Knead to bake
1st Place
WEEKEND | 18
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
California Newspaper Publishers Association
MARCH 24, 2017 VOLUME 25, NO. 9
www.MountainViewOnline.com
650.964.6300
MOVIES | 21
Trump cuts spell trouble for local housing TAX REFORMS AND SLIM HUD BUDGET COULD HARM AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS Community Development Block Grant Program. But the impact has been much alling an affordable-hous- more immediate for projects ing project a “miracle” like 1701 El Camino in Mounsounds trite, but the term tain View. Understanding what now seems apt for a new 67-unit happened here requires a bit apartment project being built of an explanation. Like many affordable-housing projects, the 1701 El Camino Real. Due to start construction next 1701 El Camino project makes month, the $32-million project use of government tax credits to by the Palo Alto Housing Cor- fund the bulk of the construction poration recently dodged a major costs. These credits can’t pay for setback that could have left years labor costs or raw materials, but of work in tatters. The prob- they can be sold at a markup to corporations lem emerged looking to offset a few months tax burden. ago when major ‘We were lucky their What changed backers expectTrump’s ed to finance that this happened with election is corthe bulk of the project suddenly in Mountain View, porations realized their severe backed away. It wasn’t a loss where the city was tax burden might get a whole lot of confidence, so supportive.’ lighter. Among but rather the his campaign election of CANDICE GONZALEZ, promises, thenPresident DonPALO ALTO HOUSING CORP. candidate Trump ald Trump that pledged to drop nearly scuttled the corporate tax the project, said Candice Gonzalez, Palo Alto rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. While he has yet to deliver Housing’s executive director. “We had six investors that put on that promise, banks and othin offers for this project, and er investors almost universally right after the election they all decided to hold off in case a tax pulled out,” she said. “We were windfall is in the offing. For Gonzalez and other houssuper disappointed, but tried to stay positive and work through ing advocates, that meant the millions of dollars in tax credits it.” Perhaps more than any other they had budgeted for affordable area, government-subsidized apartments suddenly had no housing has taken an immedi- buyer. Through a mix of pluck and ate hit following Trump’s election. It’s expected to worsen if luck, the Palo Alto Housing the president’s proposed cuts Corporation officials were able to programs are enacted. As to coax one buyer who was willpart of his 2018 budget, Trump ing to purchase all $20 million of has proposed $6 billion in cuts tax credits, albeit at a discount. to the Department of Hous- U.S. Bank, one of the initial ing and Urban Development, including totally eliminating the See HOUSING, page 6 By Mark Noack and Kevin Forestieri
C
MICHELLE LE
Larry Moore closed up his popular repair shop Larry’s AutoWorks, saying he plans to sell the property and retire.
End of the road for Larry’s AutoWorks By Mark Noack
P
opular car repair shop Larry’s AutoWorks closed down last Friday, and there are no plans for it to reopen. Owner Larry Moore told the Voice on Monday that
he and his wife had decided to retire after lining up the sale of their shop at 2526 Leghorn St. The closure of a business that’s been a Mountain View institution for 45 years came as a surprise on Friday, March 17, when Moore and his business
partner and wife Laurie created a voicemail message and Facebook post directing customers to take their business elsewhere. Speaking to the Voice on Monday, Larry Moore said they See LARRY’S, page 8
Eight apply to new rent control committee COUNCIL SEEKING PROPERTY OWNERS TO JOIN RENT CONTROL COMMITTEE By Mark Noack
M
ountain View City Council members have a new stack of candidates for the city’s Rental Housing Committee to choose from, including a few more property owners with a stake in how rent control under Measure V is implemented. As of the March 17 deadline, eight new candidates filed paperwork for appointment to a seat on the five-member committee that will administer the Measure
INSIDE
V rent control law. This was the second time city officials put out a call for applications. The new candidates are: Stanford University doctoral student Michael Hovish; Cisco Systems pricing analyst Steven Johnson; MPM Corporation property manager Vanessa Honey; ARA Newmark Real Estate agent Bryan Danforth; Greenberg Traurig LLP attorney Karen Willis, 23andMe software engineer Marcell Ortutay, Stanford University operations supervisor Keith Ellis and Izzie Tiffany, a
13-year resident of Mountain View. In their applications, Hovish, Johnson and Tiffany describe themselves as renters while Willis identifies herself as a homeowner. Honey and Ellis both declined to specify their housing status, but each of them indicated that their jobs involve managing residential property on behalf of their employer. Danforth and Ortutay both identify themselves as owners of rental properties. See COMMITTEE, page 6
VIEWPOINT 14 | GOINGS ON 24 | MARKETPLACE 25 | REAL ESTATE 27