Library offers brews, not books WEEKEND | 13 JANUARY 31, 2014 VOLUME 22, NO. 1
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Google plan would beam WiFi from the sky ‘PROJECT LOON’ WOULD DISTRIBUTE SIGNAL FROM NETWORK OF BALLOONS By Daniel DeBolt
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ne of the latest sci-fiesque projects to come out of Google’s skunkworks is one that could replace traditional internet infrastructure with high altitude balloons beaming the net down to earth. While those who struggled to use Google’s free WiFi in Mountain View may be skeptical, more than a few developing nations are taking seriously “Project Loon,” a Google X project. Google X is Google’s research and development wing which is developing Google Glass, selfdriving cars and now, “internet from balloons 20,000 feet up,” said Google’s Mike Cassidy in a talk at Google headquarters on Friday. The talk was part of the
InterPlanetary Network Special Interest Group’s Space Technology Innovations Conference. Yes, there’s a group dedicated to bringing the internet to outer space. “This project, we hope, is good for people who don’t have access to start with,” Cassidy said, adding that 5 billion people worldwide still don’t have internet access and “28 countries have asked for us to come to deliver internet.” That’s because it could be much cheaper to float Project Loon’s high altitude balloons in the sky than to run fiber internet throughout a country. A special antenna is placed on a buildings to connect to the high altitude network, though Cassidy said MICHELLE LE
See PROJECT LOON, page 9
Google’s Michael Cassidy talks about Project Loon on Jan. 24.
Can’t we all just get along?
Council rejects two big projects
THE ANSWER SEEMS TO BE ‘NO’ FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT, TRUSTEE
CITY’S PLANNERS ARE TOO OVERWHELMED TO HANDLE THE WORK
By Nick Veronin
meetings, according to Goldman and Bill Lambert, president t seems that Steve Nelson of the board of trustees. If that may never get along with wasn’t made clear in the run up the administration of the to Nelson’s October 2013 cenMountain View Whissure for unprofessional man School District and behavior, it is now. his fellow trustees. In the months following At the most recent his official reprimand, meeting of the disNelson has continued to trict’s board, a number clash with board memof heated discussions bers and district adminwere had — all of them istrators — frequently between Nelson and engaging his colleagues another board member, Steve Nelson in public arguments and or between Nelson and making the task of runSuperintendent Craig Goldman ning local schools much harder — and apparently that’s just par than it needs to be, Goldman and for the course. Lambert told the Voice. It’s become expected that conSee NELSON, page 8 flict will arise during district
I
INSIDE
By Daniel DeBolt
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wo major redevelopment proposals were rejected at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, and it wasn’t because council members didn’t like the proposals. After saying only good things about a proposal to redevelop the 51-year-old Creekside Apartments at 151 Calderon Ave. and add 154 units to the city’s much sought-after supply of housing, City Council members rejected a “gatekeeper” request Tuesday for planning department staff to work on the proposal with the aim of bringing it to a council vote. “I’m really torn about this,” said council member Mike Kasperzak of the apartment project, which
VIEWPOINT 11 | GOINGS ON 19 | MARKETPLACE 20 | REAL ESTATE 22
could have created one of the largest complexes in the city. The proposal called for replacing 294 units in aging two-story buildings with 448 units in four-story buildings with underground parking, leaving 104 units along Dana Street untouched. “Given the age, the location and what surrounds it, this is actually a perfect candidate for intensification. The light rail station is right across the street. But considering staff time and the fact that this is not in a ‘change area,’ I’m struggling with that.” Council members also rejected a gatekeeper request for a new “Terra Bella precise plan” that would zone for 1.1 million square feet of office space on 23 acres just south of Highway 101 — on
both sides of Shoreline Boulevard and along the north side of Terra Bella Avenue. No actual project was proposed. Both 151 Calderon and the Terra Bella precise plan are also outside of “change areas” identified in the recently approved general plan. Council members said they had a “blood oath” not to go against the general plan for at least five years. Council members said both proposals were too much for planning department staff to handle on top of the current workload. There’s been a flood of development proposals in the city, along with intense planning work to develop the San Antonio, See COUNCIL REJECT, page 9