Voters are on track to pass a ballot measure that will give the City Council authority to increase Mountain View’s hotel tax, with early election results showing an overwhelming majority backing Measure F. Support for Measure F was leading with 78.75%, or 10,052 votes, according to early returns released by the Santa Clara County Registrar of...
Mountain View adopts long-anticipated public art plan
Mountain View has more than 100 public art installations, with the vast majority concentrated in parks and on corporate campuses. The City Council is looking to change that, adopting a plan to expand opportunities for public art so that it is better distributed across the city. Councilmembers on Oct. 27 voted unanimously, with Councilmember Pat Showalter absent,...
Mountain View prepares for El Niño-powered winter storms
As the first winter rain fell across the Bay Area last week, Mountain View prepared by publishing advice and resources for navigating storm risks in a year when meteorologists are projecting strong El Niño conditions. El Niño conditions are marked by unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean, which then affects winter weather patterns along the...
LinkedIn pays Mountain View $1.6M to extend development timeline
The Mountain View City Council unanimously signed off on an agreement last week to give LinkedIn an extra five years to redevelop its office headquarters on the eastern edge of the city. LinkedIn now has until February 2034 to begin constructing a pair of six-story office buildings and a parking structure at its Mountain View campus. As...
Mountain View adopts protections to curtail ICE detention centers
Taking a cue from other jurisdictions, Mountain View has added a new tool to its playbook to try and block the possibility of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security setting up an immigration detention center in the city. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an “urgency ordinance” that puts a temporary moratorium on the filing,...
Mountain View approves updates to historic preservation rules
The Mountain View City Council recently updated its historic preservation policy, but did not finalize a list of buildings to put on the city’s historic register. The register has drawn opposition from some residents who say their properties are not historic and shouldn’t be included on the list. At a Sept. 22 meeting, the City Council...
Mountain View legal settlement protecting RVs expires soon
For years, Sylvia Garcia Cruz and her family have lived in a recreational vehicle on Terra Bella Avenue, one of roughly three dozen streets in Mountain View that does not prohibit the parking of RVs and trailers. Twice a week, Garcia Cruz pays someone to move her RV to a different spot on the street in...
Mountain View pilots AI translation services at public meetings
Access to Mountain View City Council meetings is expanding, with the city launching a pilot program that allows residents to follow along in more than 60 languages. Mountain View is testing out Wordly, an artificial intelligence-powered service that provides real-time audio and text translation on personal devices. It debuted at an Environmental Planning Commission meeting last...
Mountain View developer reduces affordable homes in builder’s remedy project
Plans for a seven-story condominium development in Mountain View took an unexpected turn last week after the developer submitted a last-minute proposal to reduce the number of affordable homes for the project. Community Development Director Christian Murdock held a Sept. 2 public hearing for a 216-condo project that is poised to replace 29 rent-controlled apartments on...
Mountain View City Council candidates square off at forum
Ahead of the November election, the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce held a recent forum to give voters an early look at the policy positions of eight candidates vying for a seat on the City Council. The three candidates who win the most votes Nov. 3 will get the chance to weigh in on top...