Hello,
I understand there is a discussion underway about the street closures and outdoor dining. As a Menlo Park resident (I live in the Allied Arts neighborhood), I wanted to say how vital this outdoor dining has been to our downtown. It’s no secret retail has been decimated during the pandemic -- just look at all the empty store fronts on Santa Cruz — but the lovely outdoor dining spaces these small businesses have created (and invested in) have kept, and even brought life, to the area. Maybe, just maybe, they can even help to bring back some stores. The street closures also only beautify our downtown, giving people space to stroll.
Without these outdoor dining spaces, I truly fear our downtown will be a ghost town. Please keep them!!
Sincerely,
Gabriela Hebert
