Simitian Urges County to Pursue Acquisition of Lehigh Cement Plant & Quarry

SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian today announced his proposal for the County to pursue acquisition of the Lehigh Cement Plant and Quarry property located in unincorporated Cupertino.

The acquisition of the property, either from a willing seller or by use of eminent domain, would accelerate the closure and restoration of the property, and allow for a more community-focused consideration of how the land should be used in the future. 

The cement plant and quarry are part of the Lehigh property, which encompasses 3,510 acres, 2,656 of which are in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The remaining land is within the cities of Cupertino and Palo Alto. The County has land use oversight over the quarry where activities take place pursuant to a Reclamation Plan approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2012, and by a vested rights decision made by the Board in 2011.

Simitian is asking County Administration and County Counsel to bring forward a report to the Board within 90 days outlining options for the acquisition and financing of the Lehigh property, along with a discussion of advantages or disadvantages associated with the various financing options.

“To be sure, the undertaking anticipated by this referral is substantial, and the anticipated timeline is certainly not short,” said Simitian, who represents Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, and other cities near the site. “That said, the problems are real, the time is now, and we know that a good outcome is achievable. Rather than let the years pass and simply respond on a reactive basis, our County should begin today to identify and pursue other more desirable possibilities.”

Although the hills outside the City of Cupertino have been mined for limestone since the early 1900s, and the Lehigh cement plant has been operational since 1939, this heavy industry is now located adjacent to residential neighborhoods, creating ongoing environmental, health, and safety challenges.

Now is the time to envision and consider other possibilities that are both in the interest of the public and fair to the property owner, said Simitian. The reasons are multi-fold:

• Numerous complaints and violations have been reported at the site, suggesting incompatibility of uses;
• There is also a likelihood that Lehigh will submit a new or revised application for continued and expanded activity at the site;
• The recent restoration of the former Dumbarton Quarry in the East Bay into a park and camping facility demonstrates that reclamation and conversion of such a site can be accomplished.

There have been repeated calls for closure over the years, but such proposals faced resistance from Lehigh’s owners, who have a financial interest in maintaining operations at the site.

"For decades, the environmental community has fought the devastation of our beautiful hills and wild habitats wrought by Lehigh Quarry operations,” said Brian Schmidt,  Legislative Advocacy Director at Green Foothills. “The ongoing air, water and dust pollution is further evidence as to the need for Supervisors to approve this referral. The time has come to begin preparing for the restoration of this land, as promised in the Reclamation Plan."

“It’s time we do the right thing,” said Eddie Venancio, Business Representative, Teamsters Local 853. “Restore this land, give it back to wildlife and the people so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this place and show our children and their children what we can accomplish when we all work together for the common good.”

“A lot of our members live within the Bay Area and the acquisition of the Lehigh property would create over three-quarters of a million hours to reclaim the area, not including the other projects that would provide working opportunities with good benefits,” said Neils Ash, Business Representative, Operating Engineers Local 3.

“In making this proposal I am mindful of the fact that our County anticipates the possibility of an application to amend the current Reclamation Plan,” said Simitian. In 2019, Lehigh submitted such application, but its review has been put on hold, first because funds to process the application were not forthcoming and more recently because Lehigh has indicted it plans to revise the application.

Concerned that a fragmented regulatory system has resulted in the lack of transparency that exists around Lehigh’s operations, last month Simitian directed County staff to produce a 10-year record of violations involving Lehigh Cement Plant and Quarry going back to 2012 with the intent to provide more transparency and help clarify whether violations involving Lehigh’s facilities necessitate regulatory and/or legal action.

Staff is directed to consult with all relevant stakeholders and consider working with all potential partners in developing a planning process, timeline, and eventually a proposal for the property.

Simitian announced his proposal earlier today where he was accompanied by supporters, including Operating Engineers Local 3, Teamsters Local 853, Sierra Club, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, and Green Foothills.

“We have always looked forward to the eventual reclamation of the property, seeing great potential for bringing rehabilitation to the land and numerous public benefits,” said Ana Ruiz, General Manager, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. “There’s wildlife connectivity we see between the two open space lands and great potential to protect our natural resources in this region for people, for wildlife, and for the benefit of our environment for generations to come.”

Simitian’s proposal got an immediate boost in the form of a support letter from the mayors of Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and Cupertino.

A community meeting will be held virtually on March 2 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to provide an update on the cement plant and quarry. To register, please visit https://sccgov-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/.

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