Celebrate with suds WEEKEND | 21
DECEMBER 11, 2015 VOLUME 23, NO. 46
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MOVIES | 24
Bike accidents spike by 480 percent CITY SEES BIG JUMP IN BIKE, PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS BETWEEN JULY AND SEPTEMBER trouble spots include San Antonio Road near the San Antonio ike and pedestrian acci- Shopping Center, and along East dents soared in the city Middlefield Road. The numbers may be slightly of Mountain View this summer, including several injury skewed to look worse, according accidents reported along some of to Sgt. Saul Jaeger of the Mountain View Police Department. Starting the city’s busiest streets. From July through September, in July, Jaeger said the department there were 29 reported bicy- started to report all bicycle and cle-involved traffic collisions in pedestrian accidents — not just Mountain View — a 480 percent ones resulting in injuries — to increase over last year. Pedestrian improve enforcement in the city. “We have increased the reportaccidents also saw a huge jump from just one accident last year ing, so that makes it look like a bigto 11 this year in the same time ger problem than it is,” Jaeger said. Despite the bump in reporting, period. The grim statistics reflect a injury accidents still saw nearly new trend, and are not reflected a four-fold increase between in the city’s recently updated Bike July and September compared Transportation Plan. In the plan, to last year. Of the 29 accidents, the city reports that the average 19 resulted in fatalities or “other number of bicycle-related colli- visible injuries,” according to the sions annually declined between police report. The accident reports are used 2009 and 2013, dropping from 45 to 27. But that trend was reversed by the city’s traffic engineers this year, when the city logged 51 to see if there are any potential roadway improvereported accidents ments that could between January and September. Injury accidents have prevented the collision. If a pedesThe Mounsaw nearly trian was struck in tain View Police a crosswalk, for Department is also a four-fold example, the city handling six traffic could install “highfatalities this year, increase. visibility” crosswhich came up as walks and a yield a big concern for police and city staff at the Nov. 17 sign if it is deemed appropriate, City Council meeting. There were according to 2012 staff report. These are the kind of improveno traffic fatalities in Mountain View in 2014, and an average of ments that residents demanded two fatalities per year since 2008. at the Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Many of the accidents occurred Committee meeting last month, during commute hours and following the death of 54-yearalong busy roads, including old Michelle Motalvo at the Middlefield Road and Shoreline intersection of El Monte Avenue Boulevard. Between July and and Marich Way. Motalvo was September, there were three struck by an SUV heading northbike-versus-vehicle accidents on bound while she was walking in Shoreline Boulevard at or near the crosswalk. Family members Middlefield Road, as well as three See ACCIDENTS, page 6 just north of Highway 101. Other By Kevin Forestieri
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MICHELLE LE
Tili settles in to knit on the mat that will be her bed for the winter at the North County’s new cold weather shelter on Dec. 7.
New shelter from the storms NORTH COUNTY TEMPORARY SHELTER RUSHES TO OPEN IN TIME FOR EL NIÑO By Kevin Forestieri
D
ozens of homeless people lined up outside of the North County’s new cold weather shelter Monday night, seeking a meal and a warm place to sleep. The temporary shelter, opening its doors for the first time that night, didn’t even exist a
‘When they come here, they know they have a place to stay.’ SUPERVISOR JOE SIMITIAN
few weeks ago. But through fast planning and quick construction, Santa Clara County was able to piece together the 100-bed facility to house North County homeless residents in time for the harsh winter storms. Grant Sisneros, a former San See SHELTER, page 8
Council green-lights 1,600 homes FOUR GATEKEEPER PROJECTS GO FORWARD DESPITE SHORT STAFF, GROWING BACKLOG By Mark Noack
H
oping to keep residential growth in Mountain View moving at a brisk pace, the City Council gave initial approval for proposals to build more than 1,600 new housing units, despite city staff’s concerns about being overwhelmed by development projects. The approvals came on Tues-
INSIDE
day night as part of a review of eight projects needing so-called gatekeeper approval. Gatekeeper projects are development proposals that require exemptions to the city’s general plan or zoning rules, such as an apartment complex being built on industrialzoned land. Staff members warned elected leaders they couldn’t handle processing all of the projects due to
a shortage of seasoned planners and other key personnel. The lack of staff is particularly pronounced in the city’s Community Development Department, which is down by six positions, or about 20 percent, including crucial ones such as the zoning administrator, chief building official and two senior planners. See HOMES, page 9
VIEWPOINT 16 | GOINGS ON 26 | MARKETPLACE 27 | REAL ESTATE 29