Neighbors who live on Wilkie Way succeeded Monday in urging the Palo Alto City Council to limit the expansion of an assisted living facility that faces their backyards, a vote that settled a yearslong dispute between residents and the owners of Palo Alto Commons over privacy and parking. The city council signed off on seven...
Is Mountain View on track to add 11K homes by 2031?
Developers have submitted plans to build more than 10,000 homes in Mountain View, but only a small fraction of those have broken ground, as financial headwinds are making it difficult to start construction. A recent city report shows a drop in the number of building permits issued over the past two years, posing a challenge...
Palo Alto approves ‘mission critical’ objectives for coming year
Palo Alto leaders set themselves up for a busy year on Monday when they approved a list of 42 measurable goals to carry out for the next year — an agenda that includes adopting a new area plan for neighborhoods around San Antonio Road, crafting a policy for managing consultants, completing a new bike master...
Mountain View joins lawsuit over federal grant restrictions
Along with several other jurisdictions across the state, Mountain View has joined a lawsuit against the federal government that is challenging new conditions imposed on recipients of federal grants. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development added regulations to certain grant programs last September, restricting money from being used to “promote gender ideology, elective abortions...
Palo Alto may end ride-share program amid bleak budget outlook
It’s been a year of change and uncertainly for Palo Alto Link, the ride-share service that the city launched in March 2023 and that continues to fight for its life in the face of an increasingly skeptical City Council. Compared to private services like Uber and Lyft, Palo Alto’s nine-vehicle fleet remains a relative a...
Mountain View streamlines zoning rules to attract small businesses
Looking to fill vacant storefronts, Mountain View is implementing a number of zoning changes to make it easier for small businesses to gain a foothold in the city. In a unanimous vote, the City Council backed a recommendation from city staff last week to update Mountain View’s zoning regulations to reduce barriers for small businesses, particularly around permitting and parking...
Mountain View sees flattening revenue, rising costs continue
Mountain View’s budget is on track for the current year despite lingering uncertainties about an economic slowdown, a trend that has defined the city’s financial projections for the past couple years. Mountain View is expected to close out the 2025-26 fiscal year with a roughly $1.8 million operating balance, excluding any pending changes. That’s according to Derek Rampone,...
Palo Alto RV parking enforcement up, residents still unhappy
Palo Alto leaders are increasingly looking to regional partners to help address widespread RV parking throughout the city after months of increased enforcement has seemingly done little to alleviate concerns from residents and business owners. The effort is being led by the City Council’s recently established oversized vehicle ad hoc committee, which is made up...
Mountain View terminates license plate camera contract
The Mountain View City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to terminate its license plate camera contract with Flock Safety, heeding the calls of dozens of impassioned residents who spoke at the meeting urging the city to cut ties with the surveillance technology company. Police Chief Mike Canfield disclosed last month that unauthorized law enforcement agencies had searched the city’s...
Bernie Sanders warns about AI ‘tsunami’ at Stanford town hall
Workers, students and researchers in Silicon Valley are no strangers to the idea that artificial intelligence may be coming for their jobs. Many are under the impression that it’s not a matter of if, but when. But for Sen. Bernie Sanders, a longtime critic of the billionaire class, the new technology has ramifications that go...