The proposal has drawn attention from residents as Cupertino faces pressure to build more housing while balancing neighborhood concerns over traffic, parking and other development impacts. It received an approval recommendation\u00a0 from the Cupertino Planning Commission and is scheduled to go before the City Council on June 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe the site is well suited for residential housing and represents an appropriate infill housing opportunity,\u201d Kevin Ebrahimi, SummerHill Homes senior\u00a0 vice president of development, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n
The Bandley Drive proposal is among the first Cupertino housing projects seeking approval under Assembly Bill 130,\u00a0a \u00a0state law allowing certain residential developments to bypass portions of the California Environmental Quality Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n Planning Commissioner Santosh Rao was the only member who voted against recommending approval at a May 12 meeting, after raising concerns about whether written evidence tied to the project\u2019s environmental review and flood-zone analysis was fully complete. City staff said the project qualified for the AB 130 exemption, which streamlines infill projects, and that supporting documentation would be updated before the proposal goes to council.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe the city needs to make sure that we are doing a diligent job procedurally. The written evidence needed to be further completed,\u201d Rao told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cIt is important to make sure that written evidence is accurate, because the city has already had to deal with litigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Cupertino has recently faced lawsuits over proposed housing developments on Mary Avenue<\/a> and Linda Vista Drive<\/a> due to disputes tied to wildfire evacuation concerns and environmental review processes.<\/p>\n Planning Commission Chair Tracy Kosolcharoen said she supported the project because it adds housing in a commercial area without directly impacting nearby single-family neighborhoods. She spoke with nearby neighbors regarding noise concerns and determined the area was appropriate for housing and presented low flood risk. She said commissioners also spent significant time discussing the project\u2019s AB 130 exemption and were told the site posed low flood risk and no environmental contamination concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it does not disrupt any residential neighborhoods, it does displace some local businesses, underscoring the continued need for support for businesses uprooted by infill redevelopment,\u201d Kosolcharoen told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n SummerHill representatives told commissioners the project complies with city standards and includes design features intended to reduce noise and privacy impacts from surrounding commercial properties. Representatives said the homes are intentionally oriented to minimize \u00a0privacy impacts and the development would include acoustical fencing and other mitigation measures.<\/p>\n
![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/interactive-321838904008.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n