Dear Planning Commissioners,
During your discussion tonight regarding the proposed project on the former
USGS site, please consider the following:
IDENTIFY DESIRABLE USES FOR OUR COMMUNITY
The site is currently zoned as P-F (Public Facility). Permitted uses
include government facilities and some school district facilities. Other
uses are entirely conditional; our community needs you to consider what
would benefit our town if you approve changing the zoning. Is a new school
needed? Near the center of town, this site would be ideal for recreational
facilities, particularly playing fields that are barely adequate now and
will be quite inadequate to serve the huge increase of children and
families who will live in the new housing coming from this and other
projects. The proposal falls woefully short of helping with that gap; it
seems to offer even less open space than nearby zones.
Would any of the prospective office tenants provide sales tax revenue? If
not, the Financial Impact Analysis (FIA) for this project is likely to
project a similar impact to that of Parkline -- turning net negative in its
financial impact on the city coffers by year ten and thereafter.
REDUCE, NOT WORSEN, THE HOUSING SHORTAGE
Although the project includes a large number of housing units, which I
applaud, the large increase of office space will WORSEN the housing
shortage. Consider the large number of new workers who may need housing:
- At the tech average of 250 SF/worker, the proposed new amount of
office space would bring 1,230 NEW workers but provide only 670 rental
units, barely half as many as the number of new workers
- At the incubator average of 150 SF/worker, the new amount of office
would bring 2,050 NEW workers but provide only 670, barely 1/3 as many
homes as new workers. This may be the most likely scenario given that the
staff report states that the commercial office buildings "would be
designed as adaptable workspaces tailored to next-generation
companies".
- Even more new workers will come from the 43,000 SF (nearly an acre in
size) of proposed new non-office commercial space. They will need homes,
too.
I realize that some believe that any needed new housing will be provided
"somewhere" but common sense tells us that no other jurisdiction is
building excess housing to solve the shortage, either. It is time for
Menlo Park to step up and take the position that large projects must not
only completely satisfy the housing needs of all its new workers, they must
also help alleviate the existing housing shortage. The proposed project
does just the opposite.
The office proposed is double the intensity of nearby zoning, and more than
75% larger than the existing office space. You do not need to approve that.
HALT ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONGESTION
The EIR for the adjacent Parkline project showed that it would worsen
circulation and cause numerous jammed intersections that could not be
mitigated; nine intersections would not even clear at rush hours (deemed
"oversaturated"). That EIR did not study the ripple effect throughout our
city nor did it consider the potential additional negative impacts of this
project or the behemoth proposed on the former Sunset magazine site. You do
not need to approve a project that brings a lot of - or even any - new
commuters to town.
Please focus your discussion on the project itself. How can it be better
for our town, our community?
Respectfully submitted,
Patti Fry, former Planning Commissioner
