Mayor Kamei, Vice Mayor Ramos, and Members of the City Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on item 6.2 “Toyota Dealership/Service Center Appeal”.
While we support the right of the property owner to redevelop and conduct his business at the proposed site, we believe that many of the issues raised in the appeal are valid concerns. In particular, we recommend that the council modify the proposed project approval to address these issues raised in the appeal:
- Sound wall: Staff says that a seven-foot woodcrete wall would provide an effective sound barrier between the project and the residential neighborhood. The rowhouses behind the fence are up to three stories tall. Neither the developer nor staff provide evidence that such a wall would provide an effective sound barrier.
- Tower structure: The proposed tower is higher than any signage at the existing Magnussen Toyota site in Palo Alto. The Palo Alto site has operated effectively for decades there without such obtrusive signage. There is no need for it at the Mountain View site. We disagree with staff’s statement that consideration of the signage should be separated from this appeal. This is a key concern of the neighbors and should be dealt with by the city council.
- Performance bond: We support the use of a performance bond to ensure compliance with agreed on landscape standards, especially between the project and the residential neighborhood. A performance bond would require the developer to set aside money that would be forfeited if the required landscaping standards are not met. Unenforceable standards are of no value. We have seen many projects where agreements on issues like parking for moving vans, etc., have never been enforced, and are of no practical consequence.
- Heritage trees: We believe more needs to be done to retain heritage trees on the property and provide an effective barrier between the project site and the residential neighborhood. The project is not even living up to city replacement standards by allowing an in-lieu fee rather than 2-1 replacement. A 20-year canopy replacement timeframe will do little to help those who live near the project over the next 20 years. We should ensure that existing heritage trees along the boundary between the residential property and the project remain and are cared for. Additional large trees, of an appropriate species, should be added to the barrier. Heritage trees in proposed parking areas should be retained and cared for. Many parking lots in Mountain View have preserved heritage trees.
Thank you for considering our views,
Louise Katz, Robert Cox, Jerry Steach, Maureen Blando, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Hala Alshahwany, Nancy Stuhr, and Leslie Friedman
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
