I am not signing the petition, because I do think it’s time for a radical reinvention of downtown Menlo Park.
That said, the way the Council appears to have handled this seems sloppy and lacks leadership. That vacuum is creating a panic in the community which will not engender creative problem solving.
For years I have watched Santa Cruz Avenue tumble into disrepair and marveled at the low quality of shops considering the demographic of the surrounding community.
All one has to do is visit downtown Los Altos or downtown Burlingame to see how far we have fallen and how the street and surrounding streets do not service our community.
There is, in fact, something nice about apartments and townhouses mixed in with retail and restaurants - there is a village sensibility that could be truly beneficial to the entire community. Providing more affordable housing combined with more lively and vigorous retail, entertainment and dining would make Santa Cruz a thriving destination and everyone would benefit. Residents and tenants should not be scared of change - that will just keep us where we are. The growth of the area over the last two decades demands evolution, creative thinking and a willingness to embrace new ideas.
All that said, the Council appears to lack effective communication skills, visionary leadership or the ability to move new ideas forward. I hope you don’t take what could be an exciting window of opportunity and squander it through small thinking and cover-your-hide approach to deal with the pressure being applied by the state.
There are plenty of quality developers with great eye for design who would take this project on and execute it beautifully. All parking could be underground and, in fact, add even more spaces than we have now. All apartments could be above street level, opening up the opportunity for more public spaces, small parkways, sidewalk dining. There is alot that can happen with the proper perspective and a team approach.
Think big! Be creative! LEAD!!!!
