Council,
I missed the deadline and ask that my suggestions be included and considered.
1. All applications for an office development should include an amount of housing that offsets the demand created by the project: One housing unit must be included for every 250 sq ft of office. This approach should be used immediately with the Parkline (SRI and Lane Properties) project. The Council has an obligation to reduce the housing deficit and housing displacement.
2. All multi-family development approvals should include a requirement of occupancy and certification within 2 years of issuance of building permit.
3. With the pressure on the City by the RHNA requirements, the City should levy a vacancy tax on residential dwellings after 6 months of non occupancy.
4. The City should levy a vacancy tax on downtown retail spaces after 6 months of non occupancy.
5. Housing downtown should begin with one parking lot only. It should be for mixed income equally distributed.
5. Santa Cruz Ave should be open to traffic and outdoor restaurant seating should be limited to months of May through September.
Brielle Johnck
Menlo Park
7. The City needs to identify the funding for a parking structure before any more time and money is spent on the approval of housing on parking lots. If the downtown property owners are assessed, they should have rights to park their employees for free.
