Dear Alliant Communities, Presidio Bay Ventures, Related California, and Alta Housing,
Thank you for taking the time to present your proposals to Menlo Park residents. I really appreciate the opportunity to better understand what is being considered for the MP downtown parking plazas.
I support serious efforts to create more housing, especially affordable housing, but I also think a project of this scale deserves clear, practical answers before the City moves further down the path. These parking plazas are part of how downtown Menlo Park functions day to day for residents like myself, workers, small businesses, visitors, deliveries, and service access.
I would appreciate your responses to the questions below:
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First, on the housing goals: how many units in your proposal would be affordable to extremely low-income and very low-income residents, including households under 50% AMI? Will any priority be given to people who work in downtown Menlo Park, including retail, restaurant, service, school, nonprofit, and civic workers?
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On parking and downtown functionality: what evidence or analysis supports the conclusion that removing the existing surface parking plazas will not materially harm downtown access, circulation, small business activity, or customer convenience? Where exactly would replacement public parking be located, would short-term public parking remain free, and how much additional walking time should downtown visitors expect on average?
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Third, on financial feasibility: what assumptions are required for the project to work financially, especially given the cost of replacing public parking, building on constrained sites, and potentially managing infrastructure upgrades? Who pays for replacement parking, utility upgrades, transportation improvements, and cost overruns? What happens if the project stalls after construction begins?
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Fourth, on long-term public obligations: who will be responsible for the safety, maintenance, operations, and affordability of any public parking garages 10 or 20 years from now? Will the City, the developer, residents, or future users carry those costs?
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On construction impacts: how long would construction last, where would people park during that period, and what is the plan to protect downtown businesses from prolonged disruption?
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And finally, on environmental, traffic, and emergency access issues: what environmental investigations have been completed, will a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment be completed before any agreement is finalized, and how will traffic, deliveries, waste collection, and emergency vehicles operate safely within these constrained downtown layouts?
I am asking these questions in good faith because this would be a major and lasting change to downtown Menlo Park. Residents deserve to understand the tradeoffs clearly, including the benefits, the risks, the costs, and the long-term obligations.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your response.
Best,
Melinda
Melinda Davenport
Executive Advisor | Chair | Board Member
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