Palo Alto has reached another milestone in its quest to rebuild the Mitchell Park fire station with the City Council approving a series of contracts totaling more than $13 million for a project that has long been viewed by city leaders as a key infrastructure priority. By a unanimous vote, the council approved on Oct....
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto to reduce workforce
Citing financial challenges and economic uncertainty, the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is preparing to reduce its workforce by 87 positions in December, according to a notification that the Palo Alto medical institution filed with the state this week. The hospital at 725 Welch Road submitted on Oct. 10 a notice with the state Department of...
Six-story housing to replace Mountain View’s iconic Chase Bank
Plans to construct a six-story housing development that would add hundreds of new apartments to a prominent intersection in downtown Mountain View are poised to move ahead with the City Council set to take a final vote on the project next month. The developer Greystar wants to replace the Chase Bank at the corner of El Camino...
Palo Alto buries power lines, boosts education to lower wildfire risks
For Palo Alto Fire Chief Geo Blackshire, the best type of home to come across during a fire is an empty one. It’s even better when the residents have also left their home adequately prepared for the risk of fire by keeping vegetation several feet away from the exterior. “I can go on and on...
Palo Alto celebrates new bike lanes, few appear to use them
State and local officials on Monday celebrated the completion of the suddenly popular but sparsely used bike lanes on El Camino Real with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was attended by dozens of cyclists and advocates for safer streets. City officials from Mountain View, Los Altos and Palo Alto voiced their appreciation for the project’s completion...
Mountain View looks to add buildings to historic register
Mountain View is taking steps to update its historic preservation ordinance to protect more historically significant properties, including putting dozens of previously unlisted properties on the city’s register of historic resources. The Environmental Planning Commission weighed in on staff recommendations to streamline the eligibility criteria and review process for nominating, listing and delisting properties of historical significance...
Mountain View approves 4-story condo development
A four-story condo development in Mountain View largely sailed through a City Council meeting, despite some opposition from residents who said the project was not a good fit for the neighborhood and did not provide enough parking. In a 6-1 vote, the City Council approved a 47-unit condo development at 266 and 272 Tyrella Ave., just...
Commission doubles down on limiting Palo Alto Commons expansion
The divisive expansion of the Palo Alto Commons assisted living facility was once again scaled back by members of the Planning and Transportation Commission, which on Wednesday signed off on just seven additional units despite City Council direction to nearly double that number. It’s the second time the commission has arrived at the number of...
Mountain View homeless population jumps 56% in last two years
Mountain View’s homeless population spiked 56% over the past two years with the vast majority of unhoused people residing in vehicles, according to a report released by Santa Clara County this week. The number of homeless individuals in Mountain View jumped from 562 in 2023 to 879 in 2025. Countywide, the homeless population also increased...
Palo Alto looks to add tunnels across tracks for cyclists, pedestrians
Palo Alto is weighing eight options, seven of which are tunnels, for bicyclists and pedestrians to have a safer way to cross the Caltrain tracks between the California Avenue and San Antonio stops. City staff must now pare down the list from eight to two before returning to the Planning and Transportation Commission in November...