Schools

Cupertino Middle School Expansion Okayed by Sunnyvale

Written by L.A. Chung 

The Sunnyvale City Council approved a revised proposal Tuesday night for Cupertino Middle School to expand its footprint onto 1.84 acres of open space on school property, following an intense three weeks of meeting to reach a compromise. 

The council voted 5-2, with Council members Christopher Moylan and Pat Meyering in dissent.

And it was none too soon. With the last day of school on Wednesday, the Cupertino Union School District had hoped to begin demolition of some buildings immediately. 

"We are very appreciative of the City Council," said Rick Hausman, the district's chief business officer. "On the other hand, it was not easy for us to do, either."

The district plans to build a 21,750-square-foot multi-purpose building on Helena Drive and a 24,000-square-foot, two-story classroom building on South Bernardo Avenue in Sunnyvale.

But on May 21, the City Council, hearing from neighborhood residents who had said their input to the district had fallen on deaf ears, surprised the school board, administrators and staff by turning down the building plans. That sent the district back to the drawing board.

The key factors in approving the revised plan was the district's removal of a 27-car parking lot that had raised concerns from neighbors, and to include green space buffer between the multi-purpose building and Helena Drive, where some of the neighbors reside.

And there was a third factor. The district discovered the 1991 final version of the master plan for Cupertino Middle School Open Space, which showed the area where the Helena Drive building was planned had already been identified and held in reserve for future academic facilities by agreement of both parties. That meant that in 1991, there had been a public process that had been completed and agreed upon by both parties, said Rick Hausman, chief business officer for the district. 

One neighbor complained how a three-story building overlooking her backyard would affect property values and, essentially decrease the proceeds that they had counted on for their longterm care. The district has said it would cost $1.3 million to redesign and move the building to the Bernardo Avenue side of campus as suggested.

And parents speaking in support of the building project described how the school was bursting at the seams and more students would be on their way.

Under the multi-year open space agreement the city council has the ability to approve or reject the district's plans. The district has already signaled its desire to negotiate a new agreement, when it voted to terminate the new contract in two ears.  Council member Moylan failed in an early attempt to get the council to slow down and look at the plans, to schedule a public hearing before it finally voted on the matter, asserting that "the district has its pants on fire" but the city was not in a hurry.

While many of the city council members were sharply critical of the district's outreach to the neighbors in the planning process and in its poor relationship with the council, the majority ultimately voted to approve the plan.

"It serves us no further purpose to get into a match with the district to argue," said Councilmember Jim Davis, expressing the desire that the district follow through on its pledge to collaborate with the neighbors on the green space buffer design and amenities. "Try to mend your fences with the people you definitely alienated in this process."    

Some city council members said they themselves had voted for the bond measure that gave the school the funds to build, to benefit the students in the end.

"The school district has to accommodate the students. They have  passed a bond measure and needs to use the funds wisely," said Councilmember Tara Martin-Milius. "I think this is a reasonable and rational kind of compromise." 


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