Dear Menlo Park City Council: I have had a chance to take a look at the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Report that was presented on August 2, 2017. Of particular concern to me is Page 11 which shows a combined bus and train route that crosses the intersection of Chilco Street. The bus routes include a "flyover" lane that goes around the perimeter of the neighborhood only to let the bus traffic circle back so that the buses can then proceed to travel south on Hwy 101 toward Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. It is also my understanding that there is no recommendation for pedestrian and bicycle trails along the rail corridor. As a resident of this area, it appears that the people who live in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park are once again being given the opportunity to bear the majority of the burdens associated with the impacts from an improvement. This pattern has to cease. The Belle Haven section of Menlo Park is already dealing with the impacts from extreme levels of commercial development in the M-2 area combined with extreme levels of high density housing development. We have yet to see the commensurate benefits that should accompany this level of development. People were looking forward to having pedestrian and bike trails along the Dumbarton Rail Corridor. The inclusion of bus express lanes that appear to encircle our neighborhood are a quality of life deal breaker from the standpoint of noise, emissions, safety and the loss of Chilco Street as a reliable street for entry to and exit from the community. The bus express lanes and flyover connections are “improvements" that will further erode property values for residents. You will notice that this corridor runs directly adjacent to apartments, single family homes, churches, Beechwood Elementary School, local small businesses, the Onetta Harris Community Center and Kelly Park. These properties are some of Belle Haven’s greatest assets. There is no question that transportation improvements are needed, however we must find a way to distribute the impacts in a more equitable manner along the entire corridor. SamTrans claims that they want to “Ensure local communities are protected from adverse impacts." It’s time to put some actions behind those words because when considering the residential portion of the Belle Haven neighborhood, this proposal has failed miserably. I hope that as the elected officials of Menlo Park, you and the City Staff that you direct, are able to act in a way that represents the best interests of Belle Haven. I hope that you are not absent and silent during the times that your voices need to be heard and your influence needs to be exercised. I am optimistic that this time you will represent us well. Respectfully, Sheryl Bims Received on Tue Aug 22 2017 - 18:40:44 PDT
