85 reasons WEEKEND | P.13
FEBRUARY 19, 2010 VOLUME 18, NO. 7
650.964.6300
INSIDE: MOVIES | PAGE 16
MountainViewOnline.com
Plane crash kills three, knocks out power to region By Kelsey Mesher
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ountain View’s neighboring city to the north was all but shut down Wednesday after a small passenger plane crashed in East Palo Alto, killing all three people aboard the plane and causing a large-scale power outage throughout the city of Palo Alto. The plane, a twin-engine Cessna 310R, came down at 7:55 a.m. Wednesday morning at Beech and Pulgas streets. FAA officials said it had just taken off at Palo Alto Airport and was headed to Southern California. The plane’s pilot and two pas-
Bernice Turner and other neighbors watch at the scene where a Cessna crashed into a residential neighborhood in East Palo Alto. MICHELLE LE
Developer would restore, lease out Hangar One By Daniel DeBolt
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major Emeryville-based real estate developer is proposing to restore Moffett Field’s historic Hangar One, which — if the government allows it — could save the landmark building after its toxic siding is removed in November. Eddie Orton, president of Orton Development, says he has a “realistic” plan to restore the NASA-owned hangar, which has sat vacant for years after toxic dust from its asbestos-laden siding was found inside. “We are a really successful company and we don’t need the money,” Orton said. “We do honor that building. It deserves a certain respect from all of us.
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It is an extraordinary asset — we can either destroy it or we can use it.” Orton said he would not reveal the details of much of his restoration plan until he is allowed to bid on the project in a process open to other developers. But his proposal, made in a letter to Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, the Navy and NASA, mentions an initial design allowing a “diversity” of uses inside the massive hangar, which has a floor the size of 10 football fields. It says those uses could include a museum, meeting rooms, offices, research and development, light industrial, a public venue and “missionSee HANGAR ONE, page 8
sengers, all employees of the Tesla electric car company, were confirmed dead. There were no injuries or fatalities on the ground. Emergency officials said the outage had little direct impact on Mountain View, although “If they need help we’re standing by,” said Lynn Brown, Fire Department spokesman and emergency specialist. “We’re going to send as much as they need.” The plane was under a dense fog advisory with zero to onequarter-mile visibility when it took off. One witness told KTVU that the plane clipped a transmission tower before crashing into the ground. Authorities said the plane knocked out a transmission tower as well as a utility tower and power lines. Non-localized transmission lines were cut off, See CRASH, page 7
Google pressures city over plan for North Bayshore COMPANY TELLS MOUNTAIN VIEW OFFICIALS IT WANTS AREA TO BE ‘SUSTAINABLE FOR GOOGLE’ By Daniel DeBolt
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oogle executives are weighing in on an ongoing discussion over the future of the company’s North Bayshore neighborhood, with representatives at Tuesday’s City Council meeting following up on a letter sent last week to city officials which calls for more homes, stores and infrastructure to be developed near the Internet giant’s headquarters. David Radcliffe, Google’s real estate director, sent the
GOINGS ON 17 | MARKETPLACE 18 | REAL ESTATE 21 | VIEWPOINT 12
letter last Thursday, briefly outlining the company’s goals for a “future redevelopment” of its headquarters, which include the creation of new homes in the area, presumably for its employees. The current “Googleplex” is centered around three-story buildings built by Silicon Graphics in the 1990s, and has grown to include most of the office buildings on nearby blocks. Two weeks ago, City Council members and planning commissioners supported
allowing Google and other companies to build six- and seven-story buildings in the North Bayshore area, which is bordered by Highway 101 to the south and east and Stevens Creek to the west. But after considering allowing the construction of new homes and storefronts in Google’s neighborhood along Shoreline Boulevard — a possible way to curtail car trips in and out of North Bayshore, which only has two access roads — the See GOOGLE, page 9