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Hello Menlo Park City council members,
My name is Andy Russell. I live at 628 Cambridge Ave with my wife, Erin, and two young kids. I am writing today about the extension of the construction project at 612 Cambridge Ave.
When the project was proposed a few years back, we were thrilled to see the property owner investing in the space and even happier to see them incorporate feedback from neighbors into their design process. We are very disappointed,
however, by the lack of progress on the project and the owners disregard for the property and our neighborhood since that initial stage - specifically:
* The owners have not kept the properties secure from squatters. One of these squatters, who lived in the corner property for several months this winter, came onto our property multiple times to confront my family and, on one occasion
while we were away, attempted to enter our house (we have this on video).
* The owners have not maintained the property exteriors, allowing for leaves and trash to collect in the parking lot and along Cambridge Ave. With the heavy rains over New Years, these leaves and trash flowed onto Cambridge Ave and backed
up the storm drains at the corner of El Camino and Cambridge, flooding both our neighborhood and El Camino. Our home came precariously close to flooding over New Years in large part because of this storm drain backup. My neighbors and I spent several soggy
days this winter raking out these storm drains, the parking lot for 612, and removing several cans of trash out of the same lot. I have attached photos of the parking lot with this email.
If the owners of 612 Cambridge Ave wish to extend development rights, we ask that they be required to keep the property secure, free of leaves/trash, and that the city ensures that material progress is made in reasonable time. This
property has become a blight and safety hazard to our neighborhood.
Thank you for your consideration,
Andy Russell and Erin Cooke
628 Cambridge Ave, Menlo Park
