Rhonda,
Thank you so much for your response. I read the attachments carefully (many pages!) and found no explanation as to why the deck was removed from the BMR unit. You said something about setback requirements but I could not find anything about setback requirements related to outdoor space for the BMR unit.
The plan dated 3/26/19 and included with the Planning Commission and City Council documents DOES indicate that there will be a balcony for the BMR unit. See G24, p 47 of the document from the Planning Commission meeting on 5/6/19. Then the deck disappears without explanation in the document from the City Council meeting on 7/16/19.
The two new units may have the same square footage but they are not “indistinguishable from the outdoors”, as they are required to be. The new market rate unit includes private outdoor space and the BMR unit does not have any private outdoor space. In fact, all of the other units in the project have private outdoor space. The BMR unit is the only one that does not.
The BMR unit that the developer proposed, and that City Council accepted, does not meet the requirement to have an exterior that matches the other units in the project. It would be easy to meet that requirement by changing the BMR unit from the upstairs unit to the downstairs unit, which does have outdoor space.
Please let me know if there is something I am missing. I want to understand how this discrepancy occurred. I know that, as a BMR purchase wait lister, I have a vested interest. But I believe in these principles regardless of whether the ultimate purchaser is me or someone else. The people on the Below Market Rate list are important contributors to society in ways that are not usually financially rewarded as well as they should be. For example, I am a kindergarten teacher in Menlo Park. We deserve to have amenities (private outdoor space) as much as people whose work is rewarded with high pay.
Thank you so much for your help!!
Kristen Leep
On Mon, Jul 12, 2021 at 3:40 PM Coffman, Rhonda L > wrote:
Hello Ms. Leep,
I confirmed with the Planning staff the earlier version of the project proposal for 975 Florence that the Housing Commission viewed did not comply with all setback requirements. The project was revised to comply prior to the Planning Commission and City Council review and approval. The Planning Commission and City Council are authorized to waive the BMR unit size, location and appearance requirements per the BMR Guidelines, section 5.1.
Below are links to the staff reports that went to the Planning Commission and City Council, which both indicate there were design modifications:
https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/21420/F3_975-Florence-Ave?bidId=
https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/22135/H1-20190716-975-Florence-Ave-CC
The BMR unit location was designated and approved and will not include a deck. I hope this answers your questions. Feel free to contact me for any further assistance.
Rhonda
From: Kristen L [mailto:leeping1@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 7, 2021 7:53 PM
To: Coffman, Rhonda L >
Cc: Lauren Bigelow >; Karen Grove >; Rachel Horst >; Heather Leitch >; Nevada Merriman >; Chelsea Nguyen >; John Pimentel >; Wolosin, Jen >; Betsy Nash >; Noce, Michael R >
Subject: Re: Florence Ln Project question
Great! Thank you so much!!
On Wed, Jul 7, 2021 at 5:00 PM Coffman, Rhonda L > wrote:
Hello Ms. Leep,
Thank you for your email. We are looking into this matter and will respond to your questions soon. Please feel free to contact me with any further concerns or questions.
Rhonda
[cid:17a9e7d1a154cff311]
Rhonda L. Coffman
Deputy Community Development Director - Housing
City Hall - 1st Floor
701 Laurel St.
tel 650-330-6614
menlopark.org
From: Kristen L [mailto:leeping1@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 7, 2021 3:20 PM
To: Coffman, Rhonda L >; Lauren Bigelow >; Karen Grove >; Rachel Horst >; Heather Leitch >; Nevada Merriman >; Chelsea Nguyen >; John Pimentel >; Wolosin, Jen >; Betsy Nash >; Noce, Michael R >
Subject: Florence Ln Project question
Hello! I have been keeping an eye on the Florence Ln project because I might be eligible to purchase it. I have been on the BMR purchase list for over 8 years. I looked at the proposed plans for the project from the Housing Commission Meeting from August 8th, 2018 (attached). I noticed on the BMR site (housekeys10.com), and confirmed on the plans submitted to your commission, that the BMR condo associated with the project would include a deck. However, I just walked over to the site.
One of the construction workers let me have a quick look. There is no sign of a deck for Unit 2, the condo that is supposed to be the BMR unit. All of the other units have a deck or patio associated with them. It looks like, according to the BMR Housing Program requirement, "the exterior of the BMR unit would be indistinguishable from those of the market-rate units." But if all of the other units include outdoor space and the BMR unit does not, then it is not indistinguishable from the market-rate units.
Was there an approved change to the plan that I was unable to find? Should the unit that is allocated for BMR be changed to meet the demands of the program? Maybe to Unit 1, below it, which does include a deck? I suppose that it is possible that the deck for Unit 2 could be added later but that seems unlikely since a door would have to be added.
If there is someone else who I should ask, please let me know.
Thank you so much for your help!!
-Kristen Leep
