Council Eyes Tweaks to Rent Control
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The people’s chicken WEEKEND | 25 JULY 26, 2019 VOLUME 27, NO. 27 www.MountainViewOnline.com 650.964.6300 MOVIES | 28 Council eyes tweaks to rent control NEW SUBCOMMITTEE SEEKS MORE POWER TO MAKE CHANGES TO CSFRA By Mark Noack written in stone.” Those words may have elic- mid plans to draft a ited a double take. Clark had 2020 ballot measure, the previously actively campaigned Mountain View City against the CSFRA for being too ACouncil will likely seek greater rigid and extreme, and backed a influence over the city’s rent milder alternative that failed to control law, particularly a provi- pass muster with Mountain View sion giving members the ability voters in 2016. to make changes. Abe-Koga, who also had In its first meeting on Tuesday, opposed CSFRA, gave qualified July 23, members of a new City support for keeping aspects of Council subcommittee offered rent control in place. Earlier this SADIE STINSON a high-level vision of potential year, she had spearheaded plans Young actors rehearse in Peninsula Youth Theatre’s Studio B. With a 45% rent increase looming on changes they wanted to see for a 2020 ballot measure to its Old Middlefield Way building, PYT is giving up Studio B and getting rid of most of the costumes and made to the city’s rent control amend the program, which was props stored in it. law, known as the Community approved by voters in 2016 as an Stabilization and Fair Rent Act amendment to the city’s charter. (CSFRA). To the surprise of “Not everyone is happy with some, the three subcommittee everything in the CSFRA, but Peninsula Youth Theatre will downsize members — Margaret Abe-Koga, the voters voted, and times have Lucas Ramirez and Chris Clark changed,” she said. “We have it to stay in Mountain View after rent hike — voiced support for keeping here, so why not make it as work- rent control in Mountain View, able as we can?” STUDIO B, AND MOST OF ITS PROPS AND COSTUMES, TO BE SACRIFICED SO PYT CAN STAY LOCAL saying they wanted to amend It was a change of heart — the program to make it more or rhetoric — from city lead- By Kevin Forestieri threatened to displace Moun- to stay put and bear the burden flexible. ers. At this first subcommittee tain View’s longtime youth of the rent hike, according to “I want to make the CSFRA meeting, the council members eninsula Youth Theatre theater. a statement released by Karen sustainable in the long-term. I emphasized that they wanted to will keep its longtime Acknowledging that zoning Simpson, the executive direc- think it has done a good job in find ways to make the law more home on Old Middlefield restrictions and high costs in tor of Peninsula Youth Theatre the last few years,” Clark said. functional, not to gut it entirely, PWay after all, by giving up the area left them with few (PYT). “We need to take our learning as some feared. one of its studios in order to places to go, the theater’s staff from the last years to make sure The rent control law has been afford a steep rent increase that and board of directors agreed See THEATER, page 18 it’s a living, breathing document as opposed to this thing that’s See RENT CONTROL, page 10 No easy fix for Rancho San Antonio’s crowded parking lots STREET PARKING RESTRICTIONS HAVE MADE IT HARDER TO ACCESS POPULAR PRESERVE By Kevin Forestieri million residents, Rancho San Antonio, launching a study of the Ana Ruiz, the district’s general preserve, and as a result visitation Antonio only has 315 parking scope of the problem and wheth- manager. It’s highly accessible is quite high and continuously ancho San Antonio is the spaces which are packed during er bike and pedestrian access and — roughly 1 million people live increasing over time,” she said. Peninsula’s most popular peak hours. Visitors describe “green” transportation options within 10 miles of the park — Studies dating back to 1991 open space reserve, draw- long waits in idling cars, hoping could bring some relief. Adding and has a diverse range of trails predicted that the increasing Ring 700,000 visitors each year to for a space to open up, leading new parking lots is neither the for leisurely strolls and challeng- population and development in its winding 24-mile network of to frustration and “conflicts,” first nor the preferred option, but ing hikes. Add in good weather neighboring cities was bound trails. according to one report. will be considered in the study, and attractions like Deer Hollow to overwhelm the handful of But actually getting to the Last month, the Midpeninsula according to district officials. Farm, Ruiz said, and the park on-site parking lots off of Cristo preserve is a problem that’s get- Regional Open Space Preserve It’s no secret why Rancho San can get packed. Rey Drive in Cupertino. Some ting worse. Despite serving as resolved to do something about Antonio has long been Mid- “There’s all these reasons why a natural resource for close to 1 parking woes at Rancho San pen’s most visited preserve, said people want to come out the See PARKING, page 16 INSIDE ARTS & EVENTS 23 | GOINGS ON 29 | REAL ESTATE 30 Together, let’s increase your property’s market value with home improvement services. 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E-mailEmail itit toto [email protected]@mv-voice.com July 26, 2019 Mountain View Voice MountainViewOnline.com 3 LocalNews CRIMEBRIEFS MAN HIT AND KILLED BY CALTRAIN AT CASTRO STREET CROSSING A man was hit and killed by a Caltrain at the Castro Street crossing in Mountain View Monday evening Caltrain officials said in a statement. The southbound train struck the man who was reportedly tres- passing on the tracks at approximately 7:48 p.m., according to the statement. Trains began single-tracking through the downtown Mountain View transit station around 8:35 p.m. Traffic from Moffett Boulevard and Central Expressway onto Castro Street was blocked while the scene was under investiga- tion. Police diverted traffic at nearby intersections including See CRIME BRIEFS, page 22 POLICELOG AUTO BURGLARY 600 block W. Evelyn Av., 7/16 800 block E. El Camino Real, 7/13 1 block Amphitheatre Pkwy., 7/16 1100 block N. Rengstorff Av., 7/15 (16 cases) 1000 block Grant Rd., 7/15 1 block Amphitheatre Pkwy., 7/18 500 block N. Shoreline Blvd., 7/15 (6 cases) California St. & Hope St., 7/15 700 block E. El Camino Real, 7/18 100 block E. El Camino Real, 7/16 700 block E. El Camino Real, 7/20 YOU DESERVE TO FEEL LIKE 100 block Bryant St., 7/16 600 block Showers Dr., 7/22 300 block Hope St., 7/16 1 block Amphitheatre Pkwy., 7/22 200 block Franklin St., 7/17 (3 cases) 1100 block N. Rengstorff Av., 7/17 PEEPING TOM 2900 block N. Shoreline Blvd., 7/18 Easy St. & E. Middlefield Rd., 7/20 200 block Bryant St., 7/18 yorself again.