To Whom it May Concern (which is all of us in Menlo Park),
It has come to my attention the City has proposed to claim from one to several downtown parking lots and convert the space to affordable housing. Downtown is congested with little available parking to those who work, shop, live and recreate in the general area. To lose parking and overcrowd an already tight space doesnt sound appealing to me. I own property and work downtown. The thought of 400+ new residences in an already crowded area sounds alarming.
I am all-in on affordable housing. We need it. But lets do it in a way that doesnt have a negative impact on the existing population.
One solution would be to temporarily inhabit vacant downtown commercial space with city offices, police and library. Next, we repurpose the existing city hall land (minus the park, pool, gyms and recreation building) and build a multi-story mixed use building within the Caltrain corridor. The existing space encompassing the library, city hall and police department would be a terrific location to house hundreds of people. Affordable housing adjacent to the train station would allow easy access to public transportation. An underground parking facility (much like the new parking structure on El Camino) can be built with little to no impact on an overstressed parking situation. Street level units can be used to house police, city hall offices and a library. Any extra ground floor units can be available to small businesses to help serve the new community.
Why not?
Thank You,
Loren Dakin
Parc Agency Corporation
704 Oak Grove Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650.714.8662
www.LorenDakin.com
www.Parc-Agency.com
Loren@LorenDakin.com
BRE 01030193
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