Dear Mayor Taylor and Council Members, Please accept these comments attached and inline below, on behalf of Menlo Together, in support of the proposed City Council Priorities and Work Plan. We are grateful for your leadership keeping the city focused on key initiatives for progress on equity, sustainability, housing, and mobility. All the best, Diane Bailey [cid:image001.jpg_at_(domainremoved) August 18, 2020 Agenda G1 - City Council Priorities and Work Plan - Menlo Together Honorable City Council Members, On behalf of Menlo Together, we are writing in strong support of the proposed City Council Priorities and Workplan for 2020-21 (Item G1 on the August 18th 2020 Agenda https://menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/25943/G1-20200811-CC-City-Council-priorities >). We appreciate the bold leadership to prioritize 16 key projects over the next year, while continuing to respond to the pandemic. Menlo Together is a group of Menlo Park and Peninsula residents who envision a city that is integrated and diverse, multi-generational, and environmentally sustainable. We advocate for an accessible and inviting downtown Menlo Park with housing at all affordability levels, and with pedestrian and bike-friendly spaces, developed to be carbon free. Menlo Together believes that housing, transportation and climate are inseparably connected and must advance together, with communication and coordination. Additionally, the recent presentation of the Facebook Housing Study brought home the disparate impact of climate, transportation and housing challenges to the predominantly Black and Latino and lower income residents of Belle Haven, relative to the rest of Menlo Park. We appreciate the focus on equity, housing, mobility, and sustainability in the proposed Work Plan and support the 16 proposed priorities: · Transportation master plan (TMP) · 2022 Housing Element, zoning code update and related work · Belle Haven community center and library · COVID-19 pandemic local emergency response · Information Technology Master Plan implementation · Transportation management association (TMA) formation · Middle Avenue pedestrian & bicycle rail crossing planning · Short-term rental ordinance · Accessory dwelling unit ordinance update · ConnectMenlo community amenities list update · ECR/Downtown Specific Plan area housing development incentives · Development and environmental review process education series · Santa Cruz Ave closure and economic development initiatives · Citywide communication program development · Climate Action Plan implementation · Institutional bias reform The following are specific recommendations for improvements to several priorities. * The projects in the Transportation Master Plan should be assessed and prioritized with a lens of Climate Action. As part of the final TMP approval, a subset of high-priority projects should be identified and accelerated to reduce traffic by creating safe alternatives to driving that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. * Supporting that strategy, with planning and grant applications for the Middle Avenue pedestrian and bicycle rail crossing already under way, please ensure that the program includes plans to create safe bike and pedestrian access to and from the undercrossing, to destinations such as Hillview Middle School and Burgess Park. This will allow many more people to bicycle, scooter or walk to get across town without driving, which benefits everyone by reducing traffic and associated pollution. * The City Council approved a budget in June, with the understanding that it would be revisited during the year, and with the majority of Council Members expressing support for the potential use of additional reserve funds to support upcoming city priorities, such as the Climate Action Plan. Please allow the use of reserve funds to support key mobility and housing projects that support the Climate Action Plan. * We continue to support improving the policies and incentives to create more homes including more affordable homes in the ECR/Downtown Specific Plan area. As Downtown Specific Plan upgrades to incentivise housing are developed, they should be designed to incentivise BMR units as well as market rate units in order to support the city’s equity goals. We must consider and prioritize equity throughout every project and program in Menlo Park, as we continue a national reckoning on racial justice that has particular relevance here, given historic inequities across Menlo Park neighborhoods. Thank you for considering these comments, and for your unwavering commitment to strong values for an equitable and sustainable future in Menlo Park. Sincerely, Karen Grove Diane Bailey Adina Levin Diane Bailey | Executive Director MENLO SPARK diane_at_(domainremoved)ilto:diane_at_(domainremoved) Visit us: www.MenloSpark.org http://www.menlospark.org/ > & www.FossilFreeBuildings.org Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/menlospark2025?ref=aymt_homepage_panel > Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/MenloSpark2025 > [cid:1CD55049-1854-4B28-AE94-F9A38B4DD13A] Climate Neutral for a Healthy, Prosperous Menlo Park EV, PV & Fossil Free: Guides for Electric Cars, solar & Fossil Free Homes at: http://menlospark.org/what-we-do/ (image/jpeg attachment: image001.jpg ) (image/png attachment: image002.png ) application/pdf attachment: City Council Priorities and Work Plan - M2G Comments.pdf
