I think this these are great things to do with the plaza. I can't wait to see it when it's all done.

So glad to see the City spend money on something to make our downtown more vibrant and fun. More chance to connect with the community in public spaces is one of the great benefits of a more urban environment and I think the City should do more of this as we grow in population.

>The Soofa benches also provide data analytics by reading wireless devices to deduce how many people are moving through the area or attending a public event, said Recreation Manager John Marchant. The company would charge an extra $1,500 per bench for this service.<

NOOOOOO! Surveillance capitalism is disgusting. You want to pay a company to spy on local wireless devices, ie everyone's phone? Please NO, NO, NO! Please do NOT put in benches that spy on citizens cell phones. To do so is to participate in the ongoing creation of the totalitarian surveillance state.

Mountain View, which is home to Google (a company that has made it's $billions entirely on the surveillance capitalism model) should take the lead in OPPOSING SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM in all its forms. Especially given all we know about how private companies like Google and Facebook (and Soofa, presumably) will collaborate with any government agency that comes asking for their data.

Make the Plaza beautiful WITHOUT spying on all citizens who happen to walk through it.

I was so excited about this news until I read the bit about the smart benches. I agree wholeheartedly with the previous commenter who urged the city to rethink furthering the surveillance state. I don't want Big Brother to know every time I walk by to dine at one of Mountain views fine restaurants, and it would absolutely make me think very carefully before attending any kind of political event in downtown Mountain View. I'm afraid of the chilling effect that these benches would have on our otherwise amazing community.

I love tbe idea of adding more movie nights for adults,outdoor concerts,adding more shade and fixing or upgrading fountain.

Though I am strongly opposed to the smart benches - they are not necessary -
A waste of money and take away from what is supposed to be a relaxing carefree place to sit.

Replace the fountain with a water feature kids can play in. That will draw families. Palo Alto has something nice like this.

Nature abhors a vacuum.


When man sees an open space he wants to fill it.

Big brother used to just be the feds but now its down at the city level. Why is the city paying $1,500 to spy on people?

Making the space more usable will be great! Love the idea of more free community events and a place for people to gather and interact.

But why have a water feature when we're sure to face drought conditions again and end up turning it off?

And definitely no features that allow for surveillance!

Human chess isn't really a game people play. It's a performance, a stage show. As a game, it is terribly boring for the majority of "pieces", who move at most a couple times before being captured.

Giant chess isn't much better. I used to work for a company that had a giant chess set in the lobby. It was hardly used (except when employees' kids visited, and then they weren't really playing chess).

Most of those ideas won't make a bit of difference. I suggest more live music and an outdoor cafe that people will actually want to go to. Cafe Barrone in Menlo Park is a good example. You could have something very much like that at the downtown Mtn View plaza.

The giant chess set is a nice idea, but it would be a waste of space and rarely used. Not to mention the storage it would take up and how annoying it would be for the city workers to have to put them in and out every day.

I also think a nice splash pad would be a great addition. Some synthetic turf, umbrellas and chairs alongside a splash pad would be a really great and family friendly addition. I know that when I lived in the DC area, we went out of our way to go to towns with the splash pad with our kids. It’s a big family draw and fun for adults too