In November 2019, the Mountain View City Council approved the East Whisman Precise Plan, an action that makes room for 5,000 new homes, 1,000 of them affordable. East Whisman is located in northeast Mountain View in an area previously occupied primarily by office and industrial space. The Plan also includes an innovative jobs-housing linkage strategy that aims to balance office and housing growth.
Overall, the East Whisman Precise Plan presents an innovative approach to building a transit-oriented, complete neighborhood accessible to people of all incomes and abilities. It envisions a housing-rich area that is able to expand its employment and commercial uses while also developing new open spaces, bike paths, and educational resources for the entire community to enjoy.
As a significant landholder in the area, Google has a major role to play in implementing the City’s vision. Their Middlefield Park Master Plan proposal seeks to transform existing suburban office space into a mixed-use, transit-oriented development with new homes, parks, restaurants, open space, and jobs.
Middlefield Park would bring up to 1,900 new home along transit, with 20% being set aside for deed-restricted affordable housing through proposed land dedications to the City. The potential addition of these new homes would be a significant step towards meeting the City’s overall goal of 5,000 new homes in East Whisman.
The City of Mountain View’s Planning Commission and City Council have held study sessions during the Spring of 2021. The Council was generally supportive of Google’s proposal and united in their strong interest in ensuring that the affordable housing component is delivered in a timely manner. SV@Home and a number of local affordable housing groups weighed in with our overall support for Google’s housing-rich plan, alongside some recommendations for how the city and Google might be able to work together to make the affordable housing implementation plan ironclad.
As the proposal progresses, SV@Home is looking forward to continuing to support this proposal and thinking creatively about ensuring the affordable housing plan is successful.
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