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tual plans in 2008 for the northern 9 acres of the site, which a city planner and a local architect called “extraordinary” and could have been the most environment-friendly office building ever built. The development now in the works will extend onto another 9 acres that Google recently leased from the city. Google has hired a new architect for the expanded project, Germanybased Ingenhoven Architects. The design firm’s impressive resume includes the Frankfurt Lufthansa headquarters, which uses one third the energy of Ce ntr a typical office building, as al Ex pre well as the design of the new ssw ay Stuttgart main train station, which is a “carbon free and zero energy building” that requires no power for heating, cooling or ventilation. Illustrating just how quickly Google wants to develop its first Google Property in Mountain View (owned or leased). building, Mountain View Community Development Director Randy Tsuda said Google doesn’t want to wait for next year’s gen- accommodate 5,666 employees other ways, such as donating $1 eral plan update, which may at a typical 300 square feet per million to local schools, hosting more community meetings and allow buildings twice as large on employee. the Charleston East site. Google In just the last few months awarding grants to local nonwill instead adhere to a maxi- Google’s acquisitions made profits. But Google’s large presence mum of 565,000 square feet for room for 2,000 employees with does have a drawback the 18-acre site and — there’s really no height limit of four room now for anothstories, Tsuda said. There’s really no room now er major company “They have indiin Mountain View. cated that it is going for another major company in Intuit and Symantec to be a very, very green have both expressed project,” Tsuda said. Mountain View. an interest in increas“From time to time ing the density of their they’ve mentioned existing properties, going to LEED platinum and beyond.” the purchase of the 171,000 while Microsoft, now surroundTsuda also noted that Google square foot Pacific Press campus ed by Google, has found space in appears to be readying itself to on Villa Street and a lease deal Sunnyvale’s Moffett Towers. One build the 1.2-million-square- for 450,000 square feet on Ellis council member said of Google’s large local presence that it might foot campus on federal land Street in “The Quad.” at NASA Ames, a project that And there’s potential for even not be the best to have all the Google has had on hold since more space. Tsuda said Google city’s “eggs in one basket.” “It is a concern of ours,” Tsuda 2008. A Google spokesperson is examining its option for confirmed that the first of three adding buildings to the Pacific said. “At this point there’s just so phases of construction is set for Press campus, potentially add- little vacancy in terms of Class A September 2013, followed by ing 90,000 square feet. And in office space. It makes it hard to phases in 2018 and 2022. the long term, the company accommodate other companies. The spokesperson pointed owns 64 acres of office buildings It’s very, very difficult for anyto a 2008 press release for the along Shorebird Way that could one to find space right now.” Google’s acquisition of the campus at NASA Ames, which allow another campus of 1.7 to says that “while the majority of 2.7 million square feet. Google Quad means there are no more the development will consist of made such plans in 2006, which available Class A office comoffice and R&D space, Google would have created five-story plexes in the city, Tsuda said. also plans to construct company buildings, large parks, “green” Several major companies were housing and amenities such as building designs and parking reportedly considering the space dining, sports, fitness, child garages on the 64 acres. The plan before Google snapped it up. The developer of a large office care, conference and parking was put on hold, and Tsuda said facilities for its employees, as he is unaware of any prep work project on Ferguson Drive, Palo well as recreation and park- being done by Google for Shore- Alto’s Dostart, is already talking to major tech companies as proing facilities and infrastructure bird Way. improvements for NASA’s use.” As Google’s new expansion spective tenants, and the project If the aforementioned build- efforts indicate a new commit- hasn’t even been designed yet. ings come to fruition, the con- ment to Mountain View, Google E-mail Daniel DeBolt at struction of 1.7 million square appears to be embracing its ddebolt@mv-voice.com feet of new buildings would presence in Mountain View in ay eew Fr
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with C. diff and by pushing doctors in the hospital to be more prudent about prescribing antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors — the active ingredient in some drugs such as Prilosec that are used to treat heartburn, ulcers and stomachaches. Controlling the administration of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors within the hospital shouldn’t be too difficult, Pifer said. However, the hospital can do little to prevent primary care physicians in outside clinics and at nursing homes from doling out such drugs, which Pifer said deplete the friendly, naturally occurring bacteria in humans’ intestinal tract and open the door first for diarrhea and ultimately increase the chance of a patient contracting C. diff. “As a society, our physicians prescribe way too many antibiotics,” Pifer said, adding that proton pump inhibitor medications are prescribed far too frequently to patients who would be able to eliminate their heartburn and stomach pain if their primary care doctor simply advised them to modify their diet. “It’s pretty common for doctors to prescribe antibiotics for bron-
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chitis or a sinus infection, when in most case the patient doesn’t need those drugs,” Pifer said. “People don’t like to hear that; they like to go home with a prescription.” Pifer said that it is difficult to quantify with hard data, but he suspects that a large number of the cases of C. diff he sees at El Camino are created, at least in part, by seniors who are on a regimen of proton pump inhibitors before entering the hospital. Although Pifer said that rates of C. diff are low at El Camino Hospital, he believes that Clostridium difficile is something that the community at large needs to be aware of, and both doctors and patients have a role to play in helping bring the rates of the disease down. As consumers, patients can avoid taking over-the-counter versions of proton pump inhibitor medications. Primary care doctors should also be aware of the risk these drugs pose and exercise restraint when prescribing antibiotics. Pifer said that he doesn’t want to blow the issue of C. diff out of proportion. He noted that antibiotics save many lives each year and that there are relatively few dangerous side effects to proton pump inhibitor medications. All the same, “People die of this infection. It’s a serious health threat,” he said.
20-40% off
Saturday, June 11 ❖ 11am - 3pm
Representatives from MAUI JIM, PRADA, OAKLEY, TAG HEUER, KLIIK, & FYSH will be on hand to show their entire eyewear collections. Over 2000 designer frames! Refreshments will be served.
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VOTE BY JUNE 26 MountainViewOnline.com JUNE 3, 2011 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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