Using a Google satellite map, I estimated the number of homes in Santiago Villa at 450-470. These homes, of course, are all ground floor, one level only with parking beside, not under the home.

The land bounded by Amphitheater Parkway, Shoreline Blvd, Charleston Rd, and Charleston Park is slightly smaller but I estimate it could hold homes of similar size (750-1500 sq ft) and number of homes per acre in the amount of 400 per floor or about 2000 per five-story building. In other words, it would take about 5 such really big buildings to hold the 10,000 homes mentioned in the article. Even allowing only one car per home, these buildings would each sit on a 2000-car garage (probably 2 levels and underground, a flood zone consideration). Based on the number of homes per floor, I estimate five of these buildings would require about 50 acres. Amenities such as landscaping and community spaces such as hallways, pools and gyms would increase the land requirement significantly.

These homes would be apartments or condominiums, not single-family detached ranch-style homes, each on its own plot of land larger than 0.1 acre. Even estimating a tiny lot size of 0.1 acre per home and ignoring the land needed for roads, 10,000 of these homes would require 1000 acres.

In other words, these 10,000 North of Bayshore homes could require as little as 5-10% of the land required in Mountain View's existing single-family detached home neighborhoods for the same 10,000 homes. This housing density comes at a cost: The environmental impact study addresses those costs.