It took many by surprise, but the Los Altos School District’s recent decision to change targeted sites in Mountain View’s San Antonio neighborhood for a 10th school seems like a good one.
The new site, where the Kohl’s department store is located, is larger and has a property owner far more willing to negotiate than the owners of the initially targeted parcel – the site of the Old Mill/Safeway property at California Street and San Antonio Road.
It’s early June, another election is behind us, school is out, summer is around the corner and we’re all thumbs.
Thumbs-up: To the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District, whose students will get to enjoy updated and expanded facilities thanks to voters’ June 5 approval of Measure E. The $295 million bond cleared the 55 percent threshold required for passage quite comfortably and, with 67 percent of voters in favor, would have cleared the two-thirds majority required of such measures in the past. As a result, work on upgraded cafeterias, libraries and modernized classrooms is scheduled to begin next year and wrap up in 2020.
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: We think smoking is a disgusting habit. Secondhand smoke is an irritant at best and a killer in the worst-case scenario.
But Los Altos’ recently approved smoking ban – prohibiting smoking virtually everywhere except in the privacy of one’s home – is misguided and pretty much a useless piece of legislation. While we appreciate the motivation behind it, it is a hollow law from a practical standpoint.
Forgive us, but we are still reeling from sticker shock. The Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District seeks to pass Measure E, a $295 million bond, on the June 5 ballot to expand, improve and update facilities. The district needs only 55 percent of the vote to pass the measure.
Needless to say, that’s a lot of money, even by 2018 standards. Just eight years ago, MVLA asked voters to approve $41.3 million in new bonds to build new classrooms and update facilities. At $30 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, Measure E would cost voters up to $300 annually on a home assessed at $1 million. (The district’s 2017-2018 figure for median assessed valuation is $939,364.)
Note: This editorial has been updated to correct factual errors.
A healthy community fosters a forward-thinking approach while recognizing and appreciating its history. Los Altos is such a community.
The Downtown Vision project that is set to wrap up this year stands to establish an exciting blueprint for a vibrant city center in the decades ahead. On the history side, Los Altos boasts a state-of-the-art museum that is the envy of surrounding communities.
Here at the Town Crier, our goal for more than 70 years hasn’t changed. We want to be your source for accurate community news that helps you know what’s going on around you.
As we strive to cover more of what’s happening at our city halls and school district offices, in our classrooms and on our athletic fields, we need your help. In addition to the weekly newspaper, we are trying to get timely news out to readers via our weekly email alerts and website, along with Facebook and Twitter.
The new state law legalizing marijuana has prompted cities like Los Altos to enact ordinances temporarily preventing commercial uses while leaders consider permanent regulations.
The Los Altos City Council’s recently approved urgency ordinance bans retail sales, but only until late November. Meanwhile, city staff have been asked to observe the impact of the law on other communities and report back. Of the options available, Los Altos could allow limited sales – one council member suggested along El Camino Real.
The Town Crier welcomes letters to the editor on current events pertinent to Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View. Write to us at 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022, Attn: Editor, or email editor Bruce Barton at bruceb@latc.com. Because editorial space is limited, please confine letters to no more than 200 words. Include a phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be printed.
You can also have your say right here at losaltosonline.com – scroll to the bottom of any story to add a comment.
