A court ruling in Santa Clara County cleared the way for a large mixed-use development proposal to be built at the location of the Vallco Shopping Mall in Cupertino.
"Plans to turn the old Vallco Shopping Mall into a massive housing, office and retail complex can proceed full-steam ahead after the developer won a decisive victory in court Wednesday," reports Marisa Kendall.
The development calls for 2,402 apartments, 400,000 square feet of retail and 1.8 million square feet of office space.
"[A] Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled city officials did not err when they green-lighted the development and gave it fast-track status," explains Kendall of the reasoning behind the decision. The state law in question is SB 35, authored by State Senator Scott Wiener and approved by the California Legislature in 2017 to streamline development approvals. The Vallco development faced fierce opposition and repeated legal controversies leading up to the court ruling.
Kendall also notes that the same judge ruling in this case recently leveraged SB 35 to clear the way for another development in nearby Los Altos.
Read the full story: Vallco wins: Massive Cupertino development can proceed, judge rules
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority