Hello Menlo Park Council, My family and I are local business and property owners in Menlo Park. I have had our professional consulting business here for 35 years, originally on Willow Road in starting in 1983. We purchased and improved our facility at 115 Independence Dr in 1996 as a family investment, turning it into a professional office building. We put the property in contract to sell about a month ago and within 2 weeks the buyers cancelled the offer. This offer was substantial and reflected our acre of land. We learned only yesterday that the Connect Menlo ordinance has language hidden in it regarding "Independence Relocation" and a required easement placed on four of us property owners. See highlighted pp below for example language. This currently has cost us millions of dollars in lost value. What is the intent of taking away our property under eminent domain? When will it be removed or does this require legal action? 16.45.100 New connections. Proposed development will be required to provide new pedestrian, bicycle, and/or vehicle connections to support connectivity and circulation as denoted in the City Zoning Map. These connections may be in the form of either a public street or a paseo as denoted in the City Zoning Map and are pursuant to the standards in Section 16.45.120. Streets shall meet the requirements of the adopted City of Menlo Park street classification map in the General Plan Circulation Element. (1) If the location of a new connection is split between parcel/ownership, the first applicant must set aside the required right-of-way through dedication or a public access easement and bond for the completion of the new connection, or reach agreement with the other property owner(s) to allow the first applicant to complete the entire new connection; (2) If the location of a new connection is located on multiple properties with the same owner, applicant may move the connection up to 50 feet in either direction from what is shown on the City Zoning Map for enhanced connectivity, and/or other considerations, subject to the review and approval of the City's Public Works Director; (3) For phased implementation of a development project, applicant must show an implementation plan for the new connection and the City may require a bond or right of way dedication or public access easement prior to the completion of the first phase; (4) The land area dedicated for new connections in the form of public streets (right-of-way) will be subtracted from the total lot area to determine the site's Floor Area Ratio; (5) The land area dedicated for new connections in the form of paseos will require a public access easement (PAE). The area of the PAE is included in the total lot area to determine the site's Floor Area Ratio. It seem completely reprehensible to insert this language into an ordinance and hide it from the owners who it impacts. Please let us know what is needed from us to address this problem. Sincerely, Philip Bourgeois President (650) 326 0528 x 219 studiored http://www.studiored.com/ > application/octet-stream attachment: Menlo Park Ordinance 1026.pdf
