Balanced Growth

By Mike Kasperzak

I will work for balanced residential and commercial growth that enhances our quality of life

The vitality of Mountain View is to a significant degree based on the fact that we have a strong commercial sector which is in, for the time being, an economic boom. Our manufacturing and retail outlets provide Mountain View with sales tax dollars which help finance the services that the City provides. Additionally, the employees that work in Mountain View add to the vibrancy of our economy through their purchases and dining. Many of our surrounding communities have no economic base to speak of, and as a result, have little or no sales tax revenue.

However, as with most things in life, there is a downside to a strong commercial sector, including:

• Increased housing demands
• Traffic
• Environmental issues
• Economic displacement
• Diminished "quality of life"

Adequate housing not only helps avoid increased traffic congestion but increases the pride the employees feel about the community they work AND live in. We have wonderful neighborhoods in Mountain View. We MUST avoid overcrowding and other actions that might change the character of our neighborhoods. However, there are areas, such as the downtown area that are ideally suited for community oriented higher density housing which is well built and developed in such a fashion that it enhances the quality of life for the rest of the people who live and work in Mountain View.

Both commercial and residential housing developments need to have traffic and parking management plans to relieve congestion. High density housing in the downtown area is near mass transit and offers residents the opportunity of not having to commute by car. Furthermore, they can walk downtown, lessening the demand for parking. It might even be possible to provide incentives for people who don't have cars. In Europe, tenants without cars pay less rent than those who own cars.

By ensuring that there is BALANCED commercial and residential growth, and that active measures are taken to ensure that any development enhances our quality of life, we can continue to live in a community that flourishes and that we are proud to call home.