Dear Members of the City Council,
We are writing as a resident of 224 Haight St to formally oppose the use permit and variances approved for the proposed new single family residence at 305 Haight St (APN 062-215-080) in the R 1 U zoning district. We are traveling internationally and are unable to attend the appeal hearing in person; we respectfully ask that this letter be entered into the official record and given full consideration.
We urge the Council to uphold the appeal filed by neighboring resident and deny or significantly condition this project.
Our primary concern is the safety of the children who live on and play along Haight Street.
The proposed corner side setback variance would reduce the required setback from 12 feet to only about 6 feet. At a corner lot, this is not a minor aesthetic adjustment, it directly and materially affects sight lines at the intersection. A building placed only 6 feet from the corner rather than the required 12 significantly reduces the ability of drivers to see children near or crossing the street and reduces the time children have to react to oncoming vehicles. On our block where many young families live, and children regularly play outside. This is a real and foreseeable safety hazard, not a theoretical one.
Taken together, the six variances request requested reveal a project that is simply too large for this substandard a lot. The zoning standards being waived exist, precisely to protect neighborhood, characters sidelines, and the safety of residence. A variance requires a showing of unique hardship; the fact that a lot is substandard is a known condition not a hardship, justifying the wholesale waiver of multiple development standards.
We do not believe the required legal findings for granting. This many simultaneous variances can be met and urge the council to scrutinize them carefully. To rule otherwise would render Menlo Park’s variance standards, meaningless, and set a troubling precedent for similar sized lots throughout the R1U district.
We strongly support the neighbors who have appeal to this approval and ask that the council require a redesigned project that conforms to the zoning code and protect the safety of our community.
Thank you for including this letter in the official hearing record.
Respectfully,
James and Erica Mansfield
224 Haight St
Menlo Park, CA
