Construction is now underway to add protected bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalks and other safety improvements to a 1.4-mile stretch of California Street in Mountain View. The city plans to reduce driving lanes from two to one in each direction to make room for the additions. Work began last month on the roughly $6 million pilot project,...
State orders Palo Alto to revise laws on backyard dwellings
In a city where building homes is famously costly and often onerous, accessory dwelling units offer Palo Alto’s housing advocates a small bit of promise. Bolstered by recent state laws, the backyard structures are quietly but consistently doing their part in helping the city meet its housing goals. Palo Alto had issued 125 permits for...
Mountain View weighs options for a higher-density Moffett Boulevard
Mountain View’s plans to redevelop Moffett Boulevard are taking shape, with several proposals on the table to roll out new land use regulations that would encourage more housing and commercial activity along the busy corridor. The Environmental Planning Commission deliberated on three land use options Wednesday evening, ultimately expressing a preference for a “blended approach” to housing...
Mountain View Whisman declares support for LGBTQ students
Mountain View Whisman’s school board passed a resolution this week affirming the district’s commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ students and ensuring their rights are protected. The board members voted unanimously at a Thursday, March 20, meeting to pass the resolution, which states that the district “remains committed to supporting our schools in creating and sustaining inclusive spaces...
Palo Alto may lead efforts to restrict ‘builder’s remedy’
Palo Alto is preparing to lead the charge in support of a new legislative effort to limit builder’s remedy applications, which allow housing developers to bypass zoning regulations in cities that don’t have compliant housing plans. The city is working with Sen. Josh Becker to modify the Housing Accountability Act in a way that would...
Palo Alto looks to create new neighborhood on San Antonio
The strip of San Antonio Road east of Alma Street hardly looks like Palo Alto’s most inviting housing destination. It is located near U.S. Highway 101 and its current occupants include car dealerships, modest one-story office buildings, an oil change place, two new hotels, an apartment complex for seniors and a smattering of restaurants. But...
Mountain View takes hard look at gaps in internet access
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Mountain View should have some of the fastest and most reliable broadband internet connectivity in the region. But a recent report shows that there is a big digital divide in the city, with many lower-income neighborhoods having limited access to the internet while paying more for it. Last...
Town & Country owners look to build housing near its shopping center
For more than a year, the owners of Town & Country Village have been battling a proposal to build a condominium development on a parking lot just north of the El Camino Real shopping center. Over public meetings and in written correspondence, Ellis Partners has argued that the planned project is incompatible with the area...
Mountain View backs targeted density in residential areas
Mountain View is making strides with its plan to rezone parts of the city to create more opportunities to build more homes, including some lower-density multifamily residential areas. The Environmental Planning Commission took the first crack at the heavily updated zoning strategy, spending more than three hours discussing the selected “change areas” and proposed densities at a...
Mountain View struggles to fill empty downtown vacancies
In recent years, Mountain View has struggled with high retail vacancy rates, despite efforts to revitalize the downtown corridor. Now the city has a clearer picture of why so many storefronts are vacant, after commissioning a consulting firm, The Retail Coach, to investigate the reasons for the empty spaces. The upshot is that property owners and...