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For years, Magnussen Toyota has been planning to relocate and build a new auto center at Old Middlefield Way in Mountain View, less than half a mile away from its Palo Alto location.
But it has faced significant opposition from a nearby community of residents who say the auto center would degrade the quality of life in their neighborhood and expose them to harmful pollutants.
Now, the Mountain View City Council has weighed in on the development, ultimately rejecting an appeal from residents requesting that the city impose more conditions on the recently approved project.
“For us to overturn a zoning administrator decision is high, and it’s high deliberately,” said Council member Chris Clark, who addressed the appellants at a council meeting on Thursday, March 13.
“We set rules, and the purpose of setting those rules is so that everyone knows what the rules are. Everyone knows, hopefully, what they’re getting themselves into,” he said.
In December, the city approved the project at an administrative zoning hearing, paving the way for Magnussen Toyota to build a two-story auto center at 2319 Old Middlefield Way – much to the dismay of Maravilla residents whose townhomes abut the property from Rock Street.
On Jan. 2, the residents submitted an appeal to the City Council, asking for stronger mitigations to be placed on the project to reduce noise, air and light pollutants. The appeal argues that the auto center conflicts with the existing character and scale of the neighborhood, and raises concerns about the removal of 80 heritage trees.
It also contests the suitability of a CEQA exemption for the project, claiming that the development is in conflict with the city’s general plan and would result in significant negative environmental impacts.
“I want to be clear right off the bat here, we’re not opposed to the development of this dealership. We just have concerns that we’d like to see addressed,” said Maravilla resident Brandon Schlinker, who presented the appeal to the council on March 13.
The appellants proposed a number of mitigation measures, largely focused on the design of the nearly 40,000 square foot facility and landscaping plans. They also expressed concerns about construction impacts to the neighborhood, requesting more protections from noise and dust.
Magnussen Toyota described many of the changes to the project that were implemented to address community concerns, like planning for more rooftop screening and minimizing nighttime lighting, as well as relocating a trash enclosure and concealing a ramp.
More recently, it has agreed to reduce the height of a large sign and remove an employee break area located near the Maravilla property. It also agreed to mitigate construction disturbances.
The removal of 80 heritage trees that includes a large hedge of redwoods, however, remained a point of contention for the wider community who urged the council to do more to protect the existing trees.
The developer has proposed to replace the heritage trees with 43 new trees and pay in lieu fees for the remaining replacement trees, as they would not fit on the site. The council report says that the new tree plantings would nearly match the existing canopy in five years, and more than double the existing canopy in 20 years at full maturity.
The City Council backed the developer’s landscaping plan, after pressing for more information about the viability of the trees and new plantings. Several council members also remarked on the poor health of the redwood hedge in particular.
“If you saw the trees, you’d tear them down too,” said Council member John McAlister.
Council members also pushed back on claims that the site was incompatible with the city’s land use plans, noting that the area was zoned for light industrial commercial and currently supports a high concentration of existing auto dealership and repair services.
“I do think that this follows the rules as they are laid out, and will be an upgrade of this area under the existing zoning,” Council member Pat Showalter said, adding that the uses would be the same as before and so a CEQA infill exemption was appropriate.
McAlister expressed particular concern about maintaining the area as a site for small businesses to thrive. “We’re losing small business, service businesses, electricians, the plumber. So, we need to maintain these industrial areas so we have the services to provide for the city where people can take care of their day-to-day needs,” he said.
The tax revenue also would be a big boon for Mountain View, according to the council report. “Sales tax revenue could be approximately $1.6 million per year or more based on typical sales by other dealerships across the state,” the report said.
Ultimately, council members upheld the zoning administrator’s approval of the project. But they also remarked on the importance of the Maravilla residents’ input, commending their involvement as a model for others to follow.
“You made this project a lot better, and it’s going to be better for not just you who lives there now, but all the people who live there for the next 20 or 30 years,” Showalter said. “And it’s probably going to make it much better for the functioning of the Toyota dealership as well.”
The tough part about living across from a dealer besides the lights is the fact that you’re really living across from a high volume auto repair shop with its own environmental implications.
Electric cars can’t come soon enough.
This comes down to Mountain View City Council prioritizing money over building on the charm, community, and character of what USED to make Mountain View such a desirable place to live. This has been their trend since they started sucking up to Google. Where does the development of more cement, congestion, and pollution stop?? When do the pleas and preferences of the existing community start getting really heard and respected??
So disappointed in the Council’s continued selling out.
Big kudos to the Miravella group for their their voices and efforts.💪🏼