To Menlo Park City Council,
I am writing today to express my support for the development of affordable
housing in downtown Menlo Park. Thank you for all the work you and city
staff have done to get to this point in the process. I encourage you to
follow staff recommendations and authorize staff to release the RFP to the
six development teams that were selected by the City Council. Dont let a
small vocal group stop us from moving forward. Menlo Park residents have
voted over and over again to support housing in our city (Measure V,
Measure M).
In addition, I encourage the City Council to clarify that potential
developers *should* utilize all incentives to maximize affordable housing
at the site, including the state density bonus and the citys Affordable
Housing Overlay.
Developing housing downtown will bring so many benefits to Menlo Park. It
will increase foot traffic, which will help revitalize our downtown and
support local businesses. It will encourage more pedestrian, bike, and mass
transit use, as the site is located adjacent to the train station and many
downtown amenities. It will reduce vehicle traffic by allowing people who
already work in Menlo Park to be able to live here. What will happen to our
city if our schools cant attract the best teachers because of the high
cost of living, or if young families cant afford to live here. (As a mom
with 2 kids in MPCSD, I have seen both of those things happen over and
over).
I have read other comments that discuss other locations for housing around
the city. This should not be an either/or situation, we need more housing
in all parts of the city!
Lesley Feldman
