times are changing in Cupertino, Paulsen said. We have to understand that change is coming, change is inevitable. I think people should be free to build a home that is, frankly, large and beautiful, and doesnt necessarily need to diminish the neighborhood itself. I think its inequitable to have a one-story overlay. So frankly, Im against it. I think that its unfortunate that other cities have gone ahead with this. I would like to see us become a city that welcomes newcomers, that welcomes immigrants and that welcomes a variety of architectural styles.

Commission Chair manDon Sun cast the lone dissenting vote because he felt having single-story districts at all would create more work for city staff, create tensions among neighbors and discourage newcomers from settling in certain neighborhoods.

Commissioner Alan Takahashi, however, said he believes the process will, for the most part, bring neighborhoods together instead of driving them apart.

I definitely feel like its an element that would drive a little more community cohesiveness because you would have a common cause, if you will, that the community would rally behind, he said. The downside would be creating a little bit of divisive environment for somebody that wants to add that second story. (But) my hope would be that they would have discussions with their neighbors that are in favor of the overlay. All in all, I fully support the overlay.

Serrano said a similar process will also exist for undoing a single-story overlay district if the neighborhood so wishes.

The city council is tentatively scheduled to hear the item at its April 18 meeting.

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Cupertino: Process to petition for single-story only neighborhoods headed to council - The Mercury News