Dear City Council--
Thank you for all of your work on behalf of our community.
I wanted to attend tonight's meeting, but have a kid with a fever and I doubt you want a kid coughing germs all over the meeting.
I do want to comment on Item J-1 on the agenda, regarding the work plan. I have spoken to the council before about incorporating
our little area, the "triangle" between Alameda, Santa Cruz and Sharon. It makes sense. You know it makes sense. Why have a small
area that's unincorporated, surrounded by the city? There may be a historic reason, but that is long past. Having an area with
extremely busy traffic on all 3 roads makes it much harder and more complicated to manage the traffic flow effectively. How can
you have "complete streets" when Santa Cruz and Alameda are literally split down the middle between county and city? I have been
working to improve pedestrian and bike safety in our area, and the joint jurisdiction makes everything so much harder.
As hard as the county works, it is not set up to manage dense suburban housing. We are an anomaly. My block on Sharon Rd is served
by the sheriff, not the MPPD. I have lived here for 7 years and have seen a sheriff car on my road ONCE. Literally. I suppose that
is understandable, given the amount of area they must cover. While MPPD would respond to 911 in our area, the routine presence of
law enforcement would make our neighborhood safer. (This would help the Santa Cruz/Sharon/Oakdell nightmare intersection, also. We
see car accidents there monthly, but I have never once seen someone doing a routine traffic stop there. I've called the county,
they say call the city. I call the city they say call the county.)
In other words, we are a dense neighborhood of people who eagerly want to join the Menlo Park City. We will participate and
contribute to the city. It just makes sense. Please include our annexation in the work plan!
Thank you,
Linda Barman
property owner in both Menlo Park City (2160 Santa Cruz Ave) and County (2016 Sharon Rd)
