Most of a downtown Mountain View parking lot is set to close for more than five years as the city begins construction on its new police and fire headquarters — a more than $200 million project that has been in the works for years. Last month, the City Council unanimously approved the closure of Lot...
Mountain View ditched bond plans after lack of support, records show
Mountain View’s decision to scrap plans to place a bond measure on the November ballot came after polls showed plummeting support for the potential revenue measure, according to public records obtained by the Mountain View Voice. The city hired polling firm EMC Research and political strategist Clifford Moss to gauge whether voters would back a...
Final housing projects round out Palo Alto’s SB 79 window
As the deadline approached, two additional housing proposals in Palo Alto applied under a new state housing law that affords greater height and density to projects near public transit. As of July 16, Palo Alto’s local restrictions took effect, blunting the most significant impacts of Senate Bill 79 by exempting historic properties from the law and...
State lawmaker hosts Silicon Valley town hall on Al hiring trends
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...