Mayor Nash and City Council Members,
Im very concerned about the sequencing of the utility easement agreement
proposed with the West Bay Sanitary District. Im surprised that the City
Council appears to be hearing this item before the public meeting on the
Sanitary District’s agenda for October 14.
I urge the City Council to postpone Agenda Item I4 until after the Sanitary
District public meeting on October 14.
The construction impacting Bedwell Bayfront Park has been significant over
the last few years, affecting the avian habitat and the experience of park
users. The cumulative impact of these multiple city infrastructure
projectes to the park is consequential. The Bayfront Canal work, levee
raising along the Ravenswood salt ponds, the work at the Recycled Water
Facility at the north end of the park, and the drilling and piping
throughout the park are uncoordinated to the point of creating repeat
impacts that could have been minimized with better planning and
coordination by the City and its partners.
While all these are necessary improvements, I would request that park users
be included more in the planning and notification.
Agenda Item I4 appears to fail to address the impact to park users. This
is a critical part of the Citys obligatioin for planning and notificaiton.
We believe the City should address such access questions as: 1) Will the
entrance road or pedestrian/bike entrance be closed at any time? 2) Will
park visitors be able to walk along the slough? 3) What habitat protections
will be established and maintained?
In addtion, we urge the City to use lateral drilling (i.e. trenchless
excavation) that would reduce disruption to the wildlife and users at the
Park.
I request you to inform park users and those living in Menlo Park and other
communities near the park clearly and in advance of construction activity.
Please include a proviso that alternatives be provided to park users
whenever access is temporarily limited. This would let users know that
Menlo Park values the park for its open space uses.
Thank you.
Allan Bedwell
Friends of Bedwell Bayfront Park
friendsofbayfrontpark@gmail.com
