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Big office project proposed for North Whisman

Original post made on Feb 13, 2013

Well, that didn't take long. The City Council adopted a new general plan last year anticipating 1.1 million square feet of new offices in Mountain View's Whisman area by 2030, but new office development could soon surpass that amount.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 12:12 PM

Comments (14)

Posted by Garrett
a resident of another community
on Feb 13, 2013 at 1:37 pm

We this planned project and others coming in the future, the idea of shuttles from San Antonio to the North Whisman. One thing is to extend the VTA light to San Antonio area, that way all those office worker can get to work.


Posted by Disgusted
a resident of Cuesta Park
on Feb 13, 2013 at 3:23 pm

"Council member Ronit Bryant questioned the usefulness of so much open space, noting that she toured Moffett Towers in Sunnyvale, which is slightly taller and also in an isolated location. "There was plenty of open space. I don't think it was useful," she said."

Let's fill every inch with sky scrapers, no useless open space for Mountain View. It makes me want cry what these people are doing to my beloved Mountain View. I have seen MANY changes in the past 50 years, not all good.

Please do not vote for Ronit Bryant in the next election.


Posted by David
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Feb 13, 2013 at 3:53 pm

I'm still very interested in recalling Ronit Bryant; she's continuing to show how completely clueless she is. (and sometimes downright offensive, like her comments on the Berlin Wall and her comments about seniors)


Posted by GDM
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Feb 13, 2013 at 5:18 pm

You don't have to worry about me voting for Ronit Bryant, I totally agree with your comments


Posted by Scott Lamb
a resident of Monta Loma
on Feb 13, 2013 at 9:21 pm

It'd be hard for the developers to argue that Ketchmark is wrong about a massive traffic increase when their plan includes two four-story parking garages.

It's not practical for every company to duplicate Google's shuttle fleet, so the choices are no growth (and land prices becoming even more absurd than they are now), more traffic congestion, or seriously promoting cycling and public transit over driving. I prefer the last option.

Where are they expecting these workers to be coming from? in-town? neighboring towns? San Francisco? San Jose? all of the above?

These offices are so close to a light rail station. If it's not useful for them, it's hard to see what good light rail is doing for Mountain View at all. Are there good park-and-ride places on that line? How many fewer parking spaces could these offices get away with if they gave all employees free VTA passes?

Garrett, are you thinking people would be coming from the new apartments being built at the San Antonio complex? Maybe extending the VTA line would help, then. But it's also close enough that I would think that many workers could be persuaded to bike that distance. And if you're just talking about transfers from Caltrain, that's already possible at the downtown station.


Posted by Garrett
a resident of another community
on Feb 14, 2013 at 5:46 am

I was thinking station will be close to Palo Alto and Los Altos, remember the old Mayfield Mall will be completed.

Not everyone will ride a bike, what would happen if you have bad weather.

One more thing about extended the light rail line. The Monta,Loma area will be served by 2 stops, also it won't just be used by people going to work. Think of going downtown to drink, take the light instead of drive home, people living downtown can shop at S.A. Center. It would easier to carry your bags on a tram vs handle bars.


Posted by Garrett
a resident of another community
on Feb 14, 2013 at 6:23 am

Oops. Errors in my last posting, just thinking that light rail service by extending to the S.A Center area increase ridership and you can improve bus service.

Open space at a office campus is a must, plaza with trees grass with tables and other outdoor features. Just like planning for homes, open space is a must.


Posted by Political Insider
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Feb 14, 2013 at 7:01 am

"We feel this is just too much for this area," Ketchmark said. "The freeways are already jammed with traffic."

How would she know? Is she some type of planning expert?

Most of these buildings on the other side of 237 sat empty during the boom. They are old and underutilized.


Posted by Will S
a resident of another community
on Feb 14, 2013 at 10:26 am

@Political Insider -

I hadn't realized you needed to be a planning expert to tell when traffic is stopped on a freeway...


Posted by Light Rail
a resident of Cuernavaca
on Feb 14, 2013 at 10:35 am

We were so excited when the MV light rail line opened. Our entire family went to the station, bought tickets, and went on a journey to downtown San Jose. That trip took about an hour each way. Brutal. We have not set foot again in light rail.

We drive to San Jose in 15-20 minutes.


Posted by Garrett
a resident of another community
on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:06 pm

Once took a round trip to San Jose from MV, it took about an hour, next ride Caltrain to San Jose. Was impressed how short the ride was into Sunnyvale, this was before Moffett Towers and those new buildings that have been built.

When BART gets completed, light rail will have something to feed from.


Posted by John
a resident of Monta Loma
on Feb 14, 2013 at 6:45 pm

Agreed about light rail-brutal. An hour to get to San Jose.
15 miles per hour! Can you say sloooow!
Living here is being in the middle of a construction zone, Never seen so many dirt trucks, cement trucks trucks trucks all day every day--brutal.
And open space is wasted space! No wonder!


Posted by Political Insider
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Feb 15, 2013 at 9:06 am

@ Will S, a resident of another community

@Political Insider -

I hadn't realized you needed to be a planning expert to tell when traffic is stopped on a freeway...

Whats your point? Was this supposed to be about Mtn View? It doesn't reflect the data from traffic experts about Mtn View.


Posted by DC
a resident of Sylvan Park
on Feb 18, 2013 at 8:52 pm

Rush hour @ Moffett Towers in Sunnyvale is a nightmare trying to leave the area. The buildings are not all fulled and all the exit streets are grid lock at 6 PM. At least there will be plenty of open space to watch the cars sit in traffic.


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