A brief history...

The hillsides of what is now Cupertino were documented in the expedition diary for Juan Bautista de Anza during his journey from the presidio of Monterey northward when he discovered and named San Francisco Bay. The de Anza party camped in the hillsides on the banks of what is now Stevens Creek (then Arroyo of San Joseph Cupertino) on Monday, March 25 1776.  At the time Native Americans lived along the creek, hunting, fishing, gathering acorns and berries for food, and watching out for grizzly bears, mountain lions and poison oak.

During subsequent years Cupertino experienced significant growth first as an agricultural area and more recently as a technology center within Silicon Valley. In the early 1990’s far-sighted Cupertino leaders worked hard to protect these valuable natural hillside resources as the City and surrounding Silicon Valley were experiencing rapid development and growth.  It was recognized that unchecked development could destroy the hillsides and the valued wildlife habitat they provide.  As a result, hillside protection policies were placed in the City’s General Plan and corresponding zoning regulations were enacted. (see Hillside Protection Policies below.)

Now, Cupertino and Silicon Valley are again feeling the pressures associated with economic growth and suburban development. And again, Cupertino’s hillsides and associated wildlife are threatened.  The goals of this website are to identify such threats, report their status, educate motivated citizens on how they can influence public policy, and ultimately preserve this important natural resource for future generations.

Hillside Protection Policies

In 1993, the Cupertino General Plan and Municipal Code were amended to provide specific protections for the valuable hillsides of Cupertino.  The City of Cupertino General Plan currently states…

HILLSIDES

Cupertino’s hillsides are an irreplaceable resource shared by the entire Santa Clara Valley. The hillsides provide important habitat for wildlife, watershed capacity to prevent flooding of urbanized areas, a wide vegetative belt that cleanses the air of pollutants, recreational opportunities for residents, and visual relief from sprawling development. Allowing low-intensity residential development in the foothills provides a realistic use of private hillside lands, while preserving important environmental, recreational and aesthetic values.

Policy 2-48: Hillside Development Standards

Establish building and development standards for the hillsides that ensure hillside protection.

Strategies:

1. Ordinance Regulations and Development Approvals. Apply ordinance regulations and development approvals that limit development on ridgelines, hazardous geological areas and steep slopes. Control colors and materials, and minimize the illumination of outdoor lighting. Reduce visible building mass through such means as stepping structures down the hillside, following the natural contours, and limiting the height and mass of the wall plane facing the valley floor.

2. Slope-density Formula. Apply a slope density formula to very low intensity residential development in the hillsides. Density shall be calculated based on the foothill modified, foothill modified ½ acre and the 5-20 acre slope density formulae. Actual lot sizes and development areas will be determined through zoning ordinances, clustering and identification of significant natural features and geological constraints.