As a resident of Menlo Park and home owner, I am opposed to the madate that Gas appliances, water heaters and furnaces are required at end of life to be replaced by electric appliances, heaters, and furnaces.
This is a tremendous postential cost to the homeowner when for example hot water heaters require replacement.
I realize the environmental coordiantor, an academic, with minimum real world experience, and an activist advisory group is going to virtue signal support for these extreme mandates.
I have seen some of the ocsts for replacment by the coodinator and they are not representative of real world expenses, when homes which lack the existing space or electrical circuits to support these vanity projects are confronted with the true costs of electrical upgrades which can run in the thousands of dollars depending on the home and circuits currently supplied. This is not to mention any alterations in space that may be required to house the larger heaters, heat pumps etc. Further we pay the highest rates for electrical service and frankly have a system which PG&E has not devoed enough resources to meet the current demand on hot days.
Most people do not replace hot water heaters, furnaces, and/or appliances unless they break down. In the case of water heaters or furnaces and dryers, the cost and time to replace may be weeks depending on the electric circuits required along with permitting and any space adjustments for water heaters, in effect leaving the home owner without hot water or heat for an extended period of time.
I think the role of the council is not to submit to these virtue signalers and enviromnetal absolutists and they should not be allowed to control the lives of residents with their feel good objectives. This is simialr to the Fire District proposal a few years ago to require all remodels etc to install sprinkers. It was roundly defeated as not meeting the cost benefit analysis.
Further, if council thinks this is a good idea, then we should insist all of the imcoumbents replace their gas appliances as a demonstration project before this is foisted on residents.
On another note, I do not think a liquor license should be granted to the Union oil gas station on Willow road, especiall for distribution time between 12-6 am.
Bob Crockett
212 Marmona Dr
