Monta Loma

Join the Monta Loma Neighborhood Association for our annual meeting on Wednesday evening, June 3.  Plan to attend to chat with neighbors, welcome our newer residents, elect your board members, and listen to guest speakers Mountain View City Manager Kimbra McCarthy and Community Development Director Christian Murdock.  Due to a schedule conflict, Mayor Ramos will not be able to attend, as previously stated in the May newsletter.

We will meet in the Multi-Use Room (MUR) of Monta Loma Elementary School, 460 Thompson Ave.

Please arrive early to allow time to socialize with neighbors, board candidates, and guests.  Refreshments will be provided by the Monta Loma Neighborhood Association.

Schedule

6:30 p.m.  Doors open for socializing.

7:00 p.m.  Meeting begins with an update and election of board members by voice vote.  The candidates are listed in the following article.

7:20 p.m.  Our speakers will discuss these projects that will affect our neighborhood:

• • New development projects along San Antonio corridor, including information about plans underway by the City of Palo Alto.
  • SB 79, which allows more density near mass transit, including the San Antonio Caltrain station.
  • Parks and open space, including the mini park at Thompson and Middlefield.

7:40 p.m.   Questions

8:00 p.m.  Meeting ends to allow time for socializing before the building must be vacated by 8:30.

An explanation of the San Antonio Road Area Plan (SARAP) is on page 5 of the May newsletter.

An explanation of how SB 79 can affect Monta Loma is on page 5 of the March newsletter.

The candidates for the June 2026 board election are
President – Andre Valente
Treasurer – Andre Valente
Secretary – Natalia (Natasha) Chuprakova

Members-at-Large
Tricia DelGaudio – newsletter layout
Robert Engelmann
Silke Gürlich
Cheryl Smith – newsletter editor

The new Board is seated on July 1, the beginning of our fiscal year.

The March 2026 issue of the Monta Loma Neighborhood newsletter includes an article on page 5 about the impact that California Senate Bill 79 (SB-79) can have on Monta Loma homes. 

Effective July 1, 2026, the properties within the areas designated in the accompanying map will be subject to mandatory density rezoning to allow for 90- and 70-foot-high buildings, respectively.

The City’s map in the newsletter shows plots located within a quarter mile and a half mile from the entrance to the San Antonio Caltrain Station.  A larger version of the map is here.

The Monta Loma Neighborhood Association (MLNA) is gathering feedback on this legislation.  Please fill in the survey.

John Bianco once again ran his dad’s model trains at the Bianco home on Adele for six evenings every week between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

You can see a photo of the three upper-level trains by scrolling down to page 25 here, in the November 15, 2024, edition of Palo Alto Online.  Two larger trains run on separate tracks at ground level.

Other past articles about Ernie’s trains appeared in the Mountain View Voice in 2010, 2012 (pages 1 and 9); 2016; and 2018 (pages 1 and 17).

A 2015 article in the San Francisco Chronicle features photos by James Tensuan, son of neighbor Donna Tensuan.

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Karla Valente again created a page to encourage Monta Loma neighbors to donate to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.  Our contributions provided a nutritious mix of fresh produce, protein, and pantry items so that local families could enjoy a holiday meal together.  Each dollar helped provide food for two meals.  This year’s fundraiser raised $1,971.

The MLNA Ice Cream Social is our biggest social event of the year, and our best opportunity to meet our neighbors. This year it was on Sunday, August 24, from 3:00 to 5:00 in Monta Loma Park.  Among the things to see and do were:

