Mountain View Whisman trustees approve option to buy staff-housing land and sign ground lease to occupy building

Mountain View Whisman School District trustees voted unanimously on Jan. 23 to approve an option-to-purchase agreement with the property owner and to sign a ground lease that will allow the district to occupy a recently completed staff-housing building.

The measures give the district the right to pursue purchase of the land under the building and permission to move staff into units while the two parties complete appraisal and financing work. Trustee Bill Lambert moved both approvals; the record shows all five trustees voted in favor.

The board heard a staff presentation that described the option agreement as a nonbinding right to negotiate a final purchase price and terms within the months ahead. Attorney Phil Henderson told trustees the district—s payment under the option process would include an initial fee discussed in the presentation and that independent appraisals by each party could be swapped and negotiated; if the parties could not agree, a third appraiser would be used. Henderson said the district would not be obligated to buy the land if the resulting price or financing plan proved unacceptable.

Public commenters largely opposed the approvals. Resident Hendra urged trustees "to not sign the 100,000 agreement for option to purchase," calling the staff-housing project "a…