Rental Committee Weighs Landlord's Appeal
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Mountain View Art & Wine Festival event program INSIDE AUGUST 31, 2018 VOLUME 26, NO. 32 www.MountainViewOnline.com 650.964.6300 MOVIES | 19 Task force backs plans to move Bullis to Mountain View By Kevin Forestieri the charter school would even fit on the small campus, and if ullis Charter School would council members would approve be the best fit for a new the school district’s land acqui- Bcampus in the San Anto- sition plans if a neighborhood nio area of Mountain View, school was off the table. community members and school School district officials are officials on a Los Altos School planning to acquire about 9.6 District task force agreed Mon- acres of land on the corner of day evening — a recommenda- Showers Drive and California tion that runs con- Street — current- trary to the wishes ly home to several of Mountain View ‘This isn’t businesses, includ- City Council mem- ing a Kohl’s depart- bers seeking a school going to solve ment store, Sushi for neighborhood 88 and Pearl Cafe students. the problem, — for a 10th school The school board campus and some MAGALI GAUTHIER is set to make a final but it is going adjacent park land. Bobby Taylor, one of Mountain View’s school resource officers, returned last Monday to his beat at decision later this District adminis- Mountain View High School after taking a leave of absence to battle cancer. year. to spend all of trators and school The task force the money.’ board members School resource officer back on the beat recommenda- have long argued tion weighs in on a JILL JENE that the additional lengthy debate over campus is an impor- following cancer treatment whether a future tant step to prepare school in the San Antonio neigh- for future enrollment growth, BOBBY TAYLOR RETURNS TO WORK UNDETERRED AFTER MONTHS OF CHEMO borhood should serve the nearly and are relying heavily on the By Kevin Forestieri School Resource Officer throughout the city. Despite the 800 students residing in the area, city of Mountain View for finan- (SRO) Bobby Taylor was back six months of aggressive cancer or if it would be better suited cial support through a process ast week marked a return on the campus beat last week treatment, Taylor said his goal as a campus for Bullis Charter called the transfer of develop- to school for public high after battling cancer for the bet- was to return to work right School. ment rights. Lschool students in Moun- ter part of a year, returning to away. While the majority of task Five of the eight task force tain View, but they weren’t the the department and his role as Taylor told the Voice that he force members backed the latter members present — Lara Dae- only ones heading back to cam- the go-to law enforcement offi- option, the opinion came down tz, Raquel Matteroli, Sandra pus after a long hiatus. cial for teens and their families See RESOURCE OFFICER, page 7 amid a number of critical, unan- swered questions about whether See BULLIS, page 6 Rental committee weighs landlord’s appeal By Mark Noack the city’s complex rent control hikes would have increased Medio Manor owners’ claims aim at the decision to reject a so- restrictions. annual profits by $170,000 on for increasing apartment rents. called Vega adjustment, a special ne landlord’s push to The case involves the Del a property already generat- She said that the bookkeeping increase intended for severely raise rents spurred the Medio Manor and a request by ing more than $1 million in submitted by Del Medio was underpriced units operating at OMountain View Rental its owner to increase rents on net income, according to the flawed and included numerous a net loss. She criticized how a Housing Committee on Monday about half of the property’s 104 petition filings. The move to ineligible expenses. whole category of “junior one- to hold something like a court- apartments. In her final peti- increase rents spurred protests In response, both sides in the bedroom” units at Del Medio room trial, with committee tion, owner Elizabeth Lindsay by Del Medio tenants, who said case ended up filing appeals were downgraded to studios. members serving as appellate had requested rent increases the higher cost would force against the decision to the Rent- In her decision, Dalesandro judges. ranging from $100 to $500 a them out of their homes and al Housing Committee. Lindsay had argued that Del Medio’s It was the first instance of month on dozens of apartments possibly the Bay Area. and her partners argued various junior one-bedroom units were the rental committee taking a that she said were locked into Last month, city hearing costs for running their business essentially studio apartments direct role in deciding whether artificially low prices under the officer Jil Dalesandro sided were unfairly excluded when