Mountain View YIMBY

In a marathon meeting that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Mountain View City Council took significant steps to implement our Housing Element and expand homeownership opportunities. The meeting, which concluded at 12:30 AM, featured a robust public hearing on zoning changes for several sites south of El Camino Real and a study session on a new strategy for low- and middle-income homeownership.

Housing Element Rezonings Approved (Item 6.1)

The Council voted 6-1 (with Councilmember McAlister dissenting) to approve General Plan and Zoning amendments for several sites identified in the city’s Housing Element. The approved rezonings include:

• 1702 and 1704 Miramonte Avenue
• 777 Cuesta Drive
• 677-699 Calderon Avenue
• 1949 Grant Road
• 830, 850, 870, and 897 Leong Drive
• 3 and 55 Fairchild Drive

This item drew significant public comment, particularly regarding the sites at Miramonte and Cuesta, which currently host medical and dental offices. Neighbors expressed concerns about traffic safety at the intersection and the potential loss of neighborhood-serving businesses.

However, as staff and several Councilmembers noted, State laws like AB 2011 and SB 6 already allow for residential development on these commercial sites, potentially with less local oversight. By proactively rezoning these sites, the City retains greater control over design standards and ensures that any future mixed-use development aligns better with community needs.

Councilmember Ramirez accepted a friendly amendment to modify the Evandale Precise Plan to exclude three parcels (835, 859-861, and 889 Leong Drive), aiming to preserve existing small businesses where possible—a move that garnered support from the majority of the Council.

We at Mountain View YIMBY supported this item. As I stated during public comment, these are high-opportunity neighborhoods that should have diverse housing options. Housing Element compliance isn’t just about the number of units, but also about the equitable distribution of those units in high-opportunity areas. While change can be difficult, failing to rezone would not stop development but would simply abdicate local control to the state. We applaud the Council for making the tough but necessary decision to follow through on our Housing Element commitments.

Disappointingly, Councilmember McAlister attempted to use potential environmental contamination as a pretext to block housing at the Miramonte site. Citing a “triple play” of a dry cleaner, medical offices, and a gas station, he suggested the City should “be proactive” in deeming the site a “federal hazard site” to deem it impractical for building. Staff clarified that there is no evidence suggesting the site is contaminated and that standard Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments would be conducted during any development review process. We are glad the majority of the Council did not entertain this obstructionist tactic.