Update: SummerHill plans to resubmit their application with compromises including eliminating the 5th story while keeping the same number of units, adding more ground floor retail, and adding public pedestrian access between Anna Drive and El Camino. Â The project is expected to come back in another 6 weeks or so, with new renderings and after some additional community outreach.
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On Tuesday evening in Santa Clara, which a few weeks ago lost the third transit-oriented development on El Camino Real in less than a year in a close vote, the developer is appealing the project denial to City Council. Â The denial of the development was by only one vote.
If you do support housing near transit – this development at 2232-2240 El Camino Real would be one rapid bus stop away from the Caltrain station – this is a great time to come speak at Santa Clara City Hall at 7pm. Council’s perception was that “the community” didn’t want more housing – so if you think otherwise, now’s the time to speak up.
The developer, Summerhill, is proposing a number of compromises, addressing some of the community concerns:
- Eliminating the building’s 5th story. The project would have the same number of housing units, but would downsize several 2-bedroom units to studios and 1-bedroom units.
- More retail – the project would increase retail to ~18,000 square feet of commercial without counting any active community uses (leasing, lobby, community amenities) in this calculation.
- A community meeting room would be provided, free for local nonprofit and civic activities.
- Pedestrian access between Anna Drive and El Camino Real
Mountain View Transit Center Revamp
Also in Mountain View on Tuesday, the City Council is holding a study session, on the design decisions regarding revamping the transit Transit Center, looking at a variety of dimensions including the train station configuration; access for buses, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers; public space, and land use.
Council had already decided to close Castro street to cars and add an undercrossing for people walking and bicycling. Â Santa Clara County has raised $700M in Measure B funding to pay for grade separations, which could contribute to the project.
The staff report accurately portrays preferences in earlier community discussion for the alternative with the greatest focus for 4th alternative which transforms land currently used for car storage into buildings that extend Mountain View’s successful downtown.  The recommendation is to bring in developers to explore opportunities for different land uses.  An important question to address with developers is the appeal of housing close to the train.
The community preference to provide room for bike and pedestrian connections to be separate and allow people to bike through was reported, as was secure bike parking.
Regarding underground car parking – the staff report leaves as an open question whether underground parking, as preferred by community input, would be feasible. Menlo Park is getting underground parking in two developments near the downtown Caltrain station, for mixed use developments with housing, offices, and retail. Your blogger strongly suspects underground parking would be financially feasible in Mountain View unless there are extraordinary localized cost (for example due to water table or other geological issues.)
The staff report estimates that a ramp connection from Central Expressway into the parking area would cost $15Million to $25Million, serving 125 to 150 vehicles. The cost would be $12K-$25K per vehicle not counting the $60K+ cost of the structured parking. Â These costs seem exorbitant, and the staff report recommends against it.
If you live, work, or spend time in Mountain View, and have thoughts on transforming the transit center, come share your thoughts.
Not only is the ramp insanely expensive since station parking will fill anyway — so the $15-$25m cost won’t generate a single new rider — but I predict some will use it as a secret “back way” shortcut between Evelyn and Central (or vice versa).
If the underground parking is 2-3 levels, then it might have higher capacity than existing lot, so there might be something worth it about that. Plus, if the traffic impact is limited to the ramp + Central Expressway, it’s a little more palatable.
Having used to live in MV, I’m a little jealous / competitive that Palo Alto has higher Caltrain ridership, so I’d root for things to grow ridership. To me, higher ridership translates into more frequent service with a 4-track station being the holy grail. 🙂
@Martin, the only way to limit traffic impact to the “ramp + Central Expy” is to eliminate entrance ramps on the Evelyn side. Doing that would be far bolder and more daring, politically, than closing the Castro Street grade crossing. So that’s not going to happen.
In practice, a new station parking space adds _at most_ 1 daily round-trip rider (2 rides) to Caltrain — and that’s only if they wouldn’t have found another way (bus, shuttle, walk, bike, scoot, skate, Uber, Lyft, carpool, etc.) to get to the train anyway without it.
The “opportunity cost” of spending $100k (or more) to build each net new space in underground garages should be weighed against how many new Caltrain riders investing instead in, say, shuttles or more Caltrain cars or amenities like on-board WiFi which can lure and be used and enjoyed by far more new and existing riders all day long up and down the entire length of the line.
One could find a way to limit parking cut through traffic by simply adding a gate that hands out a ticket, but there might be other ways.
Also consider that Mountain View has lots of surface parking throughout the downtown. Those spaces could be merged with those of Caltrain underground, so they’ll get utilized both during the day and in the evening. The freed up land could get redeveloped with some proceeds contributing towards the parking garage.
If you’re gonna go underground, might as well dig a little deeper to free up the surface lot for shuttles and buses and farmer’s market.
My next question is how to make sure there’s enough space to build 4 Caltrain tracks in the future.