Dear Mayor Combs and City Councilmembers,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for voting to invite RFPs for new affordable homes downtown. I was also happy to see a one-one replacement of public parking and your consideration of labor practices. Im sure its been challenging to stand strong against the vocal minority opposed to affordable housing, and I commend you for staying true to your values and the values of the community by thoughtfully proceeding with the plan.
Thank you!
Sarah Zollweg
Downtown District 4
On Mon, Jun 2, 2025 at 10:02 PM Sarah Zollweg > wrote:
Dear Mayor Combs and City Councilmembers,
I am writing regarding Agenda Item G-1.
I urge the council to stand strong against the vocal but small opposition to affordable homes in downtown Menlo Park city parking lots. Ive lost multiple beloved neighbors to nearby communities in the past 4 years due to their inability to continue to afford living in Menlo Park and raise their families with rising rents that were already high in the first place. I want to live in a Menlo Park where the people who work here can afford to live here and be full members of the community. We all stand to benefit because this fosters deeper investment in the community by its residents and workers. It also lessens traffic and commute times. There is also high potential to liven up our sleepy downtown by bringing in more people, as well as putting residents in closer proximity to easily access the downtown.
In particular, my biggest priority for selecting a developer is maximizing the number of affordable homes at the deepest level of affordability possible. This is not only the right thing to do and the best way to work toward a more equitable and affordable community, but it will help us uphold the requirements of the Housing Element. It is also important to spread out affordable housing opportunities across Menlo Park, rather than concentrating them in and around Belle Haven and the east side.
The opposition to this project will find new reasons to oppose any other locations or options, as we have seen repeatedly.There will always be cons to any project, but the cons of utilizing the downtown parking lots are not worth squandering this wonderful opportunity.
Thank you so much for your consideration,
Sarah Zollweg
Downtown District 4
