Dear Mayor Mueller and City Council Members,
Thank you for including sustainability priorities in the City Workplan for 2019. As the sense of urgency around climate change has
risen over the past year with new awareness of the impacts we are already experiencing, we hope this can be reflected in city
principles and decision-making. In particular, we note the following:
·While theClimate Action Plan is listed in the Environment portion of the CIP, we recommend elevating it from a tier 2 to a tier 1
priority. As Menlo Park approaches the 2020 Climate Action Plan goal with significant progress, it will be important to maintain
that momentum by considering a new near term climate goal.
·The Downtown Plan Update is included in the proposed City Priority list and will be an important project for the City to complete
in 2019. This is a good opportunity to match the green building standards that were set in ConnectMenlo for the M2 Bayfront area,
as well as supporting downtown revitalization.
·The Reach Code for Clean Energy Developments, referred to EQC, is one of the highest impact climate measures that the City can
take. EQC is slated to deliberate on this item quickly with ample support from San Mateo County staff and consultants. Because the
effort is supported by San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, with roughly $500,000 for consultants and stipends to participating
cities, the staff and city resources for this measure will be minimal.
A reach code that supports all electric, zero carbon new buildings, is essential to breaking the cycle of fossil fuel dependency
for new developments. As tech leaders such as Google and Apple, as well as housing developers go all-electric and zero carbon with
new construction, this is an area where Menlo Park could lead as well. Please consider thisGuide on Zero Carbon Development
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D1dxeRB2RHmZAjn2t6yc4culr_jPCWEs/view?usp=sharing] as a resource on how cities and developers
can save money by avoiding fossil fuels in new construction.
Prioritizing sustainability and climate in Menlo Park is a smart investment for a healthy, prosperous city, and will help preserve
the quality of life for the next generation.
Sincerely,
Diane Bailey, Menlo Spark
From: Diane Bailey
Date: Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 4:47 PM
To: "city.council@menlopark.org"
Cc: Janelle London , "Marshall.construction@yahoo.com" , Deb Martin
, "tomgkabat@gmail.com" , "ryanneprice@gmail.com" , James
Payne , "rebecca.lynne.turley@gmail.com" , "Lucky, Rebecca L"
Subject: Please Prioritize Climate Progress in 2019
Dear Mayor Mueller and City Council Members,
As you are defining the priorities for the Council and City for 2019, please keep climate change front and center. The climate
crisis is ever more present, and we’re already feeling its effects here in Menlo Park with drought, smoke from fires, and even a
drastic reduction in Monarch butterflies and beneficial insects.
Menlo Park has a strong 2020 Climate Target already, and we’re likely to achieve that. But more must be done. This year, please
include the following Menlo Together supported goals to accelerate carbon reductions in your workplan:
* Adopt a policy requiringall new buildings to be Zero Carbon and Fossil Free. This mirrors the recommendations from the
Environmental Quality Commission (EQC), including adoption ofCalGreen reach codes in the 2019 building code update; and
expansion of Bayfront green building standards to other zones (such as the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan).
* Adopt a new Climate Action Plan, as recommended by EQC, with an ambitious, near-term climate goal.
It has never been more urgent and more clear that we need to ramp up our transition from polluting fossil fuels, and secure a
stable climate for our collective well-being. Thank you for your leadership on clean energy and climate measures so far. Please
make climate progress one of the top priorities for the coming year.
Sincerely,
Diane Bailey
Diane Bailey | Executive Director
MENLOSPARK
diane@menlospark.org [diane@menlospark.org]| 650-281-7073
Visit us:www.MenloSpark.org [http://www.menlospark.org/]
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Climate Neutral for a Healthy, Prosperous Menlo Park
EV, PV & Fossil Free: Guides for Electric Cars, solar & Fossil Free Homes at:http://menlospark.org/what-we-do/
[http://menlospark.org/what-we-do/]
