Hello Mayor Taylor, Vice Mayor Combs, councilmembers Nash, Doerr and Wolosin, Staff and Counsel,
I feel it is inappropriate for any developer to determine if a program is an amenity that will improve the quality of life for a neighborhood. This is not about allowing flexibility; this is about developer’s control. Approving this request sets precedence for future developers. It also allows the developer to interpret and determine what is of value to the community, based on a document created from a 2015 survey.
A high priority for the community is health care services, Alternative 2 – Building Space and Contribution for Ravenswood Family Health Network, found in the June 9, 2021, Menlo Uptown: Updated Community Amenity Proposal. Transparency of why this did not work should be included in all conversations related to community amenities.
According to your May 14, 2024 memorandum, “we have conducted significant outreach to various community groups who provide valuable services to the communities they serve… qualified groups.” What community groups did you reach out to? How and who decided a group was qualified?”
It appears that Greystar has determined a non-profit dedicated to providing mental health services and a business incubator are more suitable for our community. While mental/emotional welfare services are extremely important to all communities, I was unable to locate a mission statement that included who they serve, cultural and language competency, and differently gendered. Currently, there is a Renaissance Peninsula in East Palo Alto.
The recommendations may be well-intended for a specific type of business model. It may well serve the new residents in the high-density apartments current and future in the M2 area. The question is whether the services will benefit the approximately 6,400 residents in the Belle Haven neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Pam D Jones, Menlo Park Belle Haven neighborhood
Forgetting history is the path to re-writing history.
The impossible dissipates when I becomes WE.
PamÉlla
