To the City Council and City planner,
I am a 27 year resident of Menlo Park and have lived all of those years in
the Allied Arts neighborhood near downtown. I am writing to express my
support for the proposed zoning changes along Santa Cruz Avenue that will
be considered by the Council.
Downtown Menlo Park has had too many vacant storefronts for too long, and I
believe the City should take practical steps to help Santa Cruz Avenue
become more active, attractive, and economically healthy.
I support allowing limited office use in the rear portions of existing
ground-floor buildings where appropriate. Some of the current spaces are
too large to be filled by traditional retail alone, and creating smaller,
more flexible retail spaces could help attract a broader mix of businesses.
Additional office workers downtown would also bring more daytime foot
traffic, which would benefit nearby restaurants, shops, and services.
I also support expanding the permitted uses along Santa Cruz Avenue to
include a wider range of businesses, such as fitness, wellness, financial,
and other service-oriented uses. These types of businesses can draw people
downtown throughout the day, help fill vacant spaces, and make the corridor
more useful and appealing to residents. I see these types of businesses
inc. fitness thriving with Menlo Park customers in places like Palo Altos
Town & Country. Lets capture that revenue for Menlo Park.
Santa Cruz Avenue should be a vibrant center of community life in Menlo
Park. These zoning updates seem like a thoughtful and important step toward
encouraging investment, reducing vacancies, and supporting existing local
businesses.
Thank you for your collective work on this issue.
Best regards,
Kathleen
