State Sen. Josh Becker hosted a recent town hall focused on moving the artificial intelligence conversation beyond questions such as, “Will a robot take my job?” and toward its concrete impact. “We know that AI is already beginning to reshape people’s lives and the nature of California’s economy,” Becker said during the virtual town hall....
Another candidate joins crowded Mountain View City Council race
The Mountain View City Council race this November is shaping up to be a crowded one, with seven contenders entering the fray so far. The top three vote-getters in the Nov. 3 election will replace outgoing Councilmembers Alison Hicks, Ellen Kamei and Lucas Ramirez. All three will leave office in January after serving two consecutive...
Palo Alto mayor to run for reelection in November
Palo Alto Mayor Vicki Veenker has filed the paperwork to run for reelection this fall, meaning that two of the three City Council seats up for a vote in November will see an incumbent in the race. Veenker, who was first elected to the council in 2022, will seek another four-year term. Councilmember Ed Lauing,...
Palo Alto condo proposal is 7th to use new state housing law
The latest housing proposal in Palo Alto to take advantage of a new state law that encourages denser projects near public transit envisions six for-sale family condominiums in the Downtown North neighborhood. The project at 340 Palo Alto Ave. abuts the city’s border with Menlo Park, but is still within the half-mile radius around the...
State gives Mountain View $50M for housing, transit projects
In a windfall for Mountain View, the California Department of Housing and Community Development recently awarded the city $50 million to support an affordable housing project and transportation improvements on Middlefield Road. The City Council authorized the city manager to accept the award last month with the bulk of the funding, $35 million, slated to...
Palo Alto buries power lines amid wildfire season
Palo Alto received a stark reminder about wildfire danger on June 22, when about 4 acres went up in flames near Arastradero Road, near the Portola Valley border, prompting a regional response. The blaze, which began shortly before 5 p.m., was contained within the hour. While there were no structures involved, the areas were temporarily...
Mountain View sees slowest property value growth in the county
Mountain View saw the most sluggish growth in its property values out of all cities in the county last year, as the commercial office market remained under pressure. The combined assessed value of commercial and residential properties in Mountain View grew 2.93% in 2025, according to a July 6 report by the Santa Clara County Assessor’s...
Mountain View plans to sell street for 7-story housing project
Mountain View is planning to vacate a residential street to make way for a seven-story condo project, marking the second time this year that the city has taken steps to relinquish rights to a public road for a housing development. In a unanimous vote last month, the City Council approved a city staff recommendation to...
Builder looks to replace Palo Alto motel with housing
Taking advantage of a new housing law that went into effect last week, a developer is preparing to demolish the Coronet Motel on El Camino Real in Palo Alto and replace it with a six-story residential project. The San Francisco-based builder Bayhill Ventures just became the first developer in Palo Alto to take advantage of...
Demolition begins at controversial Santa Clara County cement plant
Demolition has started at the Permanente Cement Plant near Cupertino, a massive manufacturing site that repeatedly ran afoul of environmental regulations before it officially closed three years ago. Heidelberg Materials North America, a multinational corporation that owns the cement plant, recently announced that it secured the necessary permits and a contractor to move forward with demolition. The plan is...