FROM LIVABLE MOUNTAIN VIEW: PLEASE OPPOSE SB79
We are sending you this letter in opposition to Senate Bill 79, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener.
The city of Mountain View has consistently been an advocate for good development. We are one of the few cities in the region that has earned a pro-housing designation from the legislature. Our city has accomplished this with the participation of all stakeholders when it enacts housing policy.
SB79 would allow five to seven story buildings (10 to 14 with state density bonus) to be built 5 feet from a single-family home or small apartment building. We have these small buildings throughout our community. This proposed legislation, SB79, would not conform to the precise plans that we already have in place, which support increased density. SB79 fails to require any additional affordable and low-income housing, and does not require a single concession from developers. It fails to protect any historical resource now or in the future. This bill could open the door to the destruction of all or part of Mountain View’s historic retail district (the 100-300 blocks of Castro Street), the heart of our community.
According to our Rental Housing Committee, Mountain View has a 12.5 percent vacancy rate for market-rate apartments built in the last eight years. The owners of these apartments are obviously willing to let housing sit vacant to keep rents high. Allowing five to seven story buildings that deny the occupants of neighboring buildings light and privacy will not change those high vacancy rates, and will not lower rental pricing.
Robert Cox, Louise Katz, Nazanin Dashtara, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Toni Rath, Peter Spitzer, Maureen Blando, Jerry Steach, David Lewis, Carol Lewis, Hala Alshahwany, Carole Griggs, Leslie Friedman, Nancy Stuhr, Sean O’Malley, Diane Gazzano, Lorrie Wormald, Alice DeGuzman, Chuck Muir, Julie Muir, and Roger Noel
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
(We all live in your district.)
Mountain View Caltrain Station: 6-7 story buildings (12-14 stories with state density bonus)
San Antonio Caltrain Station: 6-7 story buildings (12-14 stories with state density bonus)
El Camino & Showers Bus Rapid Transit 522: 5-6 story buildings (10-12 stories with state density bonus)
El Camino & Castro Bus Rapid Transit 522: 5-6 story buildings (10-12 stories with state density bonus)
Whisman Light Rail Station: 5-6 story buildings (10-12 stories with state density bonus)
Middlefield Light Rail Station: 5-6 Story buildings (10-12 stories with state density bonus)
NASA Bayshore Light Rail Station: 5-6 Story buildings (10-12 stories with state density bonus)
DISCLAIMER: Impact zones were developed by Livable Mountain View after reading the text of SB79 and after consulting with people knowledgeable about the legislation. However, our organization does not include elected state officials, their staff, or real-estate attorneys. Ours is a good faith effort to map the impact of SB79, but the placement and size of the actual impact zones determined, should SB79 become law, may be larger or smaller than those depicted here.
NOTE: We have received word from people in communication with Senator Wiener’s staff that the impact zones around train and light rail stations should be larger. The half-mile radius is from ANY point in the transit center, not just the single point in the middle of the transit center.
SB79 opens the door to level our historic downtowns
Between 8/18 and 9/12 the California Senate and Assembly will take their final votes on whether to pass Senate Bill 79 (SB79). This bill would permit housing in 6-14 story buildings BY RIGHT anywhere within a half mile of any Caltrain stop including neighborhoods and the many historic downtowns up and down the peninsula. There are no exceptions for historic buildings or districts. This means, for example, Mountain View’s Castro Street historic buildings which are adjacent to the Caltrain tracks in blocks 100-300 could be torn down and the Mountain View City Council would have NO ability to stop this destruction. All cities with homes and historic downtowns along the Caltrain line could face a similar fate.
Furthermore, any neighborhood within one-half mile of train, light rail, or frequent bus stops will be rezoned to permit 5-14 story buildings BY RIGHT.
Mid-Peninsula residents can call Senator Josh Becker at (916)-651-4013 and Assemblymember Marc Berman at (650)-324-0224 and say “I live in your district and oppose SB79.”
Or write a short note with the title “OPPOSE SB79” to Senator Becker at https://sd13.senate.ca.gov/contact and Assemblymember Berman at https://a23.asmdc.org/contact.
