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Uploaded: Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 12:12 PM
Big office project proposed for North Whisman
Within a year, new office space tops levels projected for 2030
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by Daniel DeBolt
Mountain View Voice Staff
Photo
 | 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.
On Tuesday the City Council was presented with a proposal from RREEF Real Estate that could bring 2,500 more employees to 700 East Middlefield Road and 1101 Maude Avenue. Two eight-story buildings and two six-story buildings would replace four two-story office buildings occupied by Synopsis, increasing the square footage on the site from 380,000 to 1 million square feet.
And if that isn't enough office space for you, other new offices in the works nearby total 784,000 square feet, including 625 Clyde Avenue (six stories proposed) and 690 East Middlefield Road (five stories under construction and Synopsis' future home).
Council members decided to wait to discuss the project along with the other office buildings slated for the area on Feb. 26. A new environmental impact report (EIR) may be needed to consider the proposal's impact as the proposal exceeds what was considered in the EIR done for last year's general plan update: only 1.1 million new square feet of office in the neighborhood.
Explaining the need for a new EIR, city planners said in a report, "The (general plan) EIR was initiated in 2009 and was based on an estimate of projected growth based on historical trends within Mountain View, not the theoretical maximum buildout," before the city began to experience the increased office demand of the past two years.
It turns out that the "theoretical maximum buildout" is what developers want in Mountain View's current office boom.
"We've certainly seen big spikes before," in development activity, said planning director Randy Tsuda, "It's not uncommon. There's these big spikes of development, then the economy bottoms out."
An example is 690 East Middlefield Road, approved during a similar boom before the recession that is now finally under construction.
Architect Thomas Yee said the buildings proposed for 700 East Middlefield would be easily seen from Highway 237 and that by building up instead of out, more space could be made for common open areas -- 40 percent of the 24-acre site would be open space. Special efforts are being made to remove parking lot asphalt and preserve trees on the site, though their numbers would be reduced from 267 large trees to 156.
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.
The project also includes a pair of parking garages that are four stories tall and back up to Sunnyvale housing complexes. None of those residents spoke Tuesday, but Kelley Ketchmark, of the Wagon Wheel Neighborhood Association, representing residents west of Whisman Road, expressed concerns.
"We feel this is just too much for this area," Ketchmark said. "The square square footage (is) two-and-half times what's there now. More and more workers are coming to the area on a daily basis," she said, noting that the number of employees on the site would increase from 1,500 to 4,000.
"The freeways are already jammed with traffic." She said the light rail line within a five minute walk "is not going to solve the problem" and "doesn't make it a transit-oriented area -- that's why Google has their own shuttle buses."
The city's new 2030 general plan allows for a near tripling of allowed building densities to what it known as a 1.0 floor area ratio for "transit oriented" development -- if developers pay towards transit improvements. City planners are pushing for more transit improvements to justify the project's density, such as "improvements leading to the transit station on Middlefield," said zoning administrator Peter Gilli.
As to environmental friendliness, RREEF proposes a LEED Gold building, though city planners are pushing for platinum. There's long-term bike parking inside the building and showers for bike commuters, as well as bike paths to encourage biking to and from the site. An employee shuttle system is also proposed.
On March 19, the council is set to discuss the office buildings proposed for 625 Clyde Avenue.
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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.
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Posted by Disgusted, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, 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.
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Posted by David, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, 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)
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Posted by GDM, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, 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
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Posted by Scott Lamb, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, 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.
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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.
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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.
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Posted by Political Insider, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, 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.
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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...
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Posted by Light Rail, a resident of the Cuernavaca neighborhood, 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.
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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.
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Posted by John, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, 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!
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Posted by Political Insider, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, 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.
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Posted by DC, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, 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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