hello,
as menlo park resident and father of two, i want vibrant, commercial, fun downtown, and i believe that begins with more affordable housing right there. i am strong supporter of the project to convert those large inefficient parking lots to mixed use commercial and housing, provided we keep the aesthetic standards high, and replace all the parking that is removed. it is also critical to me that the city not "giveaway" the land, but structure the deal in a way that retains the property for the municipality into the future.
of the RFQs posted, aesthetically i could support the past work shown by Alta Housing, Mid-Pen Hosuing, and maybe Pacific Bay, whereas i have a strong negative reaction to Path, Aliant, and The Pacific Cos which look very institutional and seem that they will look dated very quickly.
as an aside, it bothers me that there seems to be a coalition of existing downtown businesses trying to oppose this at every turn -- businesses that reflect a past and not a future of Menlo Park. i do not think businesses on a street with such high commercial vacancy can claim to know whats best for the city.
thanks, nick merz
