City Hall Connection
December 8, 2021
News and Information from the City of Mountain View
City Council Adopts Gateway Master Plan
Gateway Master Plan
At the Tuesday, Dec. 7 meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Gateway Master Plan. The Gateway site is a key entrance to the North Bayshore area and is located at the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 101 and North Shoreline Boulevard.

The Master Plan will help implement the transformation of the North Bayshore Precise Plan area into a complete community with homes, offices, and neighborhood-serving and regional retail and entertainment uses connected by pedestrian, bicycle and transit infrastructure. The Gateway Master Plan creates a framework of streets, open space, walkable blocks and infrastructure improvements to ensure an integrated and vibrant mixed-use center while providing flexibility for phased development by individual property owners (Google and Sywest). The Master Plan envisions dividing the area into three key districts (residential, mixed-use and office/entertainment) and would accommodate as many as 2,800 homes, 500,000 square feet of office, and 300,000 square feet of retail and entertainment uses centered around open space including a neighborhood park, a central plaza and retail “Main Street.”

For more details, visit the Gateway Master Plan webpage.
City Awarded $5 Million Grant for
 LifeMoves Mountain View
The California Department of Housing and Community Development announced in late November that the City of Mountain View has been awarded a $5 million grant as part of the State’s Community Development Block Grant Homekey program to support LifeMoves Mountain View.

LifeMoves Mountain View is an interim housing community with supportive services for homeless or unstably housed individuals, couples and families to get help to transition into permanent supportive housing. The grant funds will be used to improve the program’s operations, such as adding parking closer to the interim housing and on-site solar panels to enhance environmental sustainability and lower operating costs.
Monarch Butterfly Habitats to Expand, Thanks to Grant from Google
The City of Mountain View is establishing several new pollinator habitats at the Shoreline at Mountain View wildlife and recreation area to help preserve and protect the monarch butterfly. The City’s butterfly habitat preservation effort is the result of a $30,000 grant from Google.

The City will use the grant funding for developing and maintaining three pollinator habitats on 7.7 acres at Shoreline:
  • Phase 1 will be a .5 acre site within the 9-acre North East Meadowland area
  • Phase 2 will include two areas: a 2.7-acre site near Pond 1 at Shoreline Golf Links and a 4.5-acre site near Pond 2 on the golf course. Both habitats are expected to be completed in 2022.

Learn more about this project from the City’s news release.
Give Yourself the Gift of a New Skill this Season
The California State Library recently announced the award of a $4.366 million American Rescue Plan Act grant to provide libraries across the state access to online job training, skill-building, academic and vocational exam prep, and professional development in multiple languages and for a variety of skill levels.

Through this program, individuals in Mountain View can access Coursera, GetSetUp, LinkedIn Learning, Northstar, and Skillshare. These online resources expand the digital workforce platform offerings at Mountain View Public Library and allow patrons to walk into the library (or visit the website), participate in online classes, take practice exams, learn new skills, and more, all for free.

Resources are available at: MountainView.gov/SkillBuilding.
Have You Taken the Communications Survey Yet?
There is still time to participate in the City’s Communications Survey. Your input will help improve the usability of the City website, MountainView.gov, and enhance readability of The View newsletter.

Give your feedback through the online survey, SurveyMonkey.com/r/CommunicationsMV. The survey is also available in Spanish, Chinese and Russian.

The survey runs through 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17.
Community Services and Activities
Santa's Workshop is Dec. 11
Santa’s Workshop will take place on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Mountain View Senior Center.

Youth participants will spend the morning building and creating incredible holiday-themed crafts. Participants will have the opportunity to design ornaments, customize their own stocking, decorate cookies, write a letter to Santa and more!

Register online at MountainView.gov/Register and register using Code 15789.
Dec. 10 Deadline for Annual Letters to Santa
This holiday season, children can put together their wish lists and send them to Santa! Sending a letter is free and is available to Mountain View residents only.

There are two easy ways for Santa to receive letters:
  • Drop your child’s letter in Santa’s mailbox located in the Community Center lobby (201 S. Rengstorff Ave.) between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
  • Or mail your letter to:
Santa Claus
℅ City of Mountain View Recreation Division
P.O. Box 7540
Mountain View, CA 94039

Don’t forget to include your return address so Santa can respond. Letters will be accepted until Friday, Dec. 10.
Community Tree Celebration Lights Up the Night
Thank you, Mountain View, for helping us bring back the annual Community Tree Lighting celebration. With a concert-like atmosphere, festive performances, street booths and entertainment, and a “jolly ol’ elf,” families, friends and neighbors turned out to share in holiday cheer. Make sure to swing by the Civic Center Plaza whenever you need a little holiday spirit and visit our community tree.
Continue the Holiday Spirit OnStage at MVCPA
COVID-19 Briefing
Omicron May Be New, but We Already Know How to Protect Ourselves
While there is much to learn about the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department provides this guidance on the best ways to protect ourselves:
  • Get vaccinated, including a booster. sccFreeVax.org
  • Get tested regularly. Everyone should get tested if they have symptoms, plan to travel or go to holiday gatherings. sccFreeTest.org  
  • Wear a mask. Regardless of vaccination status, masks are required indoors and recommended in crowded outdoor areas.
  • Stay home if you are sick. Help protect others by staging home if you have any symptoms of COVID. sccStayHome.org

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regularly updates information online about the Omicron variant and what you need to know.
Expanded Hours for Vaccinations at Mountain View Community Center Continue through Dec. 23
The County of Santa Clara will continue with expanded hours at the vaccination site located at the Mountain View Community Center through Dec. 23. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. This vaccination site will also operate on Monday, Dec. 20 from 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Saturday hours will remain the same, which are 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

Schedule a free COVID-19 vaccine appointment by visiting sccFreeVax.org.
Free Testing Opportunities at the Community Center
The City of Mountain View continues to partner with the County of Santa Clara to offer COVID-19 testing at the Mountain View Community Center every two weeks. Upcoming testing dates are Dec. 13 and 27.
 
To make an appointment, visit https://scl.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment.

Visit sccFreeTest.org for additional testing locations.
Upcoming Meetings & Events
For a complete list and more information, visit MountainView.gov/Events.

Dec. 8 | Visual Arts Committee | 6 p.m. | online
Dec. 8 | Parks & Recreation Commission | 7 p.m. | online
Dec. 13 | Youth Advisory Committee | 4:30 p.m. | online
Dec. 13 | Board of Library Trustees Meeting | 7 p.m. | online
Dec. 13 | Rental Housing Committee | 7 p.m. | online
Dec. 14 | City Council Meeting | 5 p.m. | online
Dec. 15 | Senior Advisory Committee | 2 p.m. | Senior Center
Dec. 15 | Environmental Planning Commission | 7 p.m. | online
Dec. 23-24 | City offices closed for holiday | all day
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AskMV at Your Service
Available 24/7, Ask Mountain View is an easy way to send your questions, concerns and compliments directly to City staff who can help you. Download the app or submit a request online at MountainView.gov/AskMV.
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