In a marathon meeting that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Mountain View City Council took significant steps to implement our Housing Element and expand homeownership opportunities. The meeting, which concluded at 12:30 AM, featured a robust public hearing on zoning changes for several sites south of El Camino Real and a study session on a new strategy for low- and middle-income homeownership.

Housing Element Rezonings Approved (Item 6.1)

The Council voted 6-1 (with Councilmember McAlister dissenting) to approve General Plan and Zoning amendments for several sites identified in the city’s Housing Element. The approved rezonings include:

Re: Agenda item 6.1

Mayor Kamei & City Councilmembers,

Mountain View YIMBY writes in support of the general plan and zoning amendments necessary to implement Item 1.1(g) of the Housing Element. The staff memo notes the two major considerations for why these sites were chosen out of the extensive research they conducted: to affirmatively further fair housing by allowing more housing in more affluent neighborhoods, and to encourage developments that are in the realm of feasible. Staff have done their research and outreach over the past three years, creating a clear-cut commitment the City must fulfill now.

Re: Agenda item 7.1

Mayor Kamei & City Councilmembers,

Mountain View YIMBY supports the City in identifying barriers to condominium development and implementing Housing Element programs related to homeownership. In the past we have supported efforts to reduce city fees on SB 684/SB 1123 starter home projects and the ability for ADUs and SB 9 DUOs to be subdivided.

The City’s recent feasibility analyses, including work on the R3 zoning update and East Whisman Precise plan, provide a strong foundation. Reviewing these past efforts for efficacy would be valuable. We also look forward to how the city can better streamline under the powers of the Subdivision Map Act as well as the learnings from further analysis of the North Bayshore site.

At last night’s City Council meeting, Mountain View took a step back from a rushed expansion of its Historic Register, voting unanimously to pause the adoption of a new property list while staff refine the criteria and gather more input from property owners. The decision comes amidst a heated debate over how the city should respond to SB 79, Senator Scott Wiener’s new state law designed to spur housing near transit.

Re: Agenda item 6.1

Mayor Kamei & City Councilmembers,

On behalf of Mountain View YIMBY, I am writing to express several concerns about the current direction of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Historic Register Update. Our goal is to ensure that Mountain View’s approach to historic preservation prioritizes the preservation of genuinely unique historic resources while ensuring that we respect Mountain View’s history of being a vibrant, diverse, and continually changing city that welcomes new neighbors, stays affordable for current residents, and allows architectural innovation.

To the residents of Mountain View,

Mountain View YIMBY is proud to announce our endorsements for the 2024 City Council elections. We are endorsing Pat Showalter, Chris Clark, Devon Conley, and Emily Ann Ramos—four candidates who have demonstrated their commitment to increasing housing supply, advocating for affordable housing, and making Mountain View a more inclusive and sustainable place to live.

Pat Showalter

Pat Showalter has been a consistent YIMBY advocate during her multiple tenures on the Mountain View City Council. She is a strong supporter of policies that promote new housing development and remove arbitrary constraints on housing production. Pat’s technical background as a civil engineer has given her a deep understanding of how infrastructure and housing intersect, and she has used this knowledge to champion projects that will increase the housing supply in Mountain View. We are confident that Pat will continue to push for the housing solutions our city needs. Learn more at patshowalter.com.

Re: Agenda item 7.3 – Gatekeeper Review Process

To Mayor Hicks and the City Council:

Mountain View YIMBY wishes to address item 7.3 on the agenda for January 23.

Request: Mountain View YIMBY urges the City to:

• Resume the Gatekeeper process by June 2024 under the existing rules, and
• Produce a new set of revisions to the Gatekeeper process, for implementation after June 2024, that fully comply with the legal obligations of Program 1.3 of the Housing Element.

**Concerns: **Mountain View YIMBY wishes to express concern with the actions so far undertaken to revise the Gatekeeper process (Program 1.3 of the 2023 Housing Element). As a reminder, Program 1.3 includes the following commitments:

Dear Members of the Mountain View City Council,

I am writing to you on behalf of Mountain View YIMBY, a community of pro-housing activists with a history deeply connected to North Bayshore. Our organization was born out of a shared passion for creating more housing in North Bayshore and, over the years, has grown to advocate for inclusive and abundant housing throughout our city. As one of the original members who was drawn to this cause because of the housing issues in North Bayshore, I personally want to express our deepest gratitude for your unanimous approval of the North Bayshore Master Plan.

I am pleased to write on behalf of Mountain View YIMBY that our organization strongly

**supports the March Draft **of the Housing Element with the additions in Exhibit E of the

resolution. We believe that, with those additions, the Draft fully complies with state law and

merits HCD’s prompt approval.

The March Draft is the product of two years of community outreach, extensive stakeholder engagement, and data-driven analysis. Ellen Yau, Eric Anderson, Aarti Shrivastava and other city staff should be applauded for the herculean effort and conscientious analysis that they’ve invested into this roadmap for the city’s future.

Mountain View YIMBY is thrilled to endorse Emily Ramos for the open seat on the Mountain View City Council. As a dedicated leader of our organization for many years, Emily has a deep understanding of the city’s housing crisis and a proven track record of working towards creating more affordable housing options for Mountain View residents.

As a member of the Rental Housing Commision and the current vice-chair, Emily has been instrumental in implementing a law that protects 15 thousand families from significant rent increases and evictions. She also has experience as Preservation and Protection Associate at SV@Home, where she gained deep knowledge and experience with anti-displacement policies and as a board member of the Community Services Agency, where she helped connect residents to receive assistance to prevent them from losing their homes during the pandemic. Along with her work with YIMBY, she’s also a long-time member of the League of Women Voters housing committee. Furthermore, her engagement with many different groups, including community organizations, and her understanding of the city’s government and current issues, positions her to be able to collaborate and work effectively with her fellow council members from day one.