I question the slant of this article. Mountain View would need to protect against sea level even if Google were not present in North Bayshore, and even if no new housing were planned. Google's presence and the consequent appreciation of land values provide the resources necessary to install flood protection.

The NOAA has not raised its sea level rise estimates, which continue to be that sea levels will rise .56 feet in the next century. This is the science. These others estimates are certainly questionable. Why deny the NOAA science?

Mountain View will be in deep trouble when Google has had its day. Think it can’t happen? Too big to fail? That’s what we thought about Hewlett Packard.

If I build a house, I have to meet many criteria to insure the house will last in the environment I am placing it. On a hillside, I have to put piers or anchors to keep it from sliding, even when it rains a lot. I have to build it to withstand earthquakes that might happen. Google should not be exempt from this. If the city decides it is withstanding 42" of sea level rise, then these new structures must withstand that, either by levees or elevated foundations or some other means. Also the infrastructure being installed, like roads, power, sewer. They could decide to address the needs piece by piece or with levees to do a whole area at once.
Tax payers should not be on the hook to make the area buildable for them.

YEAH MVWSD Trustee Laura Blakely (Share Shorline alum). The money that is "temporarily" avaliable from the "tax diversion district" of Shoreline for the local schools is subject to COMPLETE CANCELATION via a majority vote of the City Council. That's ALL! One year notice - then $0 of the millions of school tax diverted property tax would be be avaliable to MVWSD. NADA.

Trustee Blakely knows this well. Does any MVLA Trustee? (or do they even care?)
The Voice has covered the Special Legislation and tax treatment that Shoreline district has had since it's 1969 enactment. Reporter Forestieri and his two predecessors at the MV Voice (in Education reporting) have covered the almost-RDA and JPA (Joint Powers Authority) legal-tax diversion-then-"sharing" arrangements over the last 10 years. [check their archives]