Dear council,
My name is Shahnawaz Syed. I emailed you all a couple of months ago on the topic of Single Family Zoning, calling for the abolishment of the racist policy which directly contributes to homelessness in Menlo Park. Unfortunately, I was met with little follow up and zero action. I wish I could say I was surprised.
Fortunately, if you have not already seen the news, Gov. Newsom signed Senate Bills 9 and 10, virtually approving the end of SFZ! This will allow duplexes to be built on properties that previously were set aside for only one family (possibly housing hundreds of tenants). Naturally, I look forward to seeing the effects of such policy in Menlo Park and the Peninsula in the coming years. I hope that this also serves to show that:
1) Listening to constituents works! Abolishing SFZ on the local level would have put you ahead of the state. But more importantly, you may now realize that constituents are well aware of policy issues and how to combat them.
2) SFZ was one of the root causes of chronic homelessness in the Bay Area. The construction of duplexes will put hundreds of people off the streets in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City.
I wish you best of luck for the remainder of your terms on the council. I have been a part of the Menlo Park community for almost a decade now and hope to see even more chance in the coming years.
