Traffic congestion is going to be a nightmare. This Mayfield Mall (yeah, I still consider this a mall) project, along with the Sears / San Antonio project is really going to put a burden on the major thoroughfares.

The city council would sell all the open land if they were certain it would bring a quick buck.
They could care less about quality of life for the residents of Mountain View.

I strongly disagree with the comment that the City Council "could care less about quality of life for the residents of Mountain View." In my experience, they care a great deal about it. Their decisions reflect the difficulty in balancing the many varied needs of the community. As for selling open land, none of the projects you refer to are "open land" that the City Council has jurisdiction over. They are privately owned properties. If the city had the money and chose to, it could purchase the land from the current owners. Otherwise, these properties aren't now and would not become "open land".

I disagree with "traffic congestion is going to be a nightmare". Traffic may be a little heaver than we enjoy now but not any worse than when the site was occupied by HP. And not any worse than any other use for the property other than letting it sit there idle as it has for the last 7 years. I want to see that peoperty used, not sitting idle any longer. I also disagree with the statement that the City Council "could care less about the quality of life for the residents of Mountain View". Over the years we have gotten to know all of the members on the City Council and find them to be sincere people who care very much about the city and it's residents. They do listen and take and take our comments/feedback seriously. Their minds have even been changed on ocassion.

$7 million in lieu of 26 units??? And the council agreed to this??? One can't find a 500 sq. ft. studio for $269K. How did the developer get away with this?

Sentence fragment: "Monta Loma neighborhood residents who have long complained of a relative lack of park space in the area."

I have to agree with Litsa, our infrastructure can't handle the burden for more families. Just the schools alone can't handle the kids they have already. Now we want to bring more?

Makes real good sense, NOT

As a young person raised in this town I find this nimbyism spoken here repulsive. Traffic? is that all we are to you?

I agree! How did the city let the developers get away with building BMR units?? Where will the 7million dollars in fines go??

"$7 million in lieu of 26 units??? And the council agreed to this??? One can't find a 500 sq. ft. studio for $269K. How did the developer get away with this?"

I really like the plan. It is well balanced. Although I wonder why the builder cannot plant more trees. In terms of volume, most of the 456 trees to be cut are probably mature ones of stately size. 613 tiny little trees are not enough.

BMR is never a good idea. But I hope the city spends the windfall well with full accountability.

In terms of traffic, I don't think these few hundreds of units will add too much traffic. The area will become a lot more beautiful and as such this project will greatly enhance the property values of surrounding houses and apartments.

It's a great project. I am glad the city approved the proposal.

Let us build house for the young families of Google/Microsoft/Apple engineers, El Camino Hospital doctors/nurses. They are the generation to change the future of MV. MV's future is not going to be shaped by the assumption-based 60 percent of the Monta Loma neighborhood's 1,000 households who remain concerned about traffic impacts.

MV Monta Loma neighborhood doesn't own the right of the Monta Loma street system. Anybody has the freedom to drive through this area. Are Monta Loma residents red-necked, anti-young, anti-progress, super conservative?

260 units is far better then the 458 units, housing needs to be built but not where it will upset others. The mix of trees are needed, most shade trees are non native or pleasing to the eye, but glad they are saving as many redwoods trees. Schools can always be expanded with 2nd floors.