On January 24, the Mountain View City Council took a momentous step in their ongoing quest to ensure that every shopping center doesn’t look like a deserted wasteland peppered with tumbleweeds. They approved some zoning amendments allowing for residential development on shopping center sites while still insisting that retail must remain, because who doesn’t love a confusing real estate landscape?
The housing element update, a state-mandated love letter to planning that arrives every eight years, requires cities to devise a growth strategy based on the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. Basically, it’s like trying to figure out how many marshmallows can fit in your hot cocoa without it overflowing—only with houses instead of marshmallows and infinite bureaucratic paperwork.
Among the thrilling amendments, city staff proposed zoning changes that would welcome residential and mixed-use development at shopping centers. Naturally, this raised eyebrows and spawned rumors that local retail would vanish faster than your New Year’s resolution to gym membership—because who needs a grocery store when you can have apartments?
To clarify, housing has always been stashed away in Mountain View’s so-called Village Centers, where it comfortably coexists with retail—like oil and water, but if the oil was extremely concerned about zoning regulations.
The key question remains: does a site allow residential development? This delightful dilemma ties back to the city’s general plan and zoning ordinances. The former is a lofty vision, a crystal ball predicting the city’s future, while the latter is the nitty-gritty, deciding whether a plot of land can be a cozy home, lucrative office, or a combo platter of both.
According to state mandates, these two documents are supposed to tango together harmoniously, but as with any good dance, there are always two left feet. “Mountain View mostly has zoning that aligns with the general plan,” Council member Lucas Ramirez chirped, watching the floor show of inconsistencies unfold, “but not every property is in sync.”
One of the most glaring missed steps is evident in the Village Centers along El Camino Real and other shopping hubs. The general plan allows for mixed-use development, while the zoning ordinance keeps a strict ‘commercial only’ policy, essentially inviting residential development to a party it can’t attend but can hear from outside.
To make Village Centers eligible for the housing element sites inventory—and in compliance with state law—city staff nominated a zoning ordinance update. This would allow the unique fusion of residential and commercial use, an idea as novel as mixing peanut butter and pickles. The council, undoubtedly moved, unanimously waved their magic wands on January 24.
However, residential skyscrapers won’t sprout overnight as some astute observers predicted. The council also affirmed that any Village Center projects must retain neighborhood commercial uses, public open spaces, and gentle transitions to adjacent residential areas—because abrupt changes are so last decade.
Beyond Village Centers, the City Council earned its badge of honor by approving a zoning ordinance update that does away with pesky lot width and size minimums for 100% affordable housing in the notoriously high-density R4 district. “More flexibility is key for boosting affordable housing developments on these compact sites,” remarked Senior Planner Ellen Yau, showing a newfound dedication to demolishing red tape like a true urban superhero.
By eliminating these zoning hurdles, the city is, ideally, paving the way for more affordable housing—a task they’re legally obligated to juggle while simultaneously planning for sprawl and urban decay. Who said urban planning can’t be a contact sport?
