Stop Giant Illuminated Commercial Sign Facing Highway 280 (3/21 Agenda #7)

Have you noticed the new Public Storage building facing Highway 280 near De Anza? The building was supposed to resemble an office building that would not be seen from the freeway. Now they want to install a huge illuminated sign with four-and-a-half foot tall letters along a 50-foot long orange wall that will be distracting to motorists and nearby residents. The sign will beam into the homes of residents until 11PM nightly and brighten our mostly-dark Highway 280.

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If City Council approves this sign, then any business facing the freeway or residents' homes might claim entitlement to having their own sign which will forever impact the quality of life of Cupertino residents. 

The Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society has also created a call to action: SCVAS Action Alert: Tell Cupertino to say no to lighted sign http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/756507/a6fe1796c4/282972443/ae0cc1ebd3/ 

The City Council meeting is on March 21 at 6:45 PM in Community Hall next to the library at: 10800 Torre Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014

What You Can Do:
1. Go to the Meeting In Person and speak or attend online
Register for zoom here:
https://cityofcupertino.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G-KTGVhYR_GYoe-yz0zkRg 
2. Write to City Council
TO: citycouncil@cupertino.org; CityClerk@cupertino.org
SUBJECT: Agenda Item #7 No Public Storage Sign
Dear City Council,
On March 21, please vote no on the Public Storage freeway-facing sign. Our community begs you to reconsider your February vote to allow Public Storage to have a new huge sign with 4-and-a-half-foot tall illuminated letters that face the freeway. Unfortunately, the staff report lacked the facts you needed to make an informed decision such as the Cupertino Municipal code 19.104.220 C. and G. that dictates that "The sign shall also be compatible with the aesthetic character of the surrounding developments and neighborhood" and "The sign's color and illumination shall not produce distraction to motorists or nearby residents." You were neither shown that the sign would face condominiums nor that the building already had its one allowable freeway-oriented sign. Moreover, this building was approved on the basis of it not being visible from the freeway. Public Storage needs to have a sign program that meets the needs of your constituents. You can get an idea as to how bad the sign is by driving by the over-illuminated building at night; this needs to be fixed because it is a distraction to motorists and residents. Vote no on the new sign. 
Sincerely,

It is best to write a letter on how you would be affected by the sign and its illumination on the freeway.

* Please Do Not give money to change .org to promote this petition *
This petition will have a very short lifespan and it is not worthwhile to promote it with your money. Ask your community to sign on, write your own personal letter, and show up at City Council on March 21 at 6:45 PM (next to the Cupertino Library).

See video on how this building turned out in comparison to plan:

See video on public comment about the sign after City Council approved it: