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Army evicts dozens from Shenandoah

by Daniel DeBolt

The Army has posted 60-day eviction notices on the doors of 25 to 40 homes at Shenandoah military housing, forcing retired military personnel and government employees to make way for new active duty Army personnel at Moffett Field.

Resident Darla Bunker, whose husband works for the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, said she always knew she would be asked to leave the complex at Middlefield Road and Moffett Boulevard, but never like this.

"It's not like they asked us to move out in 60 days, they gave us eviction notices," she said. "To get a 60-day notice pinned on your door ... it's a little gut-wrenching to receive something like that."

Bunker said she will miss the community of military and government personnel. She has neighbors employed by the FBI, the Geological Survey and the General Services Administration. Some of them are also military veterans.

The eviction notice states that retired military personnel are being asked to leave, Bunker said, but it is unclear how many. Complex manager Ken Streiff referred the Voice to management company spokesperson Stacia Schuster, who did not return phone calls.

According to Daniel Vargas, chief of staff of Army Reserves at Moffett Field, the Army may need the room because a new training and reserve center is set to replace the vacant Orion Park housing, and 34 active duty Army personnel are currently arriving at Moffett. But he said he could not explain how or if the 34 new personnel led to the Shenandoah evictions.

Management company Clarke-Pinnacle has already denied requests from Bunker and others for lease extensions, Bunker said. They also won't be providing any relocation expenses, such the two months rent and $500 allowance that the city requires tenants be paid whenever an apartment is slated for redevelopment.

Patricia Matthews, spokesperson for the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Palo Alto, said no VA Hospital patients were being evicted.

Bunker moved into the 1,100-square-foot, $1,500-a-month apartment after the Orion Park housing complex near Moffett Field was closed down in 2006. She said she doesn't know why the Army is in such a hurry and would like to stay until the end of the year.

Bunker wonders if the evictions aren't a consequence of complaints from several neighbors at a recent town hall meeting regarding new rules for the complex. Bunker said Clarke-Pinnacle wanted severe restrictions on the types of plants and furniture people were allowed to have on their patios, among other things.

"We kind of gather this is their way of remedying this," she said.

E-mail Daniel DeBolt at ddebolt@mv-voice.com

Posted by Liz, a resident of the North Whisman neighborhood, on Sep 19, 2008 at 3:16 am

Is Shenandoah military housing the condominiums on the NW corner of Middlefield Road and Moffett Blvd. with the big empty field in front? I always wondered why that field has not been turned into a big city park and just noticed on the city map recently that the lot is not incorporated as part of Mountain View. I wonder if there are any plans to incorporate it in the future since that part of town could use a nice park.

Posted by Richard, a resident of another community, on Sep 21, 2008 at 10:34 pm

Well here we go again showing that no one CARES..

It would be nice if our “local” politicians care about the local situation.

It was just like the Navy Exchange/Service Station at Moffett. No one CARES and people have other plans.

It would be GREAT if our (?) politicians would step up and support the Armed Service Community (Active Duty, Guard, Reserve and Retirees). Be it SAVING HANGER ONE or get us a new Base Exchange/Service Station or a modern Commissary or LEAVING BASE HOUSING ALONE.....

I get the feeling the Bay Area Congressional Delegation does not care about the Armed Service Community (Active Duty, Guard, Reserve and Retirees).

Write’em –

8th The Honorable NANCY PELOSI

450 Golden Gate Ave. - 14th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94102

9th The Honorable BARBARA LEE

1301 Clay Street Suite 1000

North Oakland, CA 94612

12th The Honorable JACKIE SPEIER

400 S. El Camino Real, Suite 410

San Mateo, CA 94402

13th The Honorable PETE STARK

39300 Civic Center Dr, Suite 220

Fremont, CA 94538

14th The Honorable ANNA ESHOO

698 Emerson Street

Palo Alto, California 94301

15th The Honorable MICHAEL HONDA

1999 South Bascom Ave, Suite 815

Campbell, CA 95008

16th The Honorable ZOE LOFGREN

635 N. First Street, Suite B

San Jose, CA 95112

The Honorable SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN

One Post Street, Suite 2450

San Francisco, CA 94104

The Honorable SENATOR BARBARA BOXER

1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240

San Francisco, CA 94111

Posted by Member, a resident of the Shoreline West neighborhood, on Oct 5, 2008 at 5:31 pm

This is one of few military housing communities that had allowed retires to live in it. Military housing communities are meant for active duty personnel. It is great that when the area had excess homes that they were able to make them available to retirees who choose to live in the area. But military housing communities are designed to provide affordable housing to active duty military personnel who are forced to locate to high cost areas, such as the SF Bay Area, where housing costs on the market exceed the housing allowances that military personnel received. If more active duty are coming to the area, the retirees should leave. I bet when the same retirees, who do deserve a thanks for their service to the nation, were on active duty, they would have been just as upset if they came to this area and could not find affordable military housing, because I retiree was taking up the house that was built for the active duty person's use.