Dear City Council Members-
I have been a Menlo Park resident for almost 20 years, and strongly oppose the development of the dowtown parking lots as proposed in Agenda Item H-1. To be clear, I am not opposed to multi-unit affordable housing in our community, nor am I opposed to Menlo Park complying with its assigned RHNA obligations. Quite the opposite. As a first generation citizen with immigrant parents who first resided in multi-unit housing, I am probably more aligned with low-income housing initiatives than the average Menlo Park resident.
That being said, I am opposed to and not-aligned with a plan to construct multi-unit housing towers in the middle of downtown on parking lots that are heavily used. And, all without any concurrent, logical plan for alternative parking. Apparently, the only folks in Menlo Park that consider these parking lots to be “surplus land” are our very own City Council members. This plan seems to be a well-intended, but ill-conceived rush by the City Council to satisfy Menlo Park’s RHNA obligations. The impact on traffic and parking does not seem to have been fully considered. There are other suitable locations—the Civic Center land and the SRI Campus. I’m not suggesting the City Council halt affordable housing efforts, but rather that it step back and take the time to put forth a more thoughtful plan.
We are finally seeing signs of life in a moribund downtown thanks to our local merchants. The Coffee Bar was a haven to may of us during the pandemic. Ali literally kept Santa Cruz Avenue vibrant with the amazing bump out at Bistro Vida. And, we are all looking forward to the grand opening of Bar Loretta. Clark’s Oyster is revitalizing our beloved Anne’s and a wine bar is going into the former La Boulangirie space. There is a significant risk that these and other merchants will leave Menlo Park if the present plan is appproved.
Please help Menlo Dark continue to turn into Menlo Park, not Menlo Darker.
Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
Glen R. Van Ligten
