Mayor Combs Councilmember Nash and the Menlo Park City Council,
Despite the show of hands at the hearing and the overwhelming testimony in opposition to the proposed location, the Menlo Council advanced the RFQ to build 345 units of public housing in in the heart of downtown without asking any questions about height, density, floor area ratios, or determining income thresholds. It’s beyond me why the Menlo Park Council is not willing to work with the community, who are not opposed housing solutions, in order to come up with a shared vision or master plan to meet our housing goals.
My name is Joey Manahan, and I am in strong opposition to the resolution declaring downtown Parking Plazas 1, 2 and 3 as exempt surplus land and the development of 345 units of public housing on these lots.
My family has owned its home in Menlo Park since the early eighties and I have worked on housing policies such as inclusionary zoning with national experts as an elected official in Honolulu, Hawaii. Based on experience, I know the housing project being considered is a regional solution that is intended for a much larger more densely populated urban area with limited land space like Honolulu, Seattle, or San Francisco as opposed to a suburban neighborhood such as Menlo Park. I was shocked to see that the Menlo Council would consider adopting such policies and question why the Council is creating density where it is not needed not to mention shouldering the housing burden for San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
Where is the needs assessment, traffic control plan, and the point in time count to justify 345 public housing units in the Heart of Downtown Menlo Park that will further gentrify our businesses? There are plenty of alternatives to provide housing solutions that meet the State’s requirements without having to approve new developments, has the Menlo Park Council considered any alternatives? Do we have the infrastructure, necessary human services, and the property tax base to support a housing project of this magnitude on a going forward basis? Is there an off ramp down the road?
One final observation on process. The resolution is an omnibus resolution with a series of staff recommended authorizations driven by staff who are motivated by State policy to spend down State grants and matching funds. The resolution has already been tentatively approved by the State to receive funding. This is not Menlo Park driven.
JOEY MANAHAN
42 years in Menlo Park
District 3
