Cupertino DailyCalabazas Creek And The South Vallco Master Plan
Story & Photos By Keith Murphy
On September 16 2008, the Cupertino City Council restored both wording and policy to the now approved South Vallco Master Plan, which clearly states that Calabazas Creek is once again an important identity and connectivity feature in the South Vallco Master Plan area.
Beau Goldie, Deputy Operating Officer Santa Clara Valley Water District, was originally attending the City Council meeting to speak only on Agenda Item 13, regarding the Permanente Creek Flood protection project, but he kindly spoke about the construction of creek trails and how the SCVWD was offering support for trail and park development on it’s own properties, in conjunction with adjacent city’s who request such partnerships.
Mr. Goldie spoke at the request of the city council about the future development possibilities for the Calabazas Creek area. He covered basic liabilities issues that each city should consider and then he discussed some possible project funding sources, such as funding from the SCVWD itself, as the SCVWD could provide funds for habitat restoration, public pedestrian & bicycling trail, and perhaps even a seasonal park. Cupertino would have to put up an equal share of the funding, but some of that funding would come from surrounding development projects located near the creek, as project applicant’s park fees could offset this park infrastructure expense, where developers pay there own fair share.
He confirmed that in Santa Clara County no less then 70 miles of creek trails and parks have already been developed with the help of the SCVWD, and a couple of those projects are located in Cupertino, like the Stevens Creek & Blackberry Farm project which is currently under way, as our city is moving a large section of Stevens creek with the permission of the SCVWD - so anything is possible! Our city has also developed creek trails over by Lawrence Expressway; the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail/Saratoga Creek Trail - to name but a few of successful creek trails/parks found in Cupertino.
Many fortune 500 silicon valley companies back up to, or are adjacent to, SCVWD lands, creeks, and watersheds and all have successfully maintained both security and privacy after adjacent creek trail projects have been installed, so clearly every consideration is given to all of SCVWD neighbors; both Cupertino residents and local businesses alike, who both have an equal right to share the natural environment fairly.
SCVWD Board of Director, Patrick Kwok, of District 5 (his district includes Cupertino) was also on hand last night, and he was contacted today to supply more details on everything Mr. Goldie described to the city council.
In 2006 I spent several days with the SCVWD staff, reviewing Calabazas Creek EIR (Environmental Impact Review) work that had been completed at that time, as was requested by the City of Cupertino on behalf of a project applicant in the South Vallco area.
I learned a great deal about the water district and its policies, as the SCVWD staff were very kind and offered any assistance I required, allowing unhindered access to all public files and documents, which was very gratifying for a resident of Cupertino to be so respectfully treated by a county agency.
Dr. Darrel Lum and I filed a 75+ page reconsideration petition with the City council, in 2006, for the City Council to review and reconsider a South Vallco development project, which included detrimental impacts to the Calabazas Creek trail and park proposal - we were denied our reconsideration appeal at that time.
Two South Vallco projects, including the one detrimental to Calabazas Creek were eventually overturned by an astounding majority of our city’s voters who turned out to support two referendums D&E, and the one developer left town, with HP the property owner, selling off one of one of its two controversial South Vallco properties to Apple, which it recently renovated on Tantau Ave. and Vallco Parkway.
Since that referendum election, Dr. Lum and I both have maintained an ongoing vigilance for the welfare of Calabazas Creek in the South Vallco area, in the hope that a creek trail and park might some day be created to serve the greater community of Cupertino residents, providing real connectivity, offering both pedestrian and bicycling in a natural setting. We hoped that the creek would become an identity for the South Vallco area, while supplying the much needed park infrastructure which is currently lacking in the South Vallco Master Plan area which also serves the entire eastern part of the City of Cupertino, including North Cupertino and Rancho neighborhoods. These photos are of Calabazas Creek.
(Above) Looking south from the FWY 280 over pass, Vallco Parkway can just be seen in the background.
The newly purchased Apple building is to the left by Tantau Ave. (East), and the remaining HP building is located to the right (West). A maintenance road is located to the far left side shoulder of the creek bank (East), with the entrance gate located in the far background at Vallco Parkway on SCVWD land (South). To the right of this picture is a concrete culvert which drains storm water alongside FWY 280 heading west, and the Calabazas Creek itself submerges under FWY 280, in the immediate foreground, and it reemerges back to daylight heading toward Tantau Ave to the east. 
This is the creek maintenance road, as viewed from the fenced gate at Vallco Parkway; the building to the right (east) is the Apple building by Tantau Ave.
A trail could easily run down along this access road and head north along the creek, as circumstance would allow. Apple’s property is protected by both a cyclone fence and a natural barrier of full grown specimen trees and shrubs, and the access road drops below grade, and this fact alone should offer plenty of privacy and security for both HP and Apple, but still allow residents to benefit from using a creek trail and seasonal park in the South Vallco Master Plan area – this could be part of our city’s “new” downtown, what do you think?
(Above) The Calabazas Creek, with habitat that already supports deer, ducks (center), fish, and varied species of trees and smaller diverse landscaping. This picture is looking north from Vallco Parkway, toward FWY 280.
Tags: Calabazas Creek and South Vallco
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