Members of the Menlo Park City Council, and city staff:
( reading time: <2 minutes )
Please read this and respond.
Thank you,
Mike DeMoss,
Menlo Park resident
I have NO financial interest in the future of Menlo Parks Downtown Parking lots or businesses.
However, as a resident of Menlo Park, I see a problem that will seriously divide the good, and well meaning, people who live in our beautiful town, and who want affordable housing.
I will explain why the plans to build apartments on the downtown parking lots will result in expensive and prolonged litigation (that the city will lose), a ballot measure (that the voters will win), and if the council still persists in its plans, will result in a necessary "Recall" and removal of certain council members for the following reasons:
On January 14, 2025, the citizens you all represent, in a packed city meeting, TOLD YOU (overwhelmingly) that you did NOT have their consent to declare their parking lots to be "Surplus Land"!
Voters, verbally and in writing, have rejected your plans in numerous and continuing communications that followed that meeting.
You disregarded these warning, thereby failing to represent your voters.
Menlo Park is a city operating as a "Representative form of Government", wherein the governed must CONSENT to be governed.
You DO NOT HAVE THE CONSENT of the people you represent regarding the plan to build "state mandated low cost apartments" on the downtown business parking lots!
You are exercising powers that have NOT been consented to!
You are actually representing legislators, who have exceeded their authority, by micro-managing local issues.
You have erroneously agreed to comply with legislators in Sacramento, failing to understand that "Local things ( like housing ) are Managed Locally, By the People Nearest, and Most Affected!
A lawsuit and a ballot measure have been ignored by you, as clear warning signs that will surely stop your flawed plan to build state mandated apartments on parking lots that are unsuitable for apartments, AND are clouded by legal title disputes as to the ownership of the land!
Most important: There are over 3000 citizen voters who have FORMALLY NOT CONSENTED to your plans.
However:
There is a way to gain the consent of the people you represent:
Do what they will Consent to:
Abandon the "Downtown Parking Lot Plan", so that you can Select More Suitable Locations to build state mandated low cost apartments.
Merry Christmas
Michal C. DeMoss, resident, commercial real estate attorney and former member of the Menlo Park Finance & Audit Commission
Note: Thank you to Mayor Drew Combs who is the only council member who has acknowledged the will of the voters in this matter.
Sent from my iPhone
