Wait...the city council unanimously...approved the four story office building? Ya don't say.

I forgot to add...On TOP of approving the new building. None of them (city council) had the guts to let the public know what they want to do with the hostoric house, so they are going to let the developer (take the bullet/knive/kick in the face, etc) decide. LOL. Classic.

Pardon for the corrections:
1. The house is 124 years old - not 140.
2. Developer did not say he would "pay" - he said: "help and work with."
3. Most of the new garden will be in a new sun-lit area. It will be improved and will function longer - ALL year round.
3. 5-2 is not unanimous.
4. Developer looked for two years, and has a person working diligently nearly full-time just searching for alternate locations, and he committed to do so for another 1/3 year.

This house will be pulled down in the future, it could just could might be used as a training project to teach about green reuse but you would have to find money to move and space. The office building will give as space other then Google, tax money and more businesses Glad to see the builder and Chez TJ worked the garden out.

Lets change the name of Mountain View to BUTCHERVILLE. MV and Palo Alto do not care abound the land just MONEY, MONEY $$$$$$$$$$$

SAVE the darn house.

Folkes - remember it is election time!!!!

Both Siegel and Bryant voted to NOT have developers put housing in Shoreline. They (as usual) cannot be said to just do what developers told them! This is an instance where historic preservation (rather significant) did not sway the balance of the council. IMO the Council always does a well thought out and researched job. I don't always agree - but they represent the various views in this city fairly well! After several years of effort - this unfortunately may make the most economic sense.

I'm very disappointed about the stree-level parking garage. I hope the plan still includes a coffee shop (like Philz!) or some sort of retail space that the public will benefit from. It would be nice to have something a little different than the 100+ restaurants that we already have downtown.

My mom lived with her family in that immigrant farm house during World War II. And other relatives would stay with them temporarily while they looked for housing in the area. It's hard to imagine seven people living there at once. I think it would be a nice addition to Shoreline. (She could tell some stories if anybody wants to listen.)

I've never seen the street-level parking in any of the renderings for the building. The pictures in the article do not show any -- so where would it be and what would it look like. I support the building and don't think the house has much historic value (I've seen all the history), but don't want an ugly parking garage on the first floor.

Thank the stars that finally someone has seen the light. This old house is nothing more than a rotting eyesore that is a blight on downtown MV. Ultimately - just like with Hangar 1 - if nobody's willing to step up and put their money where their mouth is, the relic should go.

Disappointing. Council show some character and find the space next to Rengstorff House for both the 'shed' and the house. If the city has enough money to plant trees on Castro, then tear them out to put in other trees, then the City can find the money to save part of our collective history. And the city can recoup the restoration costs by renting out the properties as they do with Rengstorff House or the Adobe Bldg.

Remember when we had an original train station. But that council chose to tear it down. Then x years later a different council chose to spend money to build a new train station based on the historic train station design. What a waste when the original could have been restored. Once you city-sanction destruction, you can't bring it back.

Like our joke of a historic tree ordinance, our historic preservation ordinance is a joke if it is continually ignored.

Shame, shame Council.

Lets give them 6 stories of office building if that is what it takes, but simply say NO to street level parking!

"Council members said after several failed attempts to save the house failed"

Huh?

Does any one proofread these articles before they go to press?

Anyone else see how restoring the Rengstorff house and the immigrant house and destroying the house bult by the merchant is similar to what's going on with our society today? The middle class is getting destroyed in favor of the super elite and the working class. Maybe Mountain View should save something from the middle class, not just the upper and worker class.

Good point. The middle class is always getting screwed.

J. Holzmann and any others with historical information about the immigrant house, please get in touch with me at ddebolt@mv-voice.com as soon as you can. Thanks.