Block Parties

Sponsored by Neighborhood Watch and MLNA

Block parties provide an opportunity to meet your neighbors, build camaraderie, and have a good time.  Neighborhood Watch is an important aspect of a safe and secure neighborhood.  Combined, they help make Monta Loma a better place to live.

Neighborhood Watch Captain Tom Purcell created maps showing the locations of the block parties held in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Links to these maps are also on the Maps page.

Anna Avenue block party August 2023

(Above) Participants of the 2500-block of Alvin’s block party in 2021
Photos of earlier 2500-block of Alvin block parties are here.
Photos of the August 2018 Thaddeus/Emmons/Richard Court party are here.
Photos of the Sept. 2019 Thaddeus/Emmons/Richard Court party are here.
Photos of the Sept. 2022 Thaddeus/Emmons/Richard Court party are here.

Here’s how it works:

You and your neighbors on at least one block-long street organize and execute a block party.  There are a variety of formats the block party can take: inside a home, in someone’s back yard, in one or more front yards and driveways, or you can block off a portion of the street and have it out in the open so it’s most inviting.  Be sure to check the city’s Block Party Rules and Regulations.

If you want to block off all or part of a street, you must obtain a permit from the MV Police Department.  First, download and complete the Block Party Application form.  Photo by Charles Ho - Thompson Court Block Party(If you would like an officer to stop by your party, request it on the application.)  Email the completed form to the Records Unit at the MVPD.  There may be a follow-up call to the applicant.

Allow 30 days for approval because the application must be approved by the Police Department, Fire Department, and Traffic Engineer.  The application notifies city services of the blocked-off street, so in case of emergency, police cars and fire trucks will not come barreling through, endangering you and your neighbors.  Any street barricades must be movable for emergency access.  There is no fee for the city permit, and the applicant will be contacted once it is approved.

%22Road closed%22 sign in sun

The City does not provide barricades, but you can borrow orange safety cones and “Road Closed” signs from CERT.  Contact John Thomas at johnt589@comcast.net at least two weeks before your party to arrange for pickup and return.

The MLNA will provide partial reimbursement based on the receipts submitted for eligible party supplies (paper and plastic goods, food, and non-alcoholic beverages) and on the number of participants: up to $100 for parties with 10-19 people, $150 for parties with 20-39 people, and $200 for parties with 40 or more people.  Use this sign-in sheet to verify the names and number of participants, plus their addresses as residents of Monta Loma.

The reimbursement will be made by check to the designated person upon tendering the receipts and sign-in sheets to the MLNA treasurer, Andre Valente, within 15 days of the event.  (Contact Marilyn for Andre’s address.)

All receipts and sign-in sheets must be submitted together, even for parties of two or more streets.  This provides the detailed documentation required for reimbursement from the grant we receive from the City of Mountain View.

Receipts should show expenses for food, drinks, and materials/utensils used at the block party. If necessary, highlight the applicable expenses on the receipts.  Alcoholic drinks are not reimbursable.  Only one reimbursement check will be issued.

It’s wise to distribute a flyer in advance of your party, asking neighbors to bring needed items.  You can display or download a Microsoft Word document containing sample invitations plus a sample list of needed items (PDF), and the sign-in sheet (PDF).

Learn more about Neighborhood Watch

If you have any questions, contact the MLNA Board.

Display or download a printable version of this information.