As Cupertino continued to develop, the city and its council members have continuously voted to expand and replace existing retail and housing infrastructures such Vallco and Main Street Cupertino. To the extent to which Cupertino should grow, however, is the main subject of debate. Guidelines for any future plans have already been set and stated in a document known as the General Plan, but some want to push the boundaries of expansion even further. Others, like members of the Better Cupertino organization, take a more conservative stance on this matter.
Better Cupertino’s motto reads: “Stop uncontrolled growth, protect our schools, save our community.” Its biggest goal is to push for the approval of Measure C, a bill which will mitigate the rapid growth of Cupertino. Better Cupertino is also in huge favor of protecting local retail spaces, like Vallco and Marina Plaza, and grassroot community organizations. Chaba is a member of Better Cupertino and wants to maintain the small tight knit, suburban feel and relative convenience of this city by moderating projects which will usher in more residents such as apartment complexes, homes and hotels.
Every corner lot is being built up because that’s where the money is and that’s what speaks. And it’s hard to slow it down. Marina Plaza is a victim to the same case because they are taking benefits away from current residence to usher in new ones, we don’t want growth at this fast of a rate.” CUPERTINO RESIDENT MICHAEL CHABA
Marina Plaza is home to many asian stores such as Whatever Milk tea, Shiseido beauty products and Marina Foods, but approximately all 44,000 square feet of its retail space is about to be transformed into a 122-room hotel, two buildings with approximately 22,600 square feet of commercial space and 188 apartments. While both retail, housing and offices spaces may generate profit for our city, Chaba thinks that the latter option is a significantly less beneficial to residents currently living in Cupertino because it is built more in interest of ushering in more people. This is a problem due to the overcrowding and unsustainable funding in schools caused by this new population growth according to Chaba. Lisa Warren isn’t a member of Better Cupertino however, she still shares the same disatisfaction for this project.
“[This project is] taking away essential resources from this community they are taking a grocery store,” Warren said. “We are losing retail for people who live it to provide for people who work and have jobs here, or day time residences and taking away from full time ones.”
Some residents such as Xiaowen Wang have even built up a personal connection with the plaza and are devastated by this action.
“Personally, I’m worried for the loss of the grocery story, because in Cupertino there isn’t a site to relocate,” Wang said. “There aren’t that many asian grocery stores in Cupertino. Everybody wants to build hotels and offices and apartments and not retail. I’ve talked to the owner of Marina and he says about 5,000 people a day shop there. I live within walking distance and it means 5,000 customers have to shop somewhere else everyday. Ironically, we want to reduce our carbon footprint and now that it isn’t local, 5,000 people a day have to drive somewhere else to buy groceries. From a philosophical standpoint too, this is wrong.”
Wang is upset because she, along with thousands of other shoppers, won’t be able to shop at the same convenience anymore.She feels this decision is also wrong on a moral and philosophical level, as she believes that this growth actually hurts the physical nature of city itself. To Wang, the growth of Cupertino and any civilization should be in favor of the well being of its people, not for profit.
