Sep 05, 2023

Fwd: Dangerous Intersection @ Oak Grove + Garwood

Greg Kuzia-Carmel

05 Sept 2023

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Greg Kuzia-Carmel Chef || Owner || Operator Coffee Shop: 1300 El Camino Real Suite 100 Food + Wine + Spirits: 550 Oak Grove Menlo Park, CA 94025
t. 650.550.0081 // c. 917.207.8474
Begin forwarded message: From: "Louch, Hugh" Date: September 5, 2023 at 8:22:35 AM PDT To: Greg Kuzia-Carmel Subject: RE: Dangerous Intersection @ Oak Grove + Garwood

Hi Greg, Thanks for your email and the conversation last week. I appreciate your attention to the safety of this intersection. The best way to reach all City Council members and have your thoughts included as part of the public record is to send an email to city.council@menlopark.gov – those messages also are received by management staff (including me). I can’t read your comment into the record directly – we have to provide equal access. (mailto:city.council@menlopark.gov) The staff report will summarize the types of concerns I hear from the outreach. It will be available on Thursday and I will send you a link when it is ready. I know you mentioned not being available. In case you are not aware, all of our City Council meetings are available for remote participation.
Best. Hugh

Hugh Louch Assistant Public Works Director - Transportation City Hall - 1st Floor 701 Laurel St. tel 650-330-6741
menlopark.gov (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.menlopark.gov%2f&c=E,1,s0hWJxSIUSOdXA9GK52RVjMJSFbvtnWmc8RQGXWiPKQzeCe2dxmIFEM9CqQ8aJu67jDAR4db43OSRZ0r1f94O0s3OUJOVdvucjJOOGfDLM6MBECu&typo=1) *Note our emails have changed to @ menlopark.gov (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fmenlopark.gov&c=E,1,gTuKVRedt-pSCctIyK53AlFW4UWkrY5eLEHjtxMrWjqSy-KOn3pOYsI0kHmlQ-fy_FDBXUAvko8qx3YakSZdalt_PAQX5tIUchWQ47doNA3-Pyc,&typo=1&ancr_add=1)

From: Greg Kuzia-Carmel Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2023 9:43 PM To: Louch, Hugh Subject: Re: Dangerous Intersection @ Oak Grove + Garwood CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Unless you recognize the senders email address and know the content is safe, DO NOT click links, open
attachments or reply.

Hi Hugh,

Thank you for taking the time to indulge me today on Oak Grove and participate in a little impromptu observation of some of the issues with the current state of the traffic patterns and installations. I hope that my impassioned rhetoric
only serves to underscore how important I think this process is to the variety of stakeholders in Menlo Park. I know you are bound by limitations and duty to observe all of the proscribed directives handed down by the city counsel and the variety of expert
case studies they are referencing.

If I could be so bold could I ask you to read the following statement in my absence as I am committed to another project on the evening of this meeting:

Dear City Council Members, my name is Greg Carmel and I co-own Camper and independently own Canteen in Menlo Park, the latter of which is actually two physical outlets located within the new Springline Community between El Camino Real
and Garwood Avenue. Since January my team has take on the challenging task of building an economically viable restaurant and hospitality enterprise at the tricky junction of Garwood Avenue and Oak Grove Avenue. Our business is very much one of the anchor
properties in this neighborhood and we are working around the clock to tailor a product and operation that befits this wonderful, world class community.
In the process of doing this we have also become very intimately familiar with the hazardous traffic patterns that occur at the idiosyncratic four-way intersection(s) of Merrill, Garwood and Oak Grove Avenues. I believe that eliminating the ability to make
left hand turns off of Oak Grove Avenue would materially, demonstrably harm my access to my business. Moreover, in its current state, the intersection is extremely confusing, not well marked with clear and conspicuous signage and poses a significant risk
to pedestrians and traffic alike with the directional islands as they have been installed. There are significant elevation changes a vehicle encounters coming west bound over the train tracks making the islands difficult to spot when traveling a normal, legal
traffic speeds. If you take one look at the islands, in the months that they have been in place they have been the site of countless car strikes, close calls and confusing interactions with everyday drivers.

I know the city is working on a noise reduction plan that will likely result in a modification to the traffic patterns at these locations but I would be remiss if I didnt express frustration that the solution seems to be limiting traffic
access and thereby creating another impediment to my businesses ability to service our guests. Safety as the primary concern, this intersection is not safe as it is designed right now and you need not spend more than ten minutes there before witnessing a
near collision; eliminating the turn will not serve the purpose of making this safer.

