Dear Council:
We support Ray Mueller's Park Preservation Ordinance. We have too few parks as it is. It is said that city parks provide intrinsic environmental, aesthetic, and recreation benefits to our cities. They are also a source of positive economic benefits. They enhance property values, increase municipal revenue, bring in homebuyers and workers, and attract retirees. Once a park is lost, it is lost forever.
In the City of Menlo Park's official web-site, it states: "In addition to its many attributes, Menlo Park has one of the most beautiful civic center campuses in the Bay Area. Lush landscaping including heritage trees, a running fountain and a duck pond surrounds City Hall. The campus also includes a nine-acre park, recreation facilities and the main Menlo Park library. These civic amenities make the campus a noted destination for City residents, local employees and visitors alike. Conveniently located, the campus is a short walk to the Caltrain station and Menlo Park's downtown retail district."
But it is important that we have beautiful parks not only at the civic center, but close to where all citizens live.
Also in its official website, the City describes Sharon Park as follows:
"Located in Sharon Heights, close to I-280 and Sand Hill Road, the [Sharon] park provides a beautiful spot for sunbathing, strolling, or picnicking in a natural wooded area with a picturesque lake and landscaped slopes."
The Sharon Height park, with its pond, grass area and wooded areas, is a beautiful retreat that most Sharon Heights residents can walk to. It is visited by young and old alike. The pathway around the pond is a favorite place to take a short walk and enjoy the beauty of the park. It is a place that many visitors frequent and have an opportunity to meet. It would be a shame, and unforgivable, if we lost any part of the park and the surrounding beauty. A removal, for whatever reason, of any part of the park -- whether the grass areas or the wooded areas -- will adversely affect the beauty and serenity of the park as a whole.
John and Ellie Flegel
1060 Sierra Drive
Menlo Park, CA
