Mayor Combs and City Council Members,
I support more affordable housing in Menlo Park. Most of us know the challenges the city faces with demands for more affordable housing by the state, However, higher density housing must be built thoughtfully in the right locations to strengthen and diversify our community without destroying our current community’s access to a viable downtown. (I have wondered why more low-income housing was not included in the recent massive developments along El Camino…)
Our community is built around a relatively small and shared downtown. While some residents walk or bicycle downtown, most drive their cars for a variety of reasons, night and day: distance lived from downtown, size/weight/number of items going to purchase, personal limited mobility, small children in-tow, rain, darkness, time devotable to shopping, etc. Thus, downtown accessible public parking is essential. Destroying or extremely repurposing the downtown parking plazas that serve the downtown retail and service businesses is a once-in-a-generation decision with extreme consequences.
On this decision, I trust the people of Menlo Park to do whats best for the town in which they live.
I therefore urge you to adopt the Downtown Parking Plazas Ordinance, giving residents the right to vote on the future of their downtown.
Thank you for your service in representing the people of Menlo Park.
Patricia Seawell
1120 San Mateo Drive
Menlo Park, CA
A frequent downtown user that walks and drives.
