Cupertino Housing Element 2024
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California cities are expected to update their Housing Element every eight years. The Housing Element serves as the local government's blueprint for how the city will grow and develop.
The Housing Element must be approved by HCD (California Department of Housing and Community Development). HCD adopted RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) in 2021. HCD uses the RHNA methodology to specify housing allocation goals. The allocation numbers that Cupertino and other cities must now meet are generally much higher than previous cycles. An audit by the California State Auditor has outlined several weaknesses in the RHNA methodology. Here is a good article regarding the controversy regarding this issue.
California also passed many laws recently to encourage housing. Those new laws and HCD's high RHNA allocations changed cities' Housing Element dramatically. Cupertino has no exception. Cupertino's RHNA allocation is 4,588 new units from 2023 to 2031.
Cupertino has its third draft of Housing Element. To achieve the RHNA allocation, Cupertino rezoned many sites and setup many ways to increase density.
One interesting part of the Housing Element is HE-1.3.6 (page H-17 of the Housing Element third draft). The first bullet says "Allowing corner lots in R1 zoning districts to develop as multi-family rental housing using R3 zoning regulations to encourage missing-middle developments." R1 means single family house. R2 means duplex. R3 is not triplex, but multi-family housing. All apartments in Cupertino so far are R3. This means all the corner lots can become apartments without additional parking requirements.
The second bullet says "Allowing lots zoned for single-family residential uses that abut (either shares a property line or is directly across the street from) property that fronts an arterial or major collector, and is zoned and used for commercial or mixed-use development, to develop with rental multi-family housing using R3 zoning regulations to encourage missing middle housing. "
This means properties located behind or around a shopping center can become apartments. Probably many people live there didn't realize they are impacted.
Arterials:
- Homestead Rd
- Stevens Creek Blvd
- De Anza Blvd
- Wolfe Rd
Major collectors:
- N. Tantau
- Miller Ave
- N. Stelling
- Bubb Rd
- N. Foothill Expressway
Below is an incomplete list of impacted streets:
- Near Homestead
** Shady Oak Ln
** Firethorn Dr - Near Stevens Creek Blvd
** Norwich Ave - all of east side
** Amherst Dr-east end
** Denison Ave-south end
** Wheaton Dr-all of south side
** Stern Ave-north end
** Bret Ave-north end
** Judy Ave-north end
** S Tantau Ave-north end
** E. Estates Dr-north end
** Richwood Dr-north end
** Bixby Dr-all of north side
** Brenda Ct-north and east end
** Mello Place-north end
** Deeprose Pl-north end (possibly)
** Randy Lane-south end close to Stevens Creek Blvd
** Miner Place-north end, south end
** Partlett Place-north end, south end and by Donut Wheel
** Scofield Dr – all of it
** Alves Dr-between Sachi Way and Stelling
** Peninsula Ave-south end
** Santa Clara Ave-south end
** Adrian Ave-south end
** Eaton Place-east end
** Ramona Ct-north end
** Northeast side of Stevens Creek Blvd near N. Foothill Expressway
** Cupertino Rd-west end - De Anza Blvd
** Sunrise Dr-east end (possibly)
** Rodrigues Ave-behind XLB Kitchen shopping center
** Terry Way-east side
** Paradise Dr-east side
** McClellan Rd-northeast and southeast end
** Felton Way-east side
** Blossom Ln-east end
** Kirwin Ln-east end
** Westlynn Way- east side (possibly)
** Jamestown Dr-east side
** Clifden Way – west end
** Clay St – west end
** Silverado Ave – west end - Bollinger
** Clifden Way-west side
** La Roda Dr-south end
** S Blaney Ave-southwest end
