Mountain View is taking steps to close a massive funding shortfall for a new public safety building after the cost shot up to $210 million, an amount that far exceeds what the city budgeted for it. In a 6-0-1 vote, the City Council approved a recommendation on Tuesday evening to revise the project scope by reducing the...
Magnussen Toyota to build large auto center in Mountain View
Magnussen Toyota of Palo Alto, a longtime dealership and service center, is planning to relocate and redevelop a site for a new auto center less than half a mile away on Old Middlefield Road in Mountain View. But it is facing significant opposition from a nearby residential community that is concerned the auto center will severely erode...
The Peninsula may be more affordable now than at the start of 2024
Buying a home on the Midpeninsula is more affordable now than at the start of 2024, according to newly released data from the California Association of Realtors. In the second half of the year, 17% of San Mateo households and 19% of Santa Clara county households could afford to purchase a median-priced home. That’s up from 16%...
Mountain View considers tightening rent control on mobile homes
It has been three years since Mountain View approved a rent control ordinance for its mobile home parks. Now it is looking to update the ordinance to offer more protections for tenants who are struggling to keep up with annual rent increases. In a 2-1 vote, the Rental Housing Committee (RHC) recommended at their Dec. 12 meeting...
Mountain View approves 8-story affordable housing development
Making some tradeoffs to get more homes built, Mountain View backed an affordable housing development that will support lower-income residents, but will have very few parking spaces for them. CRP Affordable Housing is proposing to build an eight-story apartment complex at 334 San Antonio Road, replacing a Valero gas station and auto repair shop. The City Council...
Palo Alto feuds with contractor over public safety building
As Palo Alto’s most critical infrastructure project nears the finish line, the city remains embroiled in a dispute with the main contractor, a conflict that is threatening to further raise the costs of the $120-million public safety building. The project has seen numerous delays since construction kicked off in June 2021. The city’s most recent...
Palo Alto eyes upgrades for car-free California Avenue
California Avenue will finally get some love next month, when Palo Alto’s contractors start painting two-way bike lanes, implementing colored paving and installing planters at the entrance points of the eclectic retail district that expelled cars and welcomed dining tents during the early days of pandemic. The suite of improvements comprises just the first in...
Palo Alto city manager, attorney up for 6% raises
Palo Alto’s three council appointed officers – City Manager Ed Shikada, City Attorney Molly Stump and City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun – are all set to receive raises next week, according to a report from the Human Resources Department. The raises, which follow a period of evaluation by a City Council committee and its consultant,...
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema coming to San Antonio Center in Mountain View
A new luxury movie chain is moving into The Village at San Antonio Center in Mountain View, taking over the site of the ShowPlace Icon theater that abruptly closed earlier this year. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, an Austin-based company, plans to have the theater ready for movie-goers next summer, with premium viewing technology and top-notch amenities. But it...
Mountain View Planning Commission backs affordable housing development with little parking
An affordable housing development in Mountain View is one step closer to getting built, although it is still raising concerns that there is not enough parking for the hundreds of residents who will be living there. CRP Affordable, an affordable housing developer, is proposing to build an eight-story, 100-unit apartment complex at 334 San Antonio...