Mountain View City Council Special Meeting on 2025 Building Codes Update, August 26, 2025

At a special meeting on August 26, 2025, the Mountain View City Council held a public hearing on a comprehensive update to the city's building codes, including the adoption of new REACH Code provisions for electrification and bird-friendly design. The council unanimously approved the introduction of four ordinances, incorporating community-requested bird-safe design amendments and directing staff to provide an update on state-level single-stair reform efforts. The meeting lasted from 5:00 PM to 6:34 PM.

Consent Calendar

• None: The single agenda item was a public hearing, not a consent calendar item.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bruce Carney (17-year environmental advocate): Expressed pride in the city's environmental progress and urged adoption, highlighting free heat pump upgrades for low-income residents through Silicon Valley Clean Energy's (SVCE) Full Service Home Upgrade program.
• Shawnee Kleinhouse (Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance): Thanked staff and council for moving quickly, and requested specific amendments to the bird-safe design code: removing interior-applied film and netting as compliance pathways, and adding parallel panes of glass, atria, glazing adjacent to green roofs, and freestanding glass structures to the list of special conditions triggering bird-friendly glazing.
• Dasha Leeds (Sierra Club Loma Prieta chapter): Urged adoption of the bird-safe design amendments and supported the AC-to-heat pump provision, stating it is most cost-effective when replacing an air conditioner and noting that new gas appliances have electric starters, reducing resilience benefits.
• Mary Davio: Thanked staff and council, urged approval of electrification provisions to meet climate goals.
• John Scarborough (Mountain View resident): Expressed support for electrification changes, citing benefits for modernization and resilience against future natural gas costs.
• Bruce Nagel: Thanked staff, emphasized health benefits of reducing natural gas combustion (e.g., reduced asthma risks).
• Alex Brown: Commented briefly in support of birds, electrification, and stairs.
• David (public commenter): Requested the council agendize a future item to consider case-by-case approval for single-stair apartment buildings under CBC 104.11 as a safer alternative to wide double-corridor buildings.

Discussion Items

• 2025 Building Codes Update: Assistant Community Development Director Lindsay Hagen and Chief Building Official Nina Bizjack presented the staff report, which was prepared in just six weeks due to the urgency created by Assembly Bill 130 (effective June 30, 2025), which prohibits certain local amendments to the state building code for six years unless adopted by September 30, 2025. Key proposed amendments included:
  • Adoption of REACH Code provisions to encourage electrification, including an AC-to-heat pump requirement for single-family homes (with a cost-effectiveness study), and electric pre-wiring requirements for existing buildings undergoing alterations.
  • Adoption of bird-friendly design standards (from the optional state appendix) for new construction and major renovations of 10,000 square feet or more.
  • Removal of prior local amendments now superseded by state code, and reorganization of floodplain management and hazardous materials regulations.
• Councilmember McAllister asked about the cost of replacing water heaters and stoves, and whether the code would impose unfunded mandates on seniors or low-income residents. Staff clarified that like-for-like replacements generally do not require a permit, and that exemptions exist for hardship cases. SVCE noted rebates and a contractor-led home upgrade program funded through 2027.
• Councilmember Clark asked about occupancy sensor overrides for lighting requirements under the bird-safe code; staff confirmed sensors are permitted and life-safety lighting is exempted.
• Councilmember Hicks and Vice Mayor Ramos emphasized the importance of incorporating community feedback from the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance and Sierra Club.
• Councilmember Showalter moved approval of the four ordinances, including the bird-safe design amendments from the public letter, and the motion was seconded by Councilmember Ramirez.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous Vote (7-0): The council approved a motion to introduce four ordinances, with a second reading scheduled for September 9, 2025. The ordinances adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Code with local amendments, including REACH Code provisions for electrification (AC-to-heat pump, electric pre-wiring) and bird-friendly design.
• Bird-Safe Design Amendments Added: The motion includes removing interior-applied film and netting as compliance pathways, and adding specific hazardous features (e.g., glass passageways, atria, glazing near green roofs) to the list requiring bird-friendly glazing, as requested by the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance and Sierra Club.
• Staff Direction: Council agreed to have the intergovernmental relations team provide a status update on state-level single-stair reform legislation (AB 835) and possible local implementation.