The city of Mountain View began construction on the new Rengstorff Park Aquatics Center this week, and for vehicle dwellers parked along Crisanto Avenue, the project adds another measure of uncertainty to an already precarious situation.
The city notified residents last month that no parking would be allowed on a portion of the street across from Rengstorff Park due to road work starting this week (May 15). According to a written notice to vehicle owners obtained by the Town Crier, “once the roadway work has been completed, legal permissible vehicle parking can resume.” The notice, dated April 29, gives no indication of when work will be completed, nor does it provide suggestions for alternative parking.
City spokesperson Lenka Wright told the Town Crier that parking will be restricted until Sept. 30.
Wright said in an email, “Over the last month, City staff has conducted outreach in English and Spanish to individuals living in vehicles on Crisanto Avenue to inform them of the upcoming construction work for the Aquatics Center project including most recently about parking restrictions.”
Wright also told the Town Crier that the “information also included details about available community resources.”
Hector Hernandez, who lives in an RV on Crisanto just past the line where the city is banning parking, said that though he hears often from the city, the information officials provide is often unclear or uncertain.
“I’m kind of concerned, because I need to know” (whether he’ll be able to continue parking on Crisanto),” Hernandez told the Town Crier.
Compounding the uncertainty of vehicle dwellers is the ongoing class action lawsuit against the city over its “narrow streets” ordinance and bike-lanes ordinance, which together prevent oversized vehicles from parking on 90% of city streets. The latest agreement between the city and plaintiffs in the suit – which include the ACLU as well as several Mountain View RV residents – bars the city from enforcing the laws at least until July 4.
Hernandez works as a chef in Palo Alto, where he used to live in an apartment until the rent became too expensive, so the prospect of moving out of Mountain View if the lawsuit fails is frustrating.
“Hell no to moving to San Jose,” he said, emphasizing that he just wants clarity as to whether he should look for a new place to park. “I am not complaining. We just need to know.”
Community outreach officer Janleah McPherson told the Town Crier that the city does not plan to tow vehicles parked on Crisanto. Wright confirmed that only one or two vehicles remained on the restricted portion of Crisanto as of Monday afternoon.
“At this time, the city is coordinating additional assistance for one resident,” Wright said, adding that “the parking impacts are related to PG&E capping off natural gas to the existing building (located in the Crisanto right-of-way) before the contactor can finish demolishing the existing building and pools,” as well as the high volume of trucks that will pass to and from the construction site hauling debris and construction materials.
