BY SARA TABIN
Daily Post Staff Writer
Mountain View City Council has unanimously approved two new seven-story buildings with 303 apartments and condos on N. Shorline Boulevard on the site of the former Fiesta Del Mar Restaurant near Highway 101.
A 203-apartment building and a 100-condo building will replace an office building on a 7.8-acre site at 1001 N. Shoreline Blvd.
The project, which was approved Tuesday during an online meeting held via the Zoom platform, is by Sares Regis Group of Northern California.
Councilwoman Ellen Kamei said on Twitter that the development is the culmination of five years of hard work and that Mountain View is a leader in housing.
Palo Alto Mayor Adrian Fine re-tweeted her post and said he wishes Palo Alto would follow suit.
“@mtnviewcityhall, @CityofSunnyvale and @RedwoodCity regularly approve projects that exceed what @cityofpaloalto permits over many years,” he tweeted. “They are showing how #LocalControl can be effectively used to plan for growing diverse and inclusive communities. I wish we would do the same.”
The project will offer 30 below-market-rate apartments for rent and 10 below-market-rate condos that people can buy. The average below-market-rate apartment will be offered to people earning 65% of the area median income, meaning a family of four could earn $102,635 to qualify.
The below-market-rate condos will be offered to people earning 90% of the area median income, meaning a family of four could earn $142,110 to qualify.
There will be 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space in the apartment building.
The project will have a total of 783 parking spaces between two garages and a parking lot, which is enough parking, according to the city.
Why should Palo Alto build homes when Mountain View can do it for us?
Mayor Fine should note that an office building is being replaced with housing. In Palo Alto, we only know how to build office buildings. He should also note where this 7-story project is being built — next to the freeway (which in normal times is clogged with traffic),and not in the middle of single-family residence neighborhoods. Finally, he should also note that there at 738 parking places for roughly 300 apartments/condos and the associate retail. Palo Alto does not require developers to include sufficient parking for their projects. Palo Alto always approves such give-always to developers. Mayor Fine and Council member Kniss do not know how to work with the community to find ways to build affordable housing. Mayor Fine is on record saying that he doesn’t care whether projects include affordable units or not. Further gentrification of Palo Alto, by tearing down existing housing to build huge developments with luxury units is not a way to ensure diversity of the community. Mayor Fine always talks a good game about housing, but in reality he never insists on it. Just look at the recent experience with the Hotel President. Mayor Fine voted along with other pro-development council members to approve the conversion of naturally affordable housing to a swank, boutique hotel. I wish Mayor Fine could do better.
It’s too expensive to build affordable housing in Palo Alto. That’s why it’s not happening. Don’t blame Adrian Fine for that.
This is an irresponsible action by a city administration only seeking property tax income. There is no regard for traffic and real environmental impact . They are creating a community of non owner residents.
They are pushing for more outside corporate control of our city. With this agenda we will no longer be a community of home owners. This private corporate agenda will transform our city into a community of renters working for and buying from the company stores, out of the area corporations.
Nimbyism is strong with this one
Better to build 5 million dollar homes, than affordable housing for seniors. Way to go Palo Alto.