• Meet your neighbors, both long-time and newcomers.
• Bring your new neighbors to the Welcome Team’s table for information about the neighborhood.
• Visit the ice cream table for a free individually wrapped frozen treat.
• Learn about a proposed collaboration with the Police Department to share outdoor security-camera footage when relevant.
• Meet representatives of the Mountain View Whisman School District and Monta Loma Elementary School Principal Meghan Jinguji, and visit their combined display.
• Volunteer to help our Monta Loma Elementary School at its PTA table.
• Volunteer to help Crittenden Middle School at its PTA table.
• Chat  with  members of the Mountain View City Council, who have been invited as guests.
• Pick up copies of City information on the Sustainability Initiatives and Programs.
• Learn more about the city’s Zero Waste and Food Scraps & Recycling programs.
• Visit the Recreation Department‘s table for upcoming classes and events.
• Learn about the city’s Multicultural Engagement Program that offers information in Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.
• Check out a Fire Department engine and crew.
• Visit our Community Emergency Response Team’s (CERT) display for emergency-preparedness information.
• See a demonstration of ham radio by Stiv Ostenberg.
• Learn about birds from Dotty Calabrese and the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance.
• Receive a balloon creation from Gizmo Gary Heyman and his daughters.
• Contribute some local lore or artifacts to the Monta Loma History display.
• Receive gardening advice and free plants at the plant-exchange table.
• Chat with Robert Cox about the Mountain View Historical Association.
• Learn about about Monarch and Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies and their host plants from Alan Whitaker.
• Watch (or ride in) a buggy pulled by robot horses driven by Wouter Suverkropp.
  • Enjoy Gloria Jackson’s pink cotton candy after 4:00.

   

More than 50 residents attended the Annual Meeting on May 28 to hear guest speaker City Manager Kimbra McCarthy.  She showed slides as she explained how the City works and the council’s seven Strategic Priorities, then addressed three topics that will affect our neighborhood.

– The future park at 538 Thompson Ave.  Monta Loma residents will be invited to participate in the design, scheduled to begin later this year.  The City has purchased one adjoining property, 2231 W. Middlefield Rd., and hopes to purchase adjacent properties to enlarge the future park.

– The Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project.  Due to the increase in cost, the project to lower Rengstorff Avenue to pass under the Caltrain tracks has been postponed.  The City is looking for Federal money to fill the gap.

– The San Antonio Corridor Plan.  This will impact our neighborhood directly due to our proximity.  Monta Loma residents were urged to participate in Palo Alto’s planning process by applying for a seat on the Community Advisory Group by the May 30 deadline.

Police Chief Mike Canfield came with Kimbra and explained the newly installed ALPRs (Automated License Plate Readers) with FLOCK brand cameras.  Working with other police departments, the MVPD tracked a car that had been used multiple burglaries.  When the car was identified, a SWAT team was sent to the driver’s location, where jewelry and firearms were found.

The Mountain View Transparency dashboard.  Monta Loma is in Beat 3.  This shows a decrease in the number of crimes in our area.  Chief Canfield encouraged residents to use the Portal and to give feedback.

The Monta Loma Community Portal.  Monta Loma is the first neighborhood to pilot a portal to upload digital evidence to the Mountain View Police Department.  Content would include footage from Ring or security cameras that may be useful to track down burglary suspects. Feedback is encouraged.

Mountain View Police Chief Mike Canfield, Lieutenant Evan Crowl, and a dozen other members of the MVPD came well prepared to discuss local property crimes with the more than 50 neighbors who attended the March 26 meeting at Monta Loma School.

Links to the crime prevention and reporting information presented by various Police Department staff members is here on the Department’s website.

A printable color handout of Burglary Prevention Tips is here.

An article summarizing the information presented is on page 6 of the May newsletter.

John Bianco once again ran his dad’s model trains at the Bianco home on Adele for six evenings every week between Thanksgiving and Christmas night.  The children of several families came every evening to see the different train sets.
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Karla Valente was able to reinstate the Holiday Progressive Dinner, with ten attendees who enjoyed a wonderful evening hosted by Olga and Tony Bright and Linda and Pat Harvey.  Photos are here and here.
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Karla also again created a page to encourage Monta Loma neighbors to donate to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.  Our contributions provided a nutritious mix of fresh produce, protein, and pantry items so that local families could enjoy a holiday meal together.  Each dollar helped provide food for two meals.  This year’s fundraiser raised $2,130, well over last year’s total of $1,050.

