I do not understand how is it rational spending of money: pick the most expensive piece of land (downtown is not cheap) and build an affordable housing there. The rational thing would be to pick the most affordable pies of land for this and spend more for the actual housing and not for the land.

#OK...
The MV City government has not been very rational for a very very long time.....

Has the city council sold it's soul. Here we go again making it more impossible to find parking in this city plus adding another 100 or so vehicles for the new residents moving into another downtown monstrosity. Character is disappearing fast on city council. Almost no places to shop, Tap just left, instead we have nothing but tons of restaurants filling the old businesses up rapidly, and the developers are having a heyday. Sad, and glad were leaving MV, our family moved here in 1955.

hi #OK...
The MV City government has not been very rational for a very very long time.....

This sounds like a fast track to turning the downtown into a slum.

sanctuary city + questionable "affordable" housing + uber liberal progressive policies based on virtue signaling

(rather than pragmatism) + social engineering gone amok = recipe for disaster

Nor does it seem rational to use some of the most expensive real estate in the country for free car storage. When the supply comes at zero cost, demand is unlimited.

ShorelineWestDude:

First there are many other downtown housing options which allow people to walk around and patronize the parking.

Second, the proposed housing the council is talking about would likely target local teachers and police and waiters and janitors and other lower income folks who serve our town.

"questionable "affordable" housing + uber liberal progressive policies based on virtue signaling"

Is this ELITIST statement a reflection of you and not the people you are branding a problem? I assume if you are "west shoreline" you work at Google? How absolutely appalling that you think affordable housing is somehow a problem? And that housing people who work in our town and don't make $300k as a mid-level engineer at Google or Apple are "questionable" and reflective of "progressive policies" that are a problem?

Affordable housing is for people making median income or less ($125k per year), low affordable is around $60k and low low affordable is for around $30k.

Who cleans your toilets? Serves you your free meals for breakfast lunch and dinner, and cleans your car? Do these people not deserve to live in MV?

I don't understand the thought process here. At All. I NEVER go to downtown Palo Alto because it is such a pain to find parking. Don't be a Palo Alto. How about focusing on something like recruiting retail partners? Getting rid of that SLEAZY night club? Taking away a parking lot should not be on the list, in my opinion.

"The last approved subsidized housing project, a 71-unit building at 950 W. El Camino Real, ended up costing the city about $327,000 per apartment, or about half the total cost."

Does it freak anyone else out to see this figure knowing that 20 years ago you could buy a nice 1800 sq foot single family home for 327K in Mtn View?

"Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded." - Yogi Berra

Downtowns should be the epicenters of cities, which is what Mountain View is attempting to accomplish. I support this low-income housing in downtown for the many teachers and service workers who make the city function. Some of the best people I've met in the city are the lowest-income residents. These workers are the heart of the city and are struggling to overcome incredible financial obstacles to stay with their families. The core of a city is the services, the people behind the scenes who never get a thank-you.

"Low-income" workers did not bring the characters we're seeing more of around town and street intersections. The huge influx of high-income workers has brought beggars and confused attitudes to what was just a decade ago a more selfless city.

Why not compromise and build 60 affordable apartments and a parking structure next to it that can accommodate 160 cars? Let Los Altos build 60 affordable apartments next to their library.

YES, YES, YES. Get rid of the sleazy nightclub!!

Folks, you need to read the article again. It says, "...a six-story complex with up to 120 apartments...could also host ground-floor retail, a community center or perhaps some kind of kitchen incubator...[on] a daily basis, all 160 spots are occupied, and city officials agreed that any future development should replace that parking...the new Lot 12 housing and parking garage".

I think it's pretty clear the six-story complex will have at least 160 parking spaces and probably more than 300 to also accommodate the cars require for the 120 affordable apartments.

In my opinion, the biggest sticking point is the six-story height. I hope the city is able to pull it off.

Get ready for a whole lot of wasted money at expense of the Mt. View resident. In the end, it’s going to lead to a worse situation, more expenses and lowered quality of life for all. This is all Mt View leaders are capable of doing. But hey they sure get some nice ‘donations’ from developers! Plus don’t even have to live with live with their choices!

You have some of the highest prices land in Mtn View.....

Sell the high price land and use the money to buy lower cost land and help fund the building cost. win win win

It’s not just businesses that would be affected by loss of parking in that lot. That’s where people park when seeing shows at the Performing Arts Center & when attending library programs. Other parking uses include large meetings at CPA, festival parking, & library staff parking 7 days a week (35-40 people) Building a new parking structure elsewhere in the City won’t help. Nor will telling people to not use cars. Some people come from a long way away.

No more buildings. Mountain View already is over crowded with google idiots walking around with their phones in their faces. We don’t need more. Used to be a nice city 30 years ago. Now over crowded with idiots and a city council with no balls.

It’s not just businesses that would be affected by loss of parking in that lot. That’s where people park when seeing shows at the Performing Arts Center & when attending library programs. Other parking uses include large meetings at CPA, festival parking, & library staff parking 7 days a week. Building a new parking structure elsewhere in the City won’t help, nor will telling people not to use cars. Some people come from a long way away.

Parking in downtown?
Why would anyone need parking?
It is just next to the Library, the performing Arts Center and City Hall, and Pioneer park.

If they get rid of the parking spaces, they can get rid of the Library and don't have to worry about pesky voters coming the Council Meetings.

How about turning the Performing Arts Center into a parking garage?
I would bet the parking spaces would get more use then the Performing Arts Building.

so our residential streets keep having to take the burden of commuter parking? shame on city council

Since mountain views minimum hourly rate of $15.00 equates to a weekly pay of $600, monthly pay of $2,600, and an annual salary of $31,200. which is below the 40K to qualify.