To Menlo Park City Council :
I am a lifelong Menlo Park resident and have spent a career in Commercial Real Estate, both in Commercial Leasing & Commercial Development.
The development proposal Staff and City Council has proposed for a Downtown Development is an ill conceived idea / plan for the following reasons.
Traffic congestion is already congested on the main streets and the feeder streets in the downtown area and this project will create more gridlock .
Parking is already inadequate downtown and this proposal development will make the parking access even worse. MP needs more parking during peak business hours, not less parking.
Downtown businesses will suffer more than they already are now. Many vacancies already exist as stores are having a tough time with sales. If this proposed development occurs less people will patronize the stores due to access issues created by the development locations that will greatly inconvenience store patrons access to the downtown businesses. More loss of revenues for thelocal business will then occur.
The unique local " village " character of Menlo Park will be destroyed forever.
The only location that makes any sense for this housing development that will not adversely impact the downtown area and the citizens of Menlo Park as much, is the area near the Civic Center . The development at this will still have an impact on traffic , but at least the Downtown area will not be ruined forever.
Please vote NO on the Downtown Menlo Park location development plan
Thank you
Brian McCarthy
Menlo Park Resident
