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 density along Moffett Boulevard.

The commissioners also sought ways to preserve existing businesses in the area, although had different ideas about ground floor retail requirements for new buildings at the March 19 meeting.

The area under consideration runs the length of Moffett Boulevard and includes properties along both sides of the corridor, from Central Expressway to West Middlefield Road.

Last year, the City Council proposed expanding the boundaries to consider additional sites for redevelopment at 500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square), 500 W. Middlefield Road (Willow Park) and 555 W. Middlefield Road. Several residential blocks near the Mountain View Transit Center also were discussed for potential inclusion in the precise plan.

Now staff have returned with three options that lay out possible densities and development standards for the Moffett Boulevard area, excluding the additional sites for the time being.

The three scenarios – described as alternatives A, B and C in the staff report – present building heights and land uses that vary in intensity. But each envisions additional housing growth alongside anywhere from 50,000 to 95,000 square feet of nonresidential uses.

Alternative A, a “medium-intensity mixed use” option, would allow for building heights of four to five stories and 75 residential units per acre. It would encourage ground floor commercial uses along Moffett Boulevard but not require it.

Alternative B, a “higher-intensity mixed use” option, would allow for building heights of five to seven stories and 100 residential units per acre. It would require ground floor commercial uses.

Alternative C, a “focused mixed use” option, is a combination of alternatives A and B and would have medium-density housing in most of the land use area, except in two key areas or “nodes” that would allow for increased density and taller buildings of five to seven stories.

The planning commission largely supported the third option, expressing a preference for a combination approach to residential density and required ground floor uses, although they had different ideas about what it could look like.

“I would be interested in a blend of C’s nodes and the density of B with the option to kind of go higher to be able to get more of what we want on the ground floor,” Commissioner Alex Nuñez said.

Commissioner Bill Cranston advocated for higher density on both sides of Moffett Boulevard from Central Avenue to Cypress Point Drive, as well as a concentration of required ground-floor uses.

“I would not have removed the high density from the west side of Moffett,” Cranston said. “It’s got some restaurants in it today. It’s got a liquor store in it, local convenience stores. The place across the street, there’s a level of activity around those that would be great to keep.”

Several other commissioners also expressed a strong desire to retain existing businesses and to keep retail sites clustered, making their economic viability more likely.

“It would be nice to just retain the businesses,” Commissioner Joyce Yin said, referring to retail by the city’s transit center. “Once you redevelop, it becomes expensive, they’re probably going to have to go and I don’t want to see that,” she said.

Commissioners also weighed in on street improvements to Moffett Boulevard, expressing a preference for wider sidewalks and protected bicycle lanes. A few commissioners raised concerns about accessible parking as well.

“Some parking wouldn’t hurt, honestly, it would help with the economic vitality of the area,” Yin said.

The City Council will consider the planning commission’s recommendations and proposed land use changes at a study session next month, according to the staff report.

This story originally appeared in the Mountain View Voice. Emily Margaretten joined the Mountain View Voice in 2023 as a reporter covering City Hall.