Mountain View planning panel backs zoning changes to implement housing element, urges council review

The Mountain View Environmental Planning Commission on Nov. 5 recommended that City Council adopt a package of general plan, precise plan and zoning amendments to implement Housing Element Program 1.1.g, moving several underused commercial parcels toward mixed‑use residential development.

Senior Planner Krisha Pinoyar, giving the staff presentation, said the amendments would implement Program 1.1.g of the city's housing element and show the rezoning sites and densities under consideration: "The housing element rezoning sites and densities are shown here," she said, describing an approach that combines a general plan mixed‑use village center designation for some sites with a flexible precise plan approach for others.

Why it matters: the changes are intended to meet Mountain View's state housing commitments by adding zoned capacity in higher‑opportunity areas while attempting to preserve ground‑floor commercial space where feasible. The amendments would not change underlying commercial zoning for all sites; instead, they would create pathways for new residential uses consistent with the general plan's village‑center policies, staff said.

Key provisions and numbers: staff identified site‑specific designations and proposed densities. The Evendale Precise Plan area A would be allowed up to 43 dwelling units per acre; other neighborhood mixed‑use parcels would allow about 30 du/acre; a parcel at 1949 Grant Road would allow 35 du/acre; and the Mountain View Transit Center is proposed for up…