Mayor Combs and City Council,
I enthusiastically support the proposal of converting the downtown parking plazas into multi unit housing.
Menlo Park depends on the support provided by many people who simply cannot afford to live within a reasonable distance of this area. A decision to repurpose the underutilized parking structures and consider multi unit housing with parking included would mean our kids can thrive with great teachers at their schools, families will have better healthcare as primary care physicians aren’t leaving the area in droves, and many other essential roles can attract top level candidates based on their skills rather than their ability to afford this increasingly inaccessible community.
Please support the expansion of housing and therefore affordability in our community. I am a local homeowner and am well aware that there may be short term impacts on real estate values in the area. I think it’s time that community members stop thinking solely about their own bank accounts and recognize that the disparity in economic resources will have far worse long term implications for their families and future generations. The effects on real estate values at that point will be far worse.
Thank you,
Sharmila Ravi
700 Oak Knoll
Menlo Park
