Environmental Planning Commission Meeting - September 17, 2025
Environmental Planning Commission Meeting - September 17, 2025
The Mountain View Environmental Planning Commission met on September 17, 2025, at 7:01 PM. Commissioners Dempsey and Chair Gutierrez were absent; Vice Chair Nunez presided. The meeting included a continued item, two public hearings on tenant relocation assistance and gatekeeper process amendments, and commission announcements.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 5.1 (749 W. El Camino Real): Robert Cox, speaking on his own behalf, expressed appreciation for the developer's efforts to preserve historic artwork and incorporate Richardsonian arches into the design. He raised a concern about the lack of dedicated parking for delivery vehicles (e.g., Amazon) in the 299-unit project, noting that similar issues on El Camino Real have caused traffic blockages. He urged proactive planning.
Discussion Items
- Item 5.1 – Continued to October 15, 2025: The commission announced this item would not be heard and would be continued to the next meeting. One public comment was received. A motion to continue passed 5-0 (2 absent).
- Item 5.2 – Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRAO) Amendments: Housing Director Wayne Chen presented six amendments to increase TRAO efficacy, including aligning move-out dates with SB 330, delayed notice of intent, provisions for temporary displacement (up to 90 days), removal of city enforcement exemption, codification of SB 330's right of first refusal, and increased benefits for low-income households (up to 80% AMI) and moving costs for all tenants within 50 miles. The ordinance would move from Chapter 36 to Chapter 46. Commissioners discussed noticing, proportionality, distance caps (50 miles), alternative mitigation equivalency, and tenant information accessibility. No public comments. The commission voted to recommend council adoption with additional suggestions: enhanced noticing (website/phone updates), explicit equivalency analysis for alternative mitigation, and evaluation of relocation cost differentials to encourage local stays. Motion passed 5-0 (2 absent).
- Item 5.3 – Gatekeeper Process Amendments: Community Development Director Christian Murdoch presented amendments to align city code with Council Policy G-9, establishing streamlined and regular gatekeeper processes. Streamlined categories include 100% affordable housing and projects of limited size with substantial community benefits. Regular gatekeeper projects have eight criteria (e.g., affordable housing, sustainability) but are not required to meet any. The policy requires a development agreement for community benefits. Public comment: Peter Katz (Mountain View Chamber of Commerce) supported the changes but questioned the two-year waiting period for resubmittal, calling it a cost burden. Commission discussion: Commissioner Cranston fully supported; Commissioner Donahue noted the shift away from EPC involvement but acknowledged the need for nimbleness. No amendments were made. Motion to recommend council adoption passed 5-0 (2 absent).
Key Outcomes
- Item 5.1: Continued to October 15, 2025, by a 5-0 vote.
- Item 5.2: Commission recommended council adoption of the TRAO amendments with additional suggestions for enhanced noticing, equivalency analysis, and relocation cost differential evaluation. Vote: 5-0.
- Item 5.3: Commission recommended council adoption of the gatekeeper code amendments as presented. Vote: 5-0.
- Commission Announcements: Commissioner Cranston requested staff study delivery vehicle parking in new developments; staff noted this will be addressed in upcoming downtown and Moffett Boulevard precise plan updates.
Meeting Transcript
Meeting of September 17th, 2025. I will call the meeting to order at 701 p.m. For those joining us in person, please note that due to our hybrid environment, audio and video presentations can no longer be shared from the lectern. Requests to show an audio or video presentation during a meeting should be directed to EPC at Mountainview.gov by 4 30 p.m. on the meeting date. Additionally, due to our hybrid environment, we will no longer have speakers line up to speak on an item. Anyone wishing to address the EPC in person must complete a yellow speaker card. Please indicate the name you would like to be called by when it is your turn to speak, and the item number on which you wish to speak. Wait. Yep. Please complete one yellow speaker. Yep, speaker card for each item on which you wish to speak. It is small text to right. On which you wish to speak and turn them into the EPC clerk as soon as possible, but no later than the call for public comment on the item you are speaking on. Instructions for addressing the commission virtually may be found on the posted agenda. Now I will ask the EPC clerk to proceed with roll call. Yes, uh Commissioner Dempsey. Commissioner Donahue. Here. Commissioner Yin. Here. Commissioner Cranston. Here. Commissioner Pham. Here. Vice Chair Nunez. Here. And Chair Gutierrez. All commissioners are present except for Commissioner Dempsey and Chair Gutierrez. All right. I'm gonna presume that Chair Fam would like to not be introduced as new for a third time. So I will proceed uh with the approval of the minutes for which there is none. And so uh we will speed this along to the oral communications uh item number four. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the EPC on any matter not on the agenda. Speakers are allowed to speak on any topic for up to three minutes during this section. State law prohibits the commission from acting on non-agenda items. If anyone in attendance would like to provide comments on non-agenda items, please fill out a yellow speaker card and provide it to the EPC clerk. If anyone on Zoom would like to provide comment on non-agenda items, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or press star nine on your phone. Phone users can mute and unmute themselves with star six. Mr. Clerk, do we have any speakers offering yellow cards or on the Zoom attendee list with raised hands? Um there's no one present uh in person. Uh no one online either. All right. Seeing none, I think we can close item four oral communications and proceed to item 5.1. And this being for 749 West El Camino Real, a mixed use residential item. Uh I would like to note that this item will be continued to October 15th, 2025. It will not be heard at today's meeting. There will be no formal staff presentation, but since the project was noticed at as a public hearing, EPC will still take public comments on this item. Now we'll move to public comment.
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