City Council -
My name is Katie Hahn. I am a resident of Menlo Park and a parent of 3 young kids, writing to you about the proposed housing in downtown Menlo Park. I will be speaking tomorrow night as well. I represent a segment of the community you haven’t heard much from - parents of young kids - given these meetings are during dinner and bedtime. That said, we are the future of Menlo Park. And we need to be heard and involved in this important decision.
I fully understand this housing is a state mandate. But, as someone who was born and raised in this community, I strongly oppose the location you are proposing. Here are my thoughts:
1. This proposal comes from a student project at Berkeley. I attended grad school at Berkeley as well and worked on similar “practical life” projects. We need to remember - kids were completing a school project - to pass a class. They did not conduct the relevant research, traffic studies, or community outreach for this proposal to actually make sense. They don’t know the ins and outs of our community, the importance of the small town feel, the special small businesses we have here, and how this project would impact us all. This is a community altering proposition. The community should be directly involved in where this housing goes, not a group of students in Berkeley.
2. In a recent (albeit very small) survey you conducted, Menlo Park is described as a “sleepy town”. This is true. Downtown Menlo Park is and has always been a sleepy town. It’s not a booming metropolis. That’s what we wanted when we chose to live here and raise our kids. While I’m sure all residents would like a couple new restaurants, we do not want an overcrowded, urban environment. If we did we would have chosen another city. Adding this housing downtown will fundamentally change Menlo Park. What measures will be taken to manage the new traffic and congestion? How will this impact the many kids who bike and walk downtown to and from school? Have you attempted to cross el Camino via Oak Grove between the hours of 3 and 5 pm? I do it daily. It’s already 3 or more lights to even make it to the other side of town. What will happen with this influx of construction, followed by an influx of people?
3. Why is district 1 not being considered as an option for this housing? It meets the criteria for this project. There is access to far more jobs, easy access to public transportation. It’s closer to 101. And, there are already many tall buildings over there so it wouldn’t stand out in the same way it would in downtown Menlo.
4. I read in your recent minutes about considering the civic center as a location. You have rejected it because it would “reduce grass”. While I would prefer grass to a giant apartment building, this is a far less disruptive location than downtown Menlo Park and a far more desirable area. Civic Center is a very underutilized space to date. The parking lots often sit empty. The park often sits empty. It’s certainly the better of the two spots. And I believe if you asked our community they would much prefer it.
You represent the people of Menlo Park. But I’m sure not you are hearing us. We live in a democracy. We all know this housing mandate is not coming from you. Why can’t we come up with 3 viable locations and VOTE on this as a community? Or, at a minimum, form an independent committee, and work to find a solution that is well thought out. This mandate has been in place for awhile. To rush / force us into a timeline now, is crazy. I have called Menlo Park home for 40 years. I hope to raise my children here with the same small town, loving community that I was raised. This proposal would destroy Menlo Park. I will see you all tomorrow evening.
Thank you,
Katie Hahn
