The most recent Complete Streets Commission study meeting asked the city to
consider removing all parking on Middle Avenue, including parking at Nealon
Park.
Parents of small children need parking immediately adjacent to the
playground. Not several hundred feet away, out of eyeshot, in the rear
parking lot. Not several hundred feet away, out of eyeshot, on the far
side of the pickleball courts.
Picture what parents need to do. (1) Help one small child out of their car
seat, (2) walk them over to the playground area, (3) open the gate, (4)
watch the child walk inside, and (5) close the gate. Once child #1 is
safely inside, they walk just a few feet over to their car, while still
keeping child #1 in view, to unstrap child #2 from their car seat, and walk
them to the playground. Parents are not going to leave one child,
unattended, out of eyeshot while they go help the second child. Parents of
small toddlers cant risk trying to corral two or three of them, to walk
several hundred feet across the park without one of the kids running off
into traffic or into a parking lot.
Using the rear parking lot is NOT an option. The spaces are too far from
the playground and the spaces that are within eyeshot of the playground are
almost always filled with Little House patrons.
Using the spaces next to the pickleball courts is NOT an option since they
are almost always filled with pickleball players.
We need as many spaces as possible on Middle within a short distance, and
within eyeshot of the playground.
Sue Kayton
Menlo Park
650-853-1711
kayton@alum.mit.edu