with just an accordion door to an individual landlord was city’s rent stabilization program. largely with those tenants by they deserved consideration. earning a fair profit under In total, the requested rent rejecting nearly all of the Del Among her complaints, she took See RENTAL COMMITTEE, page 9 INSIDE ARTS & EVENTS 14 | VIEWPOINT 15 | WEEKEND 16 | GOINGS ON 20 | MARKETPLACE 21 | REAL ESTATE 23 2 Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q August 31, 2018 QA+E BRIEF Healthy Teeth and Gums That Last a Lifetime! • Experienced and Gentle Dentist, and Friendly Staff • New Patients Welcome! • Free Consultations and Second Opinions • Saturday Appointments Available COURTESY OF KEVIN BERNE/THEATREWORKS Neighbors Pablo and Tania Del Valle (Michael Evans Lopez and Marlene Martinez), right, and Frank and Virginia Butley (Jackson Davis and Amy Resnick) spar over a fence in “Native Gardens.” Voted Best COMEDY BLOSSOMS retired, heading toward senior Dentist IN ‘NATIVE GARDENS’ citizenship, white, Republican and deeply entrenched in their THE THE Best of Good fences, Robert Frost community. Frank has dedi- VOICE MOUNTAIN Best of wrote, make good neighbors. But cated much of his leisure time VIEW VOICE Don’t Wait! 2014 2016 MOUNTAIN in Karen Zacarias’ domestic com- to cultivating his formal garden, VIEW edy “Native Gardens,” currently keeping it groomed, insecticid- Call 650.969.6077 THE Best of for your appointment today! VOICE MOUNTAIN 2018 staged by TheatreWorks Silicon ed and obsessively tended to VIEW Valley, it’s a fence between neigh- near-perfection. 2017 boring yards that sets two couples The Del Valles are young, hip on a collision course toward a and Latinx. He hails from Chile, Conveniently located 650.969.6077 rapidly escalating turf war. while she grew up in New Mexi- in Downtown Mountain View The fence in question, between co. He’s a rising-star attorney and dentalfabulous.com 756 California Street, Suite B the homes of the Butleys, who’ve she’s an anthropology doctoral lived in their historical, well-to- student, due with their first child Mountain View 94041 cross street: Castro, next to Bierhaus do Washington, D.C., neigh- in a matter of weeks. Well-versed borhood for decades, and the in ecology, Tania has big plans to Del Valles, who’ve just moved turn her new, neglected backyard in next door, at first seems to into a native garden, supporting be a win-win. Pablo and Tania local plants and wildlife accord- Del Valle (Michael Evans Lopez ing to environmentally friendly and Marlene Martinez) want principles. At the heart of it all is to tear down their old chain- a large oak tree, which is Tania’s link fence and replace it with a pride and joy. more attractive, hipper wooden The Butleys are horrified by one. Frank and Virginia Butley her plans to allow what they see (Jackson Davis and Amy Resn- as weeds flourish and tell her the ick) are overjoyed by this idea, as tree needs to go (its acorns litter they’re no fans of the metal eye- their neat and tidy lawn; they sore and think a new improved chopped theirs down years ago). fence could be what gets their In return, Tania is appalled at garden the long-coveted first their water-gobbling, non-polli- prize in the neighborhood’s nator-helping garden and makes annual horticultural competi- sure to lecture them about it. But tion. But when the Del Valles still, they all strive to keep civil check their property plans, they and pleasant until the issue with make a shocking discovery: the disputed property line arises. Their property actually extends As their feud heats up, the play two feet past the existing fence, heads into a farcical direction. into some of Frank’s beloved It also puts the Del Valles in the flower beds. When they attempt unfamiliar position of becoming to claim what appears to be their “The Man” while the conserva- rightful land, their friendly rela- tive, privileged Butleys become tionship quickly turns sour in a the protesters invoking squatters’ dramatic way. rights and defending “foreigners” Stanford-alum Zacarias has (their non-native plants). “Native set up her two couples to be a Gardens” runs through Sept. 16 study in contrasts, right down to at the Mountain View Center for their backyard styles. Consultant the Performing Arts (500 Castro Frank and defense-contractor St.). Tickets are $35-$75. Go to Virginia are, although not yet theatreworks.org. LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and Voic es SEE MORE talk about the issues at Town Square at AROUND TOWN ONLINE MountainViewOnline.com will return. MountainViewOnline.com August 31, 2018 Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q 3 LocalNews QCRIMEBRIEFS SEXUAL BATTERY AT CONCERT Mountain View police are asking to talk with any other people who may have been allegedly touched inappropriately by a Union City man during a concert Aug.