As this is a statewide bill, all California residents can help defeat SB79 by contacting their state legislators and say, “I live in your district and I oppose SB79”
Robert Cox and Louise Katz
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
SB79 opens the door to level our historic downtowns
Between 8/18 and 9/12, the California Senate and Assembly will take their final votes on whether to pass Senate Bill 79 (SB79). This bill would permit housing in 6-14 story buildings BY RIGHT anywhere within a half mile of any Caltrain stop including neighborhoods and the many historic downtowns up and down the peninsula. There are no exceptions for historic buildings or districts. This means, for example, Mountain View’s Castro Street historic buildings which are adjacent to the Caltrain tracks in blocks 100-300 could be torn down and the Mountain View City Council would have NO ability to stop this destruction. All cities with homes and historic downtowns along the Caltrain line could face a similar fate.
Not only will we lose irreplaceable historic resources, SB79 also weakens the state’s own requirements for affordable and low-income housing and will cancel out local community developed precise plans. These already include significant upzoning and increased density in our cities that provide housing far beyond that required by our state.
Furthermore, any neighborhood within one-half mile of train, light rail, or frequent bus stops will be rezoned to permit 5-14 story buildings BY RIGHT.
Mid-Peninsula residents can call Senator Josh Becker at (916)-651-4013 and Assemblymember Marc Berman at (650)-324-0224 and say “I live in your district and oppose SB79.”
Or write a short note with the title “OPPOSE SB79” to Senator Becker at https://sd13.senate.ca.gov/contact and Assemblyman Berman at https://a23.asmdc.org/contact.
As this is a statewide bill, all California residents can help defeat SB79 by contacting their state legislators and say, “I live in your district and I oppose SB79”
Robert Cox, Louise Katz, Nazanin Dashtara, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Toni Rath, Peter Spitzer, Maureen Blando, Jerry Steach, David Lewis, Carol Lewis, Hala Alshahwany, Carole Griggs, Leslie Friedman, Nancy Stuhr, Sean O’Malley, Diane Gazzano, Lorrie Wormald, Alice DeGuzman, Chuck Muir, Julie Muir, and Roger Noel
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
To all who care about the future of Mountain View’s historic downtown:
Senate Bill 79 (SB79) threatens the existence of Mountain View’s historic downtown. If passed, it would permit the demolition and replacement of any or all of the historic buildings in the 100-300 block of Castro Street BY RIGHT (WITHOUT ANY CITY COUNCIL VOTE) just because they are within one-half mile of the Caltrain station. Other downtowns along the Caltrain line are similarly threatened.
If you care about the preservation of our Bay Area historic downtowns, please call Senator Becker and Assemblyman Berman TODAY and say “I live in your district and OPPOSE SB79”. Key votes will take place between August 18 and September 12. Please act now! Contact info is in the graphic below.
You can email livable.mountain.view@gmail.com if you have any questions about SB79 or what is in this email.
Robert Cox
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
To those preparing the Draft EIR for the R3 zoning update project,
Livable Mountain View thanks Mountain View city staff for this opportunity to comment on the scoping of the Draft EIR for the R3 zoning update project. We also thank Advance Planning Manager Eric Anderson for hosting a Q & A session with our group on this subject. Mr. Anderson urged us to summarize our comments in a formal letter, so we are doing that here:
1. We ask that the those preparing the Draft EIR consider the state density bonus when determining the impacts of the R3 project. In particular, since Mountain View has a 15% inclusionary affordable housing mandate, developers will meet the 50% density bonus requirement simply by following the Mountain View mandate. This is why projects like Chase Bank redevelopment are opting for the 50% state density bonus. Furthermore, by providing another 5% of affordable housing, a 100% density bonus would be permitted. The Draft EIR should NOT ignore this by studying only the base density.
2. We ask that the Draft EIR be delayed until after September 12, 2025, so that the results of the California Assembly vote on SB79 are known. SB79 would permit BY RIGHT 5-7 story buildings (up 10-14 stories with the state density bonus) within one-half mile of train, light rail, and frequent bus stops. This would significantly alter the permitted zoning in our city. It is best to undertake the Draft EIR AFTER the SB79 vote in taken.
3. We ask that impacts on infrastructure needs, in particular water usage, the effects on climate change, and greenhouse gas emissions be adequately considered.
4. We ask that the cumulative effect of background projects, for example, the Moffett Precise Plan and frequent gatekeeper project approvals, be considered.
5. We ask that the Draft EIR make specific positive recommendations that will mitigate the effects of the R3 upzoning project. It would be greatly disappointing if this Draft EIR ends up being just a legally mandated but practically meaningless exercise.
Thank you for listening to our recommendations on this important topic.
