Mountain View has approved two major housing projects set to add hundreds of new housing units to the city, but not without some acrimonious wrangling with some of the applicants.
At a meeting on Nov. 18, the city council approved a mixed-use project with 299 units at 749 West El Camino Real and 455 units at 901-987 North Rengstorff Ave.
Both items passed with 6-1 votes, with Councilmember Alison Hicks opposing the El Camino Real project and Councilmember John McAlister opposing the Rengstorff Avenue project.
The 299-unit housing development would replace the Chase Bank at the corner of West El Camino Real and Castro Street. Proposed by Charleston-based multinational developer Greystar, the development calls for a mixed-use structure with 299 residential apartment units and 10,830 square feet of retail, restaurant, bank space and parking at 749 West El Camino Real Ave. Project plans include the demolition of the still-operating Chase Bank building at the site, which includes a historic mosaic created by architect Millard Sheets in the 1970s. The vacant Clarke’s Restaurant next to the Chase parking lot will also be demolished.
Councilmember Lucas Ramirez supported the project.
“Fundamentally, it’s a good project. I think the motion captures the spirit of what the applicant has asked for and we will see where it goes from there,” he said.
However, contention grew at the meeting before the approval as the legal team representing the applicant threatened legal action after council denied requests for an eight-year permit expiration instead of two years.
“While staff has not had the opportunity to fully review the request, we are moving forward with the hearing despite the last minute nature of the request,” said Amber Blizinski, assistant community development director.
Greystar officials claimed the council was intractable for their lack of consideration of the request.
“We’ve voluntarily done what’s right every step along the way,” said Dan Deibel, a spokesman for Greystar.
Mayor Ellen Kamei indicated that the aggressive response by Greystar was unprecedented – but noted the need to pass the approval.
The proposal calls for a 41-foot-tall, two-story, 11,500-square-foot bank, and a 75-foot-tall six-story mixed-use building with ground-floor commercial use and two levels of underground parking.
According to city documents, the 3.1-acre project site is occupied by a vacant 1,487-square-foot restaurant building at the northeast corner and an open, 18,302-square-foot Chase Bank on the northwest corner. Both buildings would be demolished.
The original bank building, a Home Savings and Loan Association Bank, was built in the 1970s and designed by Millard Sheets, according to city environmental review documents. The artwork contained in the building includes the mosaic mural, a stained glass window and canvas mural.
The bank building and artwork are considered historic resources under the California Environmental Quality Act. The applicant is considering relocation of the artwork to the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts or inside the Mountain View Public Library.
