|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In their pursuit of affordable housing, Mountain View City Council members are looking at the city’s largest downtown parking lot as a perfect place to build it.
At its Tuesday, Oct. 24, meeting, the City Council examined plans for redeveloping a city-owned parking area known as Lot 12, located at the corner of Bryant and California streets. On a daily basis, all 160 spots in this lot are filled, but city officials said it made little sense to preserve a surface parking lot in the city’s urban core.
Council members have been trying to redevelop the site for nearly a decade, but they held off for years to wait for favorable market conditions. It’s clear they now believe it’s the right time.
As in past discussions, members affirmed that they wanted to maximize housing at the site, which city staff reported could hold 75 apartments. At a previous study session, the council members said they wanted no fewer than half the homes to be subsidized as affordable housing, possibly as for-sale ownership units.
Since the city owns the land, this site could push for some new ideas, said Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga.
“We should be aggressive in exploring a new concept here,” she said, suggesting micro-unit apartments or modular homes might work at the site.
The idea of including ground-floor retail space also generated some excitement. Mayor Ken Rosenberg pointed out that perhaps this commercial space could be reserved for the kind of shop that would struggle to survive on nearby Castro Street.
Many other city officials pitched ideas. City Housing Director Wayne Chen suggested something special for the greater community should be added to the building, such as a vertical garden built along the walls. This could also be a spot for a food incubator, like the renowned La Cocina in San Francisco, he said.
“Because this is a city-owned site, we hope to leverage this asset for maximum public benefit,” Chen said.
The big question is what a developer would be willing to agree to, and how the financing would pencil out. Most council member signaled that they wanted the market-rate housing to pay primarily for a garage with an equal number of parking space to Lot 12. City staff said that tax credits could likely help pay for the affordable housing portion.
Starting next year, city officials expect to begin preliminary engineering and planning to better determine what can be built at the site. By the summer, they hope to put out a request for proposals to see what developers are willing to offer. At this point, the estimated construction wouldn’t likely start until 2022.
Bye, bye, farmers market.
“At this point, the estimated construction wouldn’t likely start until 2022.”
That’s an eternity. If things proceed on schedule (lol), that’s 6 years from a completed project.
Are we planning to solve for parking issues or is the council still under the fairy dust belief that none of the units will own cars….
Yes, by all means, the city should use their most valuable piece of (prime) property to provide taxpayer assisted housing and wipe out a huge portion of their already woefully inadequate parking at the same time. That way they can kill two birds with stupidity at the same time.
What kind of mixed up set of values do the commenters here have that they prefer using land to temporarily hold cars than to provide housing for people?
It would be great if the city council could figure out that their numerous social engineering efforts have all been enormous disasters and total wastes of taxpayer money. Isn’t insanity partially defined as repeating the same mistakes while expecting different results?
By all means, make sure it is next to impossible for anyone to park downtown and make use of the restaurants and other businesses there, then act surprised when those businesses tank because only bikers and those within walking distance can support them. It won’t be the first time.
As for me, I will continue to take more and more of my business elsewhere, since the needs of those not in the demographics favored by the council are never taken in account when decisions are made.
I haven’t been able to patronize businesses in downtown Mtn. View for years simply because there is no parking. Eddie’s Quilting moved several years ago because his patrons could not park anywhere nearby.
Yes, that are very bad people that prefer using land to temporarily hold cars than to provide housing for people… prefer using land to temporarily hold airplanes than to provide housing for people…prefer using land to temporarily hold students than to provide housing for people….prefer using land to temporarily hold groceries than to provide housing for people….prefer using land to temporarily hold sick patients than to provide housing for people…
More like developer eyes downtown lot to build row houses and make lots of money
Why does everyone think they have the right to live cheaply downtown?
Price is used to regulate supply and demand.
Whatever it is, you cant all have it.
Stop overbuilding and stop overpopulation.
Sooner or later it all gets screwed up for everyone.
If you cant afford it, go somewhere else. Stop whining.
@realist
Give up your Prop 13 subsidy, then you can talk about how no one deserves to live cheaply somewhere.
Yes, I see city hall is next to that lot.
I think we should redevelop both the parking lot and the city hall lot into section 8 housing for the poor working class.
Maybe we could build 500 city subsidized units for these homeless that are living on our streets?
Where, are the poor going to live and why doesn’t Mountain View help them?
Would like to see some affordable housing
Why not do both? An 8 story building could have several levels of parking and retail, with condos on top.
Prices should be based on supply and demand, when people try to restrict natural supply, who are the ones “truly” asking for a handout?