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Info Mountain View community resource guide
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GENERAL EXCELLENCE
California Newspaper Publishers Association
SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 VOLUME 24, NO. 34
www.MountainViewOnline.com
650.964.6300
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City putting $6.3M toward 62 new affordable housing units COUNCIL BACKS EXPANSION OF SHOREBREEZE APARTMENTS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES that are available to families, while at the same time balancing ountain View City the need to maximize the numCouncil members ber of units and serve as many agreed Tuesday night people as possible. At the Sept. 13 meeting, counto set aside over $6.3 million to expand the Shorebreeze Apart- cil member Lenny Siegel praised ment complex, adding a net total the project as a creative way of of 50 new units to the afford- circumventing the high cost able housing project. That will of land acquisition, which he use up almost all of the city’s called the major obstacle limiting affordable housing remaining affordgrowth. Developers able housing funds, costs of around and comes after the The project face $10 million per acre recent approvals of several projects to includes a in that area of the city, he said, which boost housing for low-income resibroad mix can end up being a massive money-sink dents. of units, for affordable housThe proposal by MidPen Housing including 12 ing funds. “If we have calls for the demolition of 12 existing three-bedroom to spend all of our affordable housing townhouses on the money on acquiring property to make apartments land, it’s going to way for 62 new apartments, bring- to replace the be much more difficult,” Siegel said. ing the Shorebreeze townhouses Compared to to a grand total of past low-income 170 affordable units. being housing projects, The total project View is cost is just shy of $26 demolished. Mountain getting a pretty good million, of which deal. The city is pro$6.3 million would come from the city in the form viding just over $100,000 in subsidies for each new unit added in of a deferred, low-interest loan. The plan includes a broad mix the Shorebreeze expansion. By of units, including 12 three-bed- comparison, the city subsidy for room apartments to replace the the affordable housing project at townhouses being demolished, 779 E. Evelyn Ave. was $187,000 along with 21 new studios, 21 per unit. While City Council memone-bedroom units and eight two-bedroom units. Jan Linden- bers embraced the project plans, thal, the vice president of real MidPen has struggled to reach estate development for MidPen, an agreement with the San told council members that the See HOUSING, page 8 goal is to add affordable units By Kevin Forestieri
M
NATALIA NAZAROVA
UP ALL NIGHT Officer Dorene Hansen and her canine partner Odin patrol the streets of Mountain View while most residents are asleep. Dubbed “the meth whisperer” by a fellow officer, Hansen has a gift for finding illicit drugs while she keeps an eye out for other crimes. The story and photos from the Voice’s ride-along with Hansen and Odin starts on page 10.
High schools face looming classroom shortage MVLA OFFICIALS BRACING FOR SURGE IN ENROLLMENT IN NEXT FIVE YEARS By Kevin Forestieri
L
ast week, officials with the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District considered just about every place they could plop down a portable classroom at Los Altos High School. In the parking lot, on the black top, in the weight room and on the grass — everything was
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on the table after demographic studies revealed hundreds of additional students are expected to flood the school over the next five years. The demographic study, which was released in June, showed that just over 500 more students are expected to enroll in the district’s two high schools between now and the 2021-22 school year. The
study suggested that the influx of new students will greatly exceed the existing classroom space and “overburden” ancillary facilities such as libraries, gymnasiums and cafeterias. The enrollment bulge is already causing growing pains at Los Altos High School. Tight space meant the school’s principal, Wynne Satterwhite, had to increase the number of periods classes taught in each room in order to accommodate everything in the master schedule this year, according to Assistant Superintendent Mike Mathiesen. But shuffling classes around See CLASSROOMS, page 12
Dive bar taqueria WEEKEND | 26
A + E 19 | VIEWPOINT 21 | GOINGS ON 34 | MARKETPLACE 36 | REAL ESTATE 38