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Hello,
My name is Scott Curtiss and I live and own multiple properties in Menlo Park. My children attend St.Raymond, play for local sports clubs, and we love living in Menlo Park.
I would like to encourage the council to continue the expansion and integration of more downtown restaurants and open walk space to transform our downtown. The closure of Santa Cruz due to Covid is a blessing in disguise. This is an opportunity to transform our city center and bring more people out. I believe cities like Menlo Park are and will continue the transformation into a walking, dining, trading, and cultural center in a “privileged” California open air setting.
We don’t need parking on our Main Street, we need open space for merchants and restauranteurs to transform our way of life. Menlo Park benefits because we have parking behind the main street on both sides. Let’s make Menlo Park a destination for old and young who can come together in the open air setting to foster the development of community and friendship.
Look, we have way to many empty spaces downtown, let’s get aggressive and attract new business leaders to innovate and invest in a new era! Covid opens the door, let’s open it, step thru and make stuff happen.
Why don’t we move our farmers market to Santa Cruz. Instead of a dirty, treeless parking lot, let’s build some character and make it a REALLY enjoyable Sunday event. We have the trees , we have the character, so let’s integrate more of the businesses. I attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in the early nineties, a model farmers market community that helped innovate the modern concept across California. They brought more businesses into the event, not just the produce growers.
I assume there are some businesses who might be against it, don’t worry? Why you ask? Look, downtown is already empty...if we don’t expand, it will be more empty and it will get worse for the ones who resist change. Covid is forcing many to operate and innovate differently. At the same time, I shop Draegers every single day and sometimes three times per day. I go to farmers market every Sunday and I have no plans to change. However, I now eat more dinners outside on Santa Cruz because it’s open. We need to multiply the people like me and you ask, “how can we do it”? Be inviting...make Menlo Park a welcoming city! Existing businesses like Dragera benefit, existing restaurants benefit and we open more new small business. Any merchant who says the closure of Santa Cruz slowed businesses are wrong. Covid changed behaviors and slowed all activity....don’t be blinded by the few, be open to the people!
Menlo Park residents deserve a city council who fight for them, the people. We need more community in our town.....an open Santa Cruz (by open I mean open for people, not cars) brings more people, more business, more enjoyment, and more $$. By the way, this is a win-win because when you fight for the people, you are fighting for small business too!
Thank you,
Scott Curtiss
415.699.8207
Sent from my iPhone
