The Parks and Open Space Plan is the essential reference guide that the City uses to determine priorities for open space, parks, trails, and access to open space. I introduced specific measurements to this Plan about 8 years ago so the City can assess if we are meeting our goal of providing more parks and open space to our residents. The Plan is updated every few years and is used to make practical decisions about parks and open space in Mountain View. I encourage you to read this plan: you may be pleasantly surprised to see the level of detail as well as the services offered by the City. Warning: this link downloads a .pdf file that is 17 megabytes!

Parks and Open Space Plan, City of Mountain View

During my terms as Parks and Recreation Commissioner, we opened 5 new parks, Magnolia and Chetwood Parks in the Whisman area, Creekside Park linking directly to the Stevens Creek Trail, Mercy-Bush Park in Old Mountain View, Charleston Park in North Bayshore, the "Shoreline Perimeter" Dog Park, and the Skateboard Park. If you haven't lived in a neighborhood to which a new park has been added or where a park has recently been remodeled, you may be interested to know what a participative process park design is in Mountain View. The neighborhood is invited to several Parks and Rec Commission meetings to discuss broad concepts of park design. Then park design planning sessions are conducted in the neighborhood with the neighbors contributing design ideas. The positive results of this process can be seen in the great new parks and new playground equipment in our parks.

Some areas in Mountain View are still deficient in parks and open space. I will support accelerated development of parks and open space in these neighborhoods as Council Member, just as I did when I was a Parks and Rec Commissioner.

Parks in Mountain View

Arbor Day is a family and community celebration that a fellow Parks Commissioner and I reintroduced to Mountain View. For the past 5 years, Mountain View has celebrated Arbor Day/Week in March. Activities start with a tree giveaway to 90 homeowners each season. The high point is a Saturday morning of children’s programs and games that are linked to the library program and promote appreciation of trees; information tables that focus on composting and Heritage Tree Preservation; advice and talks from Master Gardeners; arborist-led tree walks; self-guided tree walks; and, of course, the yearly planting of a tree by the current Mayor. The City’s certification in the past 4 years as Tree City USA is part of the Arbor Day program.

Arbor Day in Mountain View

I graduated from one of the first Leadership Mountain View (LMV) classes. The LMV program is an excellent introduction to Mountain View and to becoming involved for good in Mountain View. LMV opened the door for my serving on several non-profits, and then later to my serving on Mountain View City Commissions.

Leadership Mountain View

The Community Services Agency (CSA) in Mountain View is a tremendous non-profit agency that provides social services throughout Mountain View and our neighboring towns. CSA's ability to wisely use donated funds for a variety of programs is remarkable. I was on the CSA Board for about 6 years.

Community Services Agency

The Support Network for Battered Women provides much needed services to women and children who must flee the violence in their lives but have no safe place to go. The safe house, legal advocacy, and range of services, offered to those that ask are unmatched in the Bay Area. I served as Board Director and Co-Chair in the mid-90s, when we helped move the agency to a larger location and secured more fund raising monies.

Support Network for Battered Women

I was both a college student and an administrator at Regis College, now Regis University, a small liberal arts college in Colorado. The student:teacher ratio is an amazing 12:1 with caring professors, not graduate students, teaching the students! Can you tell I worked in Admissions?

As the first generation in my family to go to college, I am proud to be counted as an alumna from this fine school. The school's academic scholarship, work study program, and financial aid package enabled me to attend an out-of-state college, something my family never could have afforded alone.

Regis University

I attended the University of San Francisco's School of Professional Studies and received my Master's in Organizational Development, while working full time at ROLM corporation as a Group Product Manager.

University of San Francisco

Serving Mountain View

Useful Web Sites

Links to Information

Select one of the following links for more information on the topic

Issues important to Mountain View

Mayoral 2007 activity by Laura Macias

Groups and Associations supported by Laura

Links to Strategies, Events and Parks

Useful General Links