Pygmy Nuthatch: Deanne Tucker
Don’t Pave Over Cuesta Park!
What is happening?
The City of Mountain View is considering paving over parts of Cuesta Park and the Cuesta Park Annex to build pickleball courts - at the expense of beautiful green open space and valuable wildlife habitat.
A community meeting will be held Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.
Why is this important?
Cuesta Park is the green heart of Mountain View and a regionally important park. It is well-loved for picnics, games, peaceful strolls, bird watching, and simply enjoying nature without programmed activities. In a city that is becoming increasingly dense, unprogrammed green spaces are more vital than ever for both people and wildlife.
Together with the Cuesta Park Annex, Cuesta Park forms a rare undeveloped island of habitat in the heart of Mountain View. This green refuge supports a variety of birds, including red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, and great blue herons. One hundred and fifteen species of birds have been observed here in the past five years. The area also supports Mountain View’s biodiversity and sustainability goals by providing habitat, cooling the urban heat island, and storing carbon.
Cuesta Park and the Annex are beloved gathering places for local dog owners, many of whom enjoy walking and exercising their dogs here. This informal use builds community connections and gives both people and pets access to safe, natural space.
Pickleball facilities are notorious for their sharp, repetitive noise, bright night lighting, and the extra vehicle traffic they attract, all of which would significantly disrupt the park’s wildlife and peaceful atmosphere.
Once open space is paved, it is nearly impossible to restore it to its natural state. This is a permanent decision that would erode one of Mountain View’s most valued natural assets.
What can you do?
Attend the Public Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.
Write to the City Council. Send your email to:
city.council@mountainview.gov, Pat.Showalter@mountainview.gov, Alison.Hicks@mountainview.gov, Ellen.Kamei@mountainview.gov, Lucas.Ramirez@mountainview.gov, Emily.Ramos@mountainview.gov, chris.clark@mountainview.gov, john.mcalister@mountainview.gov, Faryal.Saiidnia@mountainview.gov, john.marchant@mountainview.govTalking Points for Your Communication with the City. Please say a little about yourself and why you care, and add any of the following:
Cuesta Park and the Cuesta Park Annex together provide the last large, contiguous green spaces in central Mountain View.
These areas support 115 species of birds that need this habitat to survive in Mountain View. It is important parkland to include in the City’s Biodiversity strategy.
Pickleball courts create significant noise impacts that can be heard hundreds of feet away, disrupting both wildlife and park users.
Night lighting for courts would introduce artificial light into a dark refuge, harming nocturnal animals and reducing the park’s natural character.
As density increases in Mountain View, it is critical to retain unprogrammed, natural spaces for both human well-being and biodiversity.
We should be reducing paved space, increasing parkland and canopy, and siting new sports facilities away from existing facilities or wildlife habitat.
Shoreline Park and its vicinity are NOT viable alternatives.
Once open space is paved over, it is nearly impossible to restore it to its natural state.
Please expand the parkland “pie” rather than have residents compete for existing parkland slices.