New Company Downsizes Mayfield
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Art & Wine Program in this issue SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 VOLUME 18, NO. 35 INSIDE: WEEKEND | PAGE 15 650.964.6300 MountainViewOnline.com New company downsizes Mayfield By Daniel DeBolt project’s three-, four- and five-story podium condo buildings replaced n an ironic twist prompted by with a combination of town homes the recession, the controversial and stacked flat-style condos three Ihigh-density Mayfield housing stories in height. The townhouses development has been significantly and single family homes in the scaled back by a new developer. previously approved design are While building big on Silicon expected to remain, including 45 Valley’s expensive land was the way on a portion of the site in Palo to make money during boom years, Alto. Planning Director Randy Tsuda The new plan was welcomed by said the Mountain View side of the Monta Loma Neighborhood the project now has only 253 units Association, which has struggled under plans submitted this week with the project for half a decade. by Summit Land Partners. That’s “What we are seeing from the down from 436 homes approved by new plan so far seems to be a better the City Council in 2008. fit to the neighborhood than previ- Town homes and condo build- ous plans,” said MLNA president ings will be limited to three stories Wouter Suverkropp. “One would instead of five. Parking garages have think that having 150 fewer housing MICHELLE LE vanished from the design for the The silver box on the side of Jane Horton’s home on North Whisman Road monitors carcinogenic vapor levels. units would reduce the traffic con- 27-acre site. siderably. We would be very happy Summit principal Tim Unger about that.” said the changes reflect a trend Suverkropp said neighbors were EPA plan protects neighborhoods from fumes in real estate development, where also pleased to see that major large podium-style condo buildings concessions they had fought for POLLUTERS EXPECTED TO VENT CANCER-CAUSING FUMES atop parking garages are seen as too remained in the project, namely FROM WHISMAN NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDINGS much of an investment. two medium-sized parks, numer- “No builders want to build a ous tree plantings and a pedestrian By Daniel DeBolt in place. table eventually tested her home podium project, it is too capital tunnel under Central Expressway For years, Horton was told that in 2003. Unacceptable levels of intensive, too expensive,” Unger to San Antonio train station. Unger ountain View resident the city’s toxic TCE groundwa- TCE vapors had made their way said. “One of the things builders confirmed that the tunnel remains Jane Horton said her ter plume stopped in the middle through the soil and into her are trying to do now is manage our in the plan and that the parks would fight to have her home of Whisman Road, 20 feet from home, and the polluters paid for resources more effectively.” remain at their approved size. M With a larger building, “you can’t tested for toxic groundwater her house. a system to ventilate her cellar. Unger said the unit count remains vapors would have been must After much public contro- “TCE is carcinogenic to humans phase it. It is a big, massive invest- “influx” but confirmed that the use easier if a recent update to an versy, the computer chip makers by all routes of exposure,” and ment,” he said. of three-story townhouses and con- important Environmental Pro- who leaked the industrial sol- Detailed drawings are expected dos would reduce unit count to 250 tection Agency plan had been vent into the area’s groundwater See TCE, page 11 in October, but Tsuda said the to 260 units. development application shows the Summit Land Partners and build- er William Lyon Homes entered into an agreement with landowner Federal funding at risk as schools miss test targets Hewlett Packard last year. Citing expensive city requirements, a high By Nick Veronin The schools’ failure to hit those to hit Annual Yearly Progress, year. Such schools are required land price and a souring housing targets, along with the conse- or AYP, goals. The goals are set to allow transfer requests from market, developer Toll Brothers handful of Mountain View quences of those failures, have by the California Department of parents who want their children decided not to buy the property elementary schools were concerned parents and caused Education, and are used by federal to switch to another school in the shortly after completing the design Aforced to do some last- school officials to debate whether education officials as a yardstick district. and getting council approval for the minute shuffling shortly before receiving federal aid — which is when evaluating public schools Craig Goldman, superintendent 436-unit project. classes began this fall, as parents tied to meeting the performance receiving Title I funding under the of the district, is concerned that Vacant buildings that were once sought to transfer students out goals — is worth it. No Child Left Behind Act. parents are getting the wrong home to the Mayfield Mall, the of two schools that failed to meet For two consecutive years, As such, the two schools went idea about Monta Loma and area’s first indoor shopping mall, state-defined performance targets Monta Loma and Theuerkauf into “Program Improvement” will be demolished as part of the last year. elementary schools have failed during the 2009-10 year school See PERFORMANCE, page PB project. V INSIDE GOINGS ON 20 | MARKETPLACE 22 | MOVIES 18 | REAL ESTATE 25 |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■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 7PJD FT 2010 AROUND TOWN Asked in Downtown Mountain View. Pictures and interviews by Angela Chen. What would you change about the Are you past due for your check-up and cleaning? education system? · Service – At smiles dental, we · Smiles – Our offi ce is equipped believe in treating our patients to the best with the latest technology to help you of dentistry and technology with fi rst class achieve the smile you deserve. personal service. Health & Beauty “I don’t think American history · Passionate – Our skilled team is is taught enough. 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In the Mountain View confi dence in their district, there’s really only the quality, most of all, To schedule your appointment, basics and I’d like a broader choice please call us today at 650-961-0302 of subjects.” their integrity…” Michael Capati, Mountain View -D.S., Los Altos 2037 Old Middlefi eld Way Mountain View, CA 94043 Open Monday-Friday 8am-5:30pm Find us on Visit us at: www.deansautomotive.com Facebook Have a question for Voices Around Town? E-mail it to [email protected] 650-961-0302 SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ 3 -PDBM/FXT 3END5S3END5S!0OSTCARD!0OSTCARD NPOLICELOG ARSON DRIVING UNDER THE 1100 block Terra Bella Ave., 8/30 INFLUENCE 1800 block California St., 8/26 AUTO BURGLARY W. Middlefield Road and Moffett Blvd., 900 block W. El Camino Real, 8/24 8/27 2200 block Latham St., 8/24 Highway 101 and Moffett Blvd., 8/28 1000 block Crestview Drive, 8/25 Plymouth St. and N. Rengstorff St., 1100 block N. Rengstorff Ave., 8/25 8/29 2400 block Grant Road, 8/26 S. Shoreline BLvd. and Villa St., 8/29 2100 block W. El Camino Real, 8/26 T. 500 block W. Evelyn Ave., 8/30 2400 block Grant Road, 8/26 2500 block W. El Camino Real, 8/26 DRUG POSSESSION/USE 800 block Maude Ave., 8/26 500 block Sylvan Ave., 8/24 700 block Continental Circle, 8/26 Highway 101 and N. Shoreline Blvd., 300 block Escuela Ave., 8/26 8/24 1600 block Amphitheatre Parkway, 8/26 500 block W. Middlefield Road, 8/27 GRAND THEFT Photo was taken of the Graham Middle School Destinations Imagination team, The Drama Llamas, at DI 1900 block Rock St., 8/27 200 block Montebello Ave., 8/24 1600 block Villa St., 8/29 2200 block California St., 8/24 Global Finals. The locations is at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.