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A recent city staff report about a proposed housing development at 555 W. Middlefield Road describes the project as “not likely to cause serious health problems.” This is a gross misrepresentation of the likely public health impacts.
AvalonBay Communities is proposing to build 323 units of additional housing on the site, which currently has 404 apartments. Those existing units would be retained. The City Council is set to review the project on March 24.
Claiming that the development wouldn’t cause serious health problems is a misrepresentation of the significant potential hazards from removing an effective natural highway vegetation barrier between the freeway and our residential neighborhood. This issue matters to us and beyond this specific project.
It sets a dangerous precedent and the threat to public health is real and long term. Exposures to auto emissions have been linked to cancer, respiratory diseases and dementia.
Many cities are unaware of the awesome power and unique capabilities of mature tree canopies within these barriers to protect public health, the environment and the climate.
Highway vegetation barriers are linear groves of trees along major roadways. Cities are often unaware that they perform public health functions, which often don’t have effective alternatives. These barriers can effectively filter hazardous particulate matter, absorb gaseous pollutants and reduce noise levels emitted by cars and trucks passing the neighborhood.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued recommendations for effective natural highway vegetation barriers, which include using evergreens, having trees extend high above freeway soundwalls, and ensuring dense foliage with overlapping canopies.
Natural highway vegetation barriers on private and public lands can be highly effective in reducing exposures. Most effective barriers exist on private lands, which is where nearly 90% of Mountain View’s urban forest is located.
My neighborhood consists of thousands of residents, families and children who will become more exposed to toxic vehicle emissions following the removal of a natural, mature and effective highway vegetation barrier.
Cities need to come to the realization that harmful actions taken by corporations and developers must be seriously considered in the design and construction of housing developments.
There are ways to build housing that is more environmentally sustainable, resilient, healthy, safe and eco-friendly. But I fear many cities may not possess the public health, environmental or ecological expertise needed to evaluate these types of major community impacts.
A developer’s primary motivation is profit for themselves and their shareholders. In contrast, a city’s primary responsibilities include safeguarding public health, welfare and the environment. There is a myth that permeates the public sphere that housing and nature are mutually exclusive with profit and sustainability. This myth has been proven to be false.
We need to educate and motivate cities, developers, architects and engineers to shift toward embracing creative and innovative building design standards that are more aligned with city policies and initiatives that address public health, welfare, the environment and climate change.
Daniel Shane is a Mountain View resident who worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency until his retirement in 2017.
The Mountain View Voice accepts Guest Opinion pieces from readers on matters of local public interest. The Voice strives to publish a diverse array of viewpoints. To find out more about submitting a Guest Opinion piece, send an email to editor@mv-voice.com.
