Hi Dear City Council Members and Staff,
I attended one of your meetings about a month ago and fully laud the downtown affordable housing plan, but urge you to build a parking structure that will increase the number of parking places, not in any way decrease.
We already need more downtown parking, and that’s with 20% of the storefronts empty. It’s the single biggest issue by far for people objecting to this plan for affordable housing, and we’re crazy not to do it - it makes such good sense.
However, I can’t read an article or stand in the post office line or listen to Anna Eshoo’s telephone town halls without hearing outraged discussions about how crazy it is to take away parking spaces when we already need more parking. I too find it hard often to find a space, and this will kill the plan so easily. Usually I never hear any specific conversations in those places - yet all of a sudden this is a hot button and hated - even by Anna Eshoo on her phone sessions. You don’t need that kind of push-back, and I’d love to see your insisting the plan call for more, not less parking.
Then the degree to which the objections might be NIMBYism will have to come forth, and I’ll bet it’s less than the current outraged discussions and petitions.
The businesses will thrive better than now, the empty stores will be rented, the city will collect more tax money for its budget, the new tenants can walk to such handy shops and restaurants, not causing more traffic or pollution - which I also hear the opposite of. Please put that high up in your promotion of this Plan - it’s really gotten attention when I counter the conversations I hear, and in written commentary on NextDoor, etc.
It feels like an easy change (I may be naive), but please please find a way to ensure more, not less parking. Lots more. I promise - that will take the wind out of a lot of naysayers’sails.
Very many thanks for taking on this challenge - it’s mind-blowing how many people are up in arms. That won’t all go away, but this parking spaces issues seems important and easy to solve - and should be IIMHO.
Many thanks, and if you ever want to discuss it, I’d love to.
Very best wishes, so many thanks for taking on such arduous roles - more power to you!
Happy New Year, and please hang in there,
Warmly,
Elsa Schafer
Elsa Schafer
650.740.5733 (c)
ElsaSchafer16@gmail.com
1202 Sharon Park Drive, #75
