From: Laurie Bonilla
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2026 4:39 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Please support the SB 79 local alternative plan CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
Please support Approach C in the city staff report, which includes an investigation of an SB79 local alternative plan to save our downtown commercial and historic district, in and around 100-300 blocks of Castro Street. Also, please suppor the completion and submission of this plan BEFORE SB79 takes effect on July 1. 2026 Our downtown is a precious resource that give our city a sense of place. It is one of the main reasons I was willing to leave San Francisco and move here 37 years ago due the unique architecture and vibrant, varied experiences our downtown offers.
Our unique downtown is a key source of sales tax revenue supporting our city's economic vitality (about 75% of visitors come from out of town). It has stood the test of time while shopping centers came and went..
Please preserve the unique spirit and history of our town.
Thank you for your consideration.
Laurie Bonilla
From: Ronnie Falcao
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2026 8:22 PM
To: City Council
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
Dear City Council Members:
I am writing to express my support regarding ramifications of SB79 and potential effects on our downtown.
To quote one OMVNA neighbor:
"Please support Approach C in the city staff report, which includes an investigation of an SB79 local alternative plan to save our downtown commercial and historic district, in and around 100-300 blocks of Castro Street. Also, please support the completion and submission of this plan BEFORE SB79 takes effect on July 1, 2026." Another one of our OMVNA neighbors wrote this, which expresses my thoughts exactly.
"Thank you to Hala for highlighting the upcoming council discussion and for reminding us how important our downtown is to so many of us. I think we all share the same core goal: a downtown that remains vibrant, meaningful, and uniquely Mountain View for generations to come.
"I also see this moment as a real opportunity to move beyond an either-or framing. Preserving the historic character of downtown and thoughtfully adding housing do not have to be opposing goals. In fact, they can SUPPORT each other when done with care and intention.
"Respecting our historic core doesn't have to mean freezing it in time or ruling out change altogether. Many cities have shown that new development, when guided by strong design standards and historic awareness, can actually highlight and reinforce what makes a place special. Density can coexist with history, and in some cases even help tell its story better through interpretation, design, and public education. "From an economic perspective, having more people living near downtown is one of the strongest ways to keep it healthy. Residents who can walk to shops, cafés, and services help sustain small businesses day in and day out, not just on weekends or special events. Thoughtfully planned housing near transit can strengthen downtown as both a neighborhood and a destination.
"I'm hopeful the city's discussion can focus on solutions that honor our past while also planning responsibly for the future. With good design and shared values, this truly feels like a win-win moment where we don't have to choose one priority over the other... we CAN have both!"
I am not an expert in this field and hope that the experts you're consulting will work to craft a compromise that services the city and its residents.
Respectfully,
1 Veronica (Ronnie) Falcao
From: Mark Flider
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2026 11:49 AM
To: City Council
Subject: Fwd: [OMVNAtalk] Act Now to Protect MV Historic Downtown (SB79) CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
Hi, I sent this to the local OMVNA list, but I wanted to send it to city council as well. I'm strongly opposed to any plan that fully restricts new housing in the downtown historic corridor. I believe never developments, that add dense housing as a solution to our economic troubles, CAN coexist with respectful, historic preservation.
Thank you for listening!
- Mark Flider
... Forwarded message ------
From: Mark Flider via groups.io <[email protected]> Date: Jan 25, 2026 at 11:46:11 AM
Subject: Re: [OMVNAtalk] Act Now to Protect MV Historic Downtown To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Thank you to Hala for highlighting the upcoming council discussion and for reminding us how important our downtown is to so many of us. I think we all share the same core goal: a downtown that remains vibrant, meaningful, and uniquely Mountain View for generations to come.
I also see this moment as a real opportunity to move beyond an either-or framing. Preserving the historic character of downtown and thoughtfully adding housing do not have to be opposing goals. In fact, they can SUPPORT each other when done with care and intention.
Respecting our historic core doesn't have to mean freezing it in time or ruling out change altogether. Many cities have shown that new development, when guided by strong design standards and historic awareness, can actually highlight and reinforce what makes a place special. Density can coexist with history, and in some cases even help tell its story better through interpretation, design, and public education.
From an economic perspective, having more people living near downtown is one of the strongest ways to keep it healthy. Residents who can walk to shops, cafés, and services help sustain small businesses day in and day out, not just on weekends or special events. Thoughtfully planned housing near transit can strengthen downtown as both a neighborhood and a destination.
I'm hopeful the city's discussion can focus on solutions that honor our past while also planning responsibly for the future. With good design and shared values, this truly feels like a win-win moment where we don't have to choose one priority over the other... we CAN have both!
Thanks for your consideration,
1 - Mark
Dana St
On Jan 25, 2026 at 10:59:14 AM, Hala Alshahwany =wrote:
Hello Neighbors,
The upcoming city council meeting will hold a study session to consider alternative plans to SB79, this Tuesday January 27 at 5:00pm. Please support the preservation of our historic downtown, blocks 100-300, by attending in person at Council Chambers (second floor at City Hall 500 Castro Street), or on Zoom at https://mountainview.zoom.us/j/84351267142 Or write to council at [email protected].
Our legislature passed Senate Bill 79 (SB79) in October 2025. It will go into effect July 1, 2026, and mandates that areas within one-half mile of a rail stop in our county must allow 6-9 story housing BY RIGHT without city council vote or community input. Our downtown and its historic buildings can be torn down.
Please support Approach C in the city staff report, which includes an investigation of an SB79 local alternative plan to save our downtown commercial and historic district, in and around 100-300 blocks of Castro Street. Also, please support the completion and submission of this plan BEFORE SB79 takes effect on July 1, 2026.
City documents have always called our downtown as "the historic center and focus of the community, and the heartbeat of the city". It is a key source of sales tax revenue supporting our city's economic vitality (about 75% of visitors come from out of town).
Let's work on preserving and honoring our city's history and downtown's unique, irreplaceable characteristics that connect us all as residents and visitors.
Hala Alshahwany
OMV Resident
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