Dear City Council Members,
My name is Katherine Walters Rundell, and I am a fourth-generation resident
of the Menlo Park / Atherton area. I am deeply concerned about the proposal
to build housing on our downtown parking lots. This plan threatens the
survival of many local businesses, which rely on accessible parking both
for their customers and to weather the inevitable disruptions of a long
construction project.
It’s frustrating to see continued investment of time and resources in this
plan when it will ultimately go before the voters. Why not prioritize more
viable alternatives? None of these options is without challenges, but
downtown is uniquely unsuited for this type of development.
The Council’s first responsibility is to those who live here today, and who
have chosen Menlo Park as a place to raise their families given the
existing downtown. Please don’t compromise the character of our town and
the small businesses that sustain it in pursuit of a project that benefits
people who are not yet part of this community. Affordable housing is
important, but placing it on our downtown parking lots is the wrong
solution.
Thank you for listening to the voices of long-standing residents like
myself.
Sincerely,
Katherine Rundell