Robert Cox, Louise Katz, Peter Spitzer, Maureen BNlando, Hala Alshahwany, Chuck Muir, Julie Muir, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Nancy Stuhr, Toni Rath, Natalie Solomon, Jerry Steach, Lorraine Wormald, and Leslie Friedman
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
From Livable Mountain View: Making Mountain View the Most Livable City in California
Livable Mountain View
230 Houghton Street
Mountain View, CA 94041-1318
Phone: (650)-390-3915
Email: livable-mv-steering@googlegroups.com
Website: https://www.livablemv.com/
Members of the California Assembly subcommittees:
We are sending you this letter in opposition to Senate Bill 79, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener.
Our city of Mountain View’s highest objective is to be a Community for All and a leader in the Bay Area in providing new housing. We are one of the few cities in the region that has earned a pro-housing designation from the legislature. Our city council has always encouraged participation of all stakeholders when it enacts housing policy. The members and supporters of Livable Mountain View have consistently been advocates for good development and participated in opportunities for community outreach. The result is housing and zoning decisions that have wide public support, both from renters and homeowners alike.
We oppose SB-79, which upzones properties within one-half mile of trains, light rail, and for bus lines based on frequency rather than connectivity to allow five to seven story buildings, without any further concessions from developers. SB 79 fails to provide for the needs of our local community as it lacks of protection for our irreplaceable historic resources, weakens the state’s own requirements for affordable and low-income housing offered in the state density bonus and overrides adherence to our local community developed precise plans that already include significant upzoning and increased density in all areas of our city, far beyond that required by our state approved sixth cycle Housing Element.
Because our city is fortunate enough to be served by all three of these modes of transit, about half of our city would be rezoned for high density if this legislation is enacted. Furthermore, by overriding what is offered to developers by the state density bonus, it would undercut our city’s ability to meet our state mandated RHNA allocation for affordable housing. The result could be a total disruption of our state approved plans and negatively impact our city’s neighborhoods.
The housing crisis in our area is one of AFFORDABLE housing, not market-rate housing. According to the latest report of our Rental Housing Committee, 12,5 percent of the housing built in our city the last eight years lies vacant because apartment owners will not rent it out at lower rents. Solutions to provide housing for our community need to go beyond bills that can needlessly destroy historic resources and provide massive rezoning without substantial concessions for more affordable housing from the developers who build that housing.
Thank you for considering our views.
Robert Cox, Louise Katz, Nazanin Dashtara, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Toni Rath, Peter Spitzer, Maureen Blando, Jerry Steach, David Lewis, Carol Lewis, Hala Alshahwany, Carole Griggs, Leslie Friedman, Nancy Stuhr, Natalie Solomon, Sean O’Malley, Diane Gazzano, Lorrie Wormald, Alice DeGuzman, Chuck Muir, and Julie Muir
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View, Mountain View, CA
Mayor Kamei, Vice Mayor Ramos, and members of the Mountain View City Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Item 8.2 “Reconsideration of Density Increases in R3 Zoning District Update Change Areas”. This matter came before council at a regularly scheduled city council meeting, Tuesday, April 22, 2025 after the opportunity for public notice and comment. Now, almost three months after the decision for the density of designated change areas was made by council, council may change its decision, without any new information or change of development conditions in our city to justify such a change.
We are asking that the council NOT change its initial decision on this question. Making a different decision now undermines the public’s trust that council decisions, once made, can be relied on by all stakeholders, including the residents and voters of Mountain View.
Livable Mountain View wrote this letter to council for the March 25, 2025 public hearing where the densities of the R3 Zoning District Change Areas were initially considered:
Our position on the density of these change areas is the same today. It mirrors the recommendation of the EPC. Here is the relevant part from that letter:
Question 2: For change areas selected, which density option should the city study as the R3 zoning district update is carried out?
We support the approach recommended by the Environmental Planning Commission: Option 2A (R3-D1 Base), an intensity of 4 stories base, which with the state density bonus is a maximum of 8 stories, except for the Del Medio South for which we support Option 1 (R3-D2 Base) to avoid downzoning the area.
Rationale: As stated above developers are primarily looking to build up to 7 stories. By zoning for 4 stories base and 8 stories max with the state density bonus, developers who want to build higher buildings will need to provide the affordable housing to get the higher densities. Most of the new units we are seeing approved by council now are either state density bonus or builder’s remedy, so we should expect the state density bonus to be used.
Thank you for considering our views on this important item.
Robert Cox, Louise Katz, Peter Spitzer, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Li Zhang, Maureen Blando, Leslie Friedman, Hala Alshahwany, Jerry Steach, Toni Rath, Nancy Stuhr, Natalie Solomon, Chuck Muir and Julie Muir
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
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