From
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 11:05 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: City Council <[email protected]>; BPAC Communication <[email protected]>
Subject: 11/2/22 meeting agenda item 5: 1265 Montecito
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
To: Mountain View Environmental Planning Commission
From:
Subject: 1265 Montecito
The subject project is directly across the street from Bailey Park Plaza, including Safeway, without which the neighborhood would starve to death. This will inevitably lead to a lot of jaywalking. Incoming residents of The Sevens are being rewarded with a mid-block crosswalk on Shoreline Boulevard to make access to the Plaza easier and safer for them. Why is the same not being done for residents of 1265 Montecito? The condition of the sidewalks at the project site also encourages jaywalking. They are five feet wide, have no setback from the curb, and are in poor condition. This is unacceptable outside a high-density development.
Furthermore, landscaping near driveways and possible pedestrian crossings should not be allowed to obstruct drivers', pedestrians' and cyclists' view of each other. Bailey Park Plaza is an example of how not to do landscaping. 1265 Montecito should not copy this mistake.
The analysis presented in Attachment 4 of the 6/22/21 City Council agenda stated that "The project site is near transit and services and is convenient for the target population. The site is within 1/2 mile of VTA transit lines and the MVgo and Mountain View Community Shuttle as well as services in the downtown area." For what "target population" is the transit system "convenient"? Neither MVgo nor the Community Shuttle stops near the project site.
Half a mile in this part of town involves several street crossings and countless driveways where pedestrians and cyclists are under threat from aggressive motorists. What with traffic signal delays, going half a mile may take long enough to miss the bus and having to wait 30 minutes for the next one.
MVgo serves only Googleville and high-tech destinations in East Whisman. How many residents of 1265 Montecito will be Googlers? The Community Shuttle shuts down at 7 PM, and riders better get where they're going by then. Its vehicles are often small and overcrowded. VTA route 40 does stop at a somewhat awkward location which might serve a few 1265 Montecito residents by taking them to San Antonio Center. It might serve a few more if it did not go to and come from San Antonio Center via the Googleplex. VTA route 34 would have been an ideal connection between Montecito and San Antonio, but it has been discontinued. It would be typical of VTA to call that an "improvement".
For 1265 Montecito to be a complete success, better sidewalks, safer street crossings, and more robust transit service will be needed.
Thank you for your attention.
Attachment 8
October 30, 2022
Re: Item 5.1 – 1265 Montecito Avenue
Dear Chair Cranston and Members of the Environmental Planning Commission:
The LWV supports increasing the stock of affordable housing to decrease the number at risk ofbecoming homeless.
We have been consistently supporting 1265 Montecito Avenue as it goes through City processes.As such, we ask for EPC’s approval of the project as presented. (Please send any questions about this email to Kevin Ma at [email protected]) Thank you for your consideration,Karin Bricker, President of the LWV of Los Altos-Mountain View cc: Edgar Maravilla Lindsay Hagan
350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
www.svathome.org • [email protected]
TRANSMITTED VIA EMAIL
November 2, 2022
Environmental Planning Commission
City Hall 2nd Floor
500 Castro St.
Mountain View, CA 94041
Re: 5.1 Affordable Housing at 1265 Montecito Avenue
Chair Cranston, Vice Chair Yin, and Members of the Commission:
We write to support the 1265 Montecito Avenue project proposed by Charities Housing. This is an important project that has already received significant support from the City of Mountain Vie
w and is deserving of your support today.
The project provides an important mix of new homes at different income levels ‐‐‐ 28 units for those earning 30% AMI or below, 15 units for those households at 40% AMI or below, another 15 units for those earning 50% AMI or below, and 26 units at 60 % AMI and below. It will provide Mountain View’s most economically impacted families, households in need of rapid rehousing as well as the most vulnerable extremely low and every low‐ income households the opportunity to live in an amenity‐rich community ‐ near downtown with great access to transi
t, schools, city parks, a library, pharmacy and
healthcare services, and the full range of employment opportunities your city has to offer.
Most importantly, the project includes 22 three‐bedroom units, and 22 two‐ bedroom units. Charities Housing’s focus on providing homes for families with children will provide Mountain View with a critical resource to address the significant needs of lower‐incom
e, working families. This is particularly important as 4 of those 22 units will be rapid rehousing units and give those families a dependable place to call home as they progress out homelessness or housing insecure circ umstances.
As you are well aware, Mountain View faces an urgent housing crisis with housing costs well out of reach for many households, resulting in overcrowding, extreme rent burden, homelessness, and displacement. We ask that Mountain View further commit to expanding housing opportunities for everyone, recognizing the challenges the city has in su
pporting its working families and lower‐income communities of color most impacted by this crisis while capitalizing on the opportunities like this proposed community at 1265 Montecito Avenue. The lack of available, affordable homes undermines the City’s economic stability and quality of life and has driven many of the most vulnerable families out of the City altogether. It is our expectation that this development will serve as a stabilizin
g community asset and resource for years to come.
We urge the approval of this impactful development.
Sincerely,
Regina Celestin Williams
Executive Director
Board of Directors
Kevin Zw
ick, Chair
United Way Bar Area
Gina Dalma, Vice Chair
Silicon Valley Community
Foundation
Candice Gonzalez, Secretary
Sand Hill Property Company
Andrea Osgood, Treasurer
Eden Housing
Shiloh Ballard
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Bob Brownstein
Working Partnerships USA
Amie Fishman
Non‐Profit Housing
Association of Northern CA
Ron Gonzales
Hispanic Found
ation
of Silicon Valley
Javier Gonzalez
Google
Poncho Guevara
Sacred Heart Community
Service
Janice Jensen
Habitat for Humanity
East Bay/Silicon Valley
Janikke Klem
Jan LIndenthal
MidPen Housing
Jennifer Loving
Destination: Home
Mary Murtagh
EAH Housing
Chris Neale
The Core Companies
Kelly Snider
Kelly Sn
ider Consulting
Staff
Regina Celestin Williams
Executive Director