The MLNA Ice Cream Social is our biggest social event of the year, and our best opportunity to meet our neighbors.  In 2024 it was on Sunday, August 25, and drew close to 400 people.  Among the things to see and do in Monta Loma Park were:

• Meeting our neighbors, both long-time and newcomers.
• Visiting the ice cream table for a free individually wrapped frozen treat.
• Meeting members of the Mountain View Whisman School District Board of Trustees and representatives of the District and visiting their display.
• Welcoming Monta Loma Elementary School’s new principal, Meghan Jinguji.
• Volunteering to help our Monta Loma Elementary School at its PTA table.
• Volunteering to help Crittenden Middle School at its PTA table.
• Learning about the Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF).
• Meeting  members of the Mountain View City Council.
• Meeting candidates for the City Council and two school boards.
• Picking up copies of City information on the Parks Strategic Plan, and Sustainability Initiatives and Programs.
• Learning more about the city’s Zero Waste and Food Scraps & Recycling programs.
• Visiting the Recreation Department‘s table for upcoming classes and events.
• Learning about the city’s Multicultural Engagement Program that offers information in Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.
• Experiencing a rainbow and summer shower created by a Fire Department engine and crew.
• Visiting our Community Emergency Response Team’s (CERT) display for emergency-preparedness information.
• Bringing your new neighbors to the Welcome Team’s table.
• Receiving a balloon creation from Gizmo Gary or his daughters.
• Participating in the Monta Loma Junior Olympics.
• Contributing some local lore or artifacts to the Monta Loma History display.
• Receiving gardening advice and free plants at the plant-exchange table.
• Chatting with Robert Cox about the Mountain View Historical Association.
• Learning about about Monarch and Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies and their host plants.
• Learning about the Friends of Mountain View Parks.
• Visiting the Living Classroom display.
• Learning about Girl Scouts.
• Watching (or riding in) a buggy pulled by robot horses.
• Picking up free COVID test kits brought by the Community Action Team (CAT).
• Enjoying some pink cotton candy after 4:00.

At the Annual Meeting on May 30, guest speaker Mayor Pat Showalter showed slides as she explained how the City works, stressing that the key is the long tradition of civility, within the City Council and with the staff.  The councilmembers take turns filling the positions of mayor and vice mayor, a year at a time.  The “top-notch” staff carries out the policies the Council decides, and the advisory boards make recommendations to the Council.  Each councilmember also represents the City on a range of other local and state boards and commissions.  Pat mentioned the council’s seven Strategic Priorities, and then addressed the three topics that the MLNA Board had requested.

– The Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project.  After 20 years in the planning, work will begin in 2026 to lower Rengstorff Avenue to pass under the Caltrain tracks.  The project will be very disruptive for two years, but will improve traffic flow and safety.  The City has made plans to minimize the disruption, and residents will know who to call to report immediate problems.

– The future park at 538 Thompson Ave.  The City is well aware of the shortage of park space in Monta Loma.  Residents will be invited to participate in the design, scheduled for 2025-26.  The City would like to purchase adjacent properties to enlarge it.  (In June, the purchase of one adjoining property, 2231  W. Middlefield Rd., was approved.)

– The San Antonio Corridor Plan.  Mountain View residents are welcome to participate in Palo Alto’s planning process.

Mayor Showalter ended with reminders to make use of the city’s website; to use the Ask MV button to ask questions or report problems; and to stay connected with the City via its various publications, listed at https://www.mountainview.gov/whats-happening.

City Manager Kimbra McCarthy accompanied Pat and also spoke, mentioning again that civility is a hallmark of Mountain View.  More park space for Monta Loma is a priority with the City.  The City mailed a questionnaire earlier this year asking residents to rank priorities for a potential revenue measure.  The Rengstorff Park Aquatics Center will be finished this summer.

During the question period, Pat answered many questions about traffic and traffic mitigation.  Incoming MLNA President Olga Bright asked her to explain the sea-level rise mitigation at Shoreline Park, which Pat did by describing how the former salt ponds are being turned into marshes and other climate-resilience plans and maps.

Another audience member recommended the city’s Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan.