Mayor
Sandra James and City Council August
19, 2004
Cupertino,
CA 95014-3202
Dear Mayor
James and members of the Cupertino City Council,
On
behalf of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, I am writing to convey
our opposition to the three initiatives on density, height and setbacks
circulated by the Concerned Citizens of Cupertino.
Stopping
sprawl is one of the top priorities of the Sierra Club. Sprawl spreads
development out over large amounts of land; puts long distances between homes,
stores, and job centers; and makes people more and more dependent on driving in
their daily lives. Sprawl pollutes our air and water, increases traffic on our
streets and highways, wastes tax money, and reduces our open space. However,
there is an alternative. Smart growth can be used to prevent sprawl by
encouraging pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly development, affordable housing
nearer to places of employment, and infill development adjacent to
transportation choices.
Based
on these principles, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club opposes the
three initiatives backed by the Concerned Citizens of Cupertino. Passage of
these initiatives would be a detriment to the Club's efforts to promote smart
growth, infill development, the creation of vibrant, walkable and
pedestrian-friendly communities, the protection of open space, and the
construction of affordable homes.
We
applaud you for your stated opposition to these initiatives, and we will
continue to support ongoing efforts to defeat them.
Best
regards,
Chairperson,
Executive Committee
Loma Prieta Chapter, Sierra Club
http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/slu
3921 E. Bayshore Rd, #204,
Palo Alto, CA 94303 (voice) 650-390-8411