Mountain View YIMBY

Mountain View City Council approved two significant housing projects in the East Whisman neighborhood at its March 10th meeting, together adding over 650 new homes to an area that has long been dominated by office parks and surface parking lots.

490 East Middlefield Road: 460 Mixed-Use Units (Item 6.2)

The headline item of the evening was a proposal by Development Partners to build a 460-unit mixed-use residential building at the corner of East Middlefield Road and Ellis Street. The project would replace a two-story commercial office building on a 2.86-acre site with a contemporary, seven-story mixed-use development featuring ground-floor retail, a pool, coworking space, and over 34,000 square feet of open space.

The project is using the state density bonus to build 27.5% above base density in exchange for providing 60 affordable units at an average of 65% AMI, split between two income levels. The development agreement also includes $1.2 million for ground-floor retail tenant improvements, $1.2 million toward community benefits, and a sales tax point-of-sale designation.

Loading Zone vs. Bike Lane

The most debated topic was a proposed loading zone cutout along the East Middlefield Road frontage. The Environmental Planning Commission had recommended the cutout to accommodate deliveries and ride-hailing drop-offs, but it would encroach on a planned Class IV protected bike lane along Middlefield.

Councilmember Hicks raised concerns about the steady erosion of green space and bike infrastructure as more projects add curb cuts and loading zones. Public speakers from the Slater neighborhood, including resident Andrew Wills who bikes Middlefield daily, also weighed in on balancing delivery access with cyclist safety. Public Works Director Jennifer Ing noted that the cutout would be about 20% of the lobby frontage and would require coordination with the city’s planned Class IV bike lane project. Vice Mayor Clark, drawing on his own experience with loading zone issues on El Camino, supported the cutout as a practical necessity.

Other Notable Discussion Points

• Vapor barriers: Councilmember Showalter highlighted the importance of proper vapor barrier installation given the site’s proximity to the MEW groundwater plume, urging the applicant to go beyond minimum EPA requirements. The applicant confirmed that EPA sign-off is required both before construction and before occupancy.
• Unit mix: Councilmember Showalter expressed concern about the high proportion of studios, characterizing the project as essentially “really nice dormitories.” We’d note that studios are among the most affordable market-rate units a developer can build, and strong demand for them reflects the reality of Bay Area housing costs. More unit types means more people housed.
• Park fees: Councilmember Kamei urged flexibility on the timeline for the park acquisition and development fee, noting that Pyramid Park is already oversubscribed, that “you cannot find a swing on a weekend,” and with this project and a nearby 600-unit development coming online, the East Whisman area urgently needs more public park space.