Menlo Park is one of the wealthiest, most technologically capable and organized places on the planet. The wacky traffic protocols implemented in town are a deterrent to commerce and accessibility and I hope that at some point in my
tenure here as a local business owner that somebody finally takes up the cause to make our downtown move as simply as our competitive neighbors like Palo Alto and Redwood City, that are beating us for market share and satisfaction in their downtown commercial
zones. Thank you for the time, Greg Carmel \

Again, thank you Hugh for putting up with my rant today and general frustration here. As a small business owner I get a first hand glimpse to the effects of these issues; literally on a day to day basis and in a reoccurring fashion as
I track the business trends and unmet expectations of our capture in what could be, and should be, a prime location.

With my best,
Greg K-C

On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 11:43 AM Greg Kuzia-Carmel < greg@canteen.studio> wrote: (mailto:greg@canteen.studio)

550 Oak Grove Ave

G

On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 11:26 AM Louch, Hugh < HLouch@menlopark.gov> wrote: (mailto:HLouch@menlopark.gov)

Thanks Greg, should I come to coffee shop? Thanks,
Hugh
Hugh Louch Assistant Public Works Director - Transportation City Hall - 1st Floor 701 Laurel St. tel 650-330-6741
menlopark.gov *Note our emails have changed to @ menlopark.gov

From: Greg Kuzia-Carmel < greg@canteen.studio > Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2023 9:31 AM To: Louch, Hugh < HLouch@menlopark.gov Subject: Re: Dangerous Intersection @ Oak Grove + Garwood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Unless you recognize the senders email address and know the content is safe, DO NOT click links, open
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Hi Hugh,

See you at 2. As a heads up I have a 3:00 call

Greg Kuzia-Carmel

Chef || Owner || Operator
Coffee Shop: 1300 El Camino Real Suite 100
Food + Wine + Spirits: 550 Oak Grove

Menlo Park, CA 94025

t. 650.550.0081 // c. 917.207.8474

On Aug 31, 2023, at 8:33 AM, Louch, Hugh < HLouch@menlopark.gov> wrote: (mailto:HLouch@menlopark.gov)
Hi Greg, Are you available around 2pm today? Thanks, Hugh

Hugh Louch Assistant Public Works Director - Transportation City Hall - 1st Floor 701 Laurel St. tel 650-330-6741
menlopark.gov *Note our emails have changed to @ menlopark.gov

From: Greg Kuzia-Carmel < greg@canteen.studio > Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2023 1:52 PM To: Louch, Hugh < HLouch@menlopark.gov Subject: Dangerous Intersection @ Oak Grove + Garwood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Unless you recognize the senders email address and know the content is safe, DO NOT click links, open
attachments or reply.

Hi Hugh,

My name is Greg Carmel and I own several businesses here in Downtown Menlo Park, including two businesses @ Springline on El Camino Real. I hope this email finds you well and given
that weve never met in person I hope none of this comes across as more than just your local business owner venting some frustration.

I am writing in regards to the two "island style" traffic blockades that the city installed between the Garwood Ave crossover at Oak Grove Avenue. I fully understand the purpose
of these "interceptors" and support the safe driving practices of folks bypassing this intersection but this is ABSOLUTELY a major traffic accident waiting to happen and they are very dangerous to pedestrians and cars alike.

The way the islands are designed creates a dangerous and tricky (poorly marked/signed) left hand turn from the Middlefield bound cars. On the common ocaission there are two cars in opposing directions trying to make legal left hand turns on Garwood coming
from alternate directions, chaos ensues. Ive seen many a near miss and, unfortunately, as is visible from the amount of tire marks on the acutal islands themselves, several cars strike the islands and come very close to barreling onto sidewalks or doing
major damage to their cars. Add to the mix the complication of folks rushing to get across the railroad tracks when there are inbound trains and sirens: this is a disaster waiting to happen.

I dont know what the solution is to gatekeeping and managing foot traffic and vehicle speeds but I am positive these two installations are not the answer and will be the direct
cause of a major incident. To be honest, I am very surprised that there havent been (to my knowledge) any injury accidents here thus far.

I mention that I am a business owner because my newest venture here in Menlo Park, Canteen, is just a few hundred feet away and we have all collectively watched in distress how
folks interface with this unnecessary complex intersection. We have even had more than a handful of guests complain to us about it and I wouldnt be out of place to say that it is costing us current and future business.

I hope this message can be relayed somewhere that might garner some kind of response or consideration. We simply want to provide for a safe downtown environment and one that is free of unnecessary risks because of poor civic design. As a father of a one year
old, I avoid this crossing like the plague. Why cant we have the same crosswalk line illuminated pathway like is provided in front of the Post Office? Who is going to be the person we come to when something more serious, even possibly fatal, happens here?

Please advise,
Greg Carmel

--

Greg Kuzia-Carmel

Chef + Owner + Operator

Coffee Shop :: 1300 El Camino Real (@
Canopy)
Food + Wine + Spirits :: 550 Oak Grove
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650.550.0081

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