By John Flood

joe hu/town crier Cuesta Annex is a parcel of natural open space adjacent to Cuesta Park at the corner of Miramonte Avenue and Cuesta Drive, which is owned by the city of Mountain View.

After the Mountain View City Council voted in February to proceed with the Cuesta Annex master planning process, two workshops, scheduled for July 29 and August 19, will help determine the future of the 12-acre site. The workshops are open to all Mountain View residents.

Citizen groups, with widely differing visions of how the Cuesta Annex should be used, are actively following the progress of the planning process while they continue to advocate their vision of the best use of the site.

For some Mountain View citizens, preserving one of the few remaining examples of Mountain View’s agricultural past is at stake. For others, the site represents an opportunity to provide additional sports fields, alleviating the overload on the city’s existing recreational facilities. And for others, it’s an opportunity to erect a historical museum and an education center to celebrate Mountain View’s past.

For the city council, the master planning process is a way to reach out to Mountain View residents. The goal is to solicit opinions from the community to develop a consensus about the best ways to use the annex.

“It has to be an agreed consensus,” said Councilman Matt Pear. “You have to have different viewpoints, and what happens at Cuesta Annex will be an amalgamation of these viewpoints.”

For Robert Schick, artist and Mountain View resident for 42 years, the Cuesta Annex represents an important connection to the city’s agricultural past. Schick is a member of Save Open Space, an organization dedicated to preserving open land in Mountain View.

“Keep the back 9 acres the way it is,” he said. “Plant new fruit trees on a portion of the front 3 acres. Preserve the existing trees and plant flowers along the sidewalks.” Schick said he is not in favor of a sports field.

According to Pear, the Cuesta Annex has room to accommodate several uses.

“Use the property as a community garden with a heritage building, and there’s room for a sports field, too,” he said. “There is a big demand for recreational sports facilities in Mountain View.”

Robert Hair, a Mountain View resident for 15 years and president of the Los Altos/Mountain View Girl’s Softball League, said he is concerned that not adding a sports field at the annex would be a missed opportunity.

“The kids really need more space to play,” Hair said. “An increase in any field space will help the community as a whole.”

Bob Weaver, Mountain View resident for 26 years and a member of the Mountain View Historical Society, said the Cuesta Annex is an ideal location for a historical museum.

“Mountain View doesn’t have a museum,” Weaver said. “Our vision is to erect a museum and a barn. This is a perfect opportunity to preserve a small piece of what Mountain View looked like 100 years ago.”

“I’m glad we’re finally looking at the land,” said Councilwoman Laura Macias. “It’s important to us. And we’ll reach the best decision for the community with this process.”

For more information on the Cuesta Annex and upcoming workshops, visit www.mountainview.gov.