Jan 23 2023

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I am adding the city council to the email. 400 units for the Parkline development is PLENTY for this neighborhood, with adjustments proposed below. Increasing housing to 600 units is a bridge too far... Thank you for reading my note in its entirety . Nancy Hosay, (Linfield Oaks resident) ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Nancy Hosay <nancy.e.hosay@gmail.com<mailto:nancy.e.hosay@gmail.com>> Date: Sun, Jan 22, 2023 at 11:21 PM Subject: SRI/Parkline Plan Review - requested changes To: <PlanningDept@menlopark.gov<mailto:PlanningDept@menlopark.gov>> Planning commission members: I am in full agreement with my neighbor Sue Connelly regarding proposed changes in the density and size of the development. Taking the already extremely large total housing number from 400 units to 600 units, is a 50% increase! At 400 units the density of this development far outstrips anything in the adjoining neighborhoods, and jeopardizes basic quality of life issues including resultant lack of parking, crowding, school and infrastructure impacts and traffic in this area . * The project should net out to provide the state-mandated housing number of 400, in the amount required by Menlo Park for the developers planned amount of office space. Keep 400 apartments according to the original plan, but create a BMR (Below Market Rate) number of 25% of those 400 housing units, so no separate acreage for affordable housing will be required. * Reduce the amount of office to comply with current C1 zoning. Do NOT increase the jobs-housing imbalance by adding any more office space to this proposal. We need to bring jobs and housing in balance, not keep widening the gap between them. * The apartment complex driveway on Laurel St, should be removed to reduce traffic on Laurel St., and to preserve bike and pedestrian safety, such as it is, on Laurel St. The smaller driveway for townhome residents would be less problematic and can remain as is in the current plan. * Use the currently gated SRI driveway onto Middlefield to redirect traffic flow so Laurel St is not used by the apartment residents ( see above point) . The office traffic can be significantly reduced on the Ravenswood driveways if Middlefield driveway opens, providing more egress options, and directing traffic closer to their destinations of Middlefield and 101 access. * Increase parking commensurate with office worker numbers and apartment dwellers. Fewer parking spaces onsite only pushes traffic into nearby neighborhoods, as the research recounted to the Commission during the 12/12/22 meeting indicated. Fewer parking spots than the number of workers and residents cars do NOT encourage use of public transit, but to using neighborhood streets for parking. * Provide underground parking for both offices and housing units, reducing the need for car parking to take up valuable above ground space in the form of an above ground parking garage . * Include the emergency water storage tank , because 1) there is no options for workers west of El Camino and 2) the city yard emergency well is in danger of possible contamination during an earthquake from existing onsite gas storage and toxic substances in the ground. Quoting from my neighbor, Sue Connelly, who says it far better than I : " SRI/ParkLine will have highly profitable housing and office revenue annually, but the costs will be borne by the taxpayers. Based on current Menlo Park office rates, the office project stands to generate $50M per year. This doesnt include ANY of the apartment rentals, for which most will be at very high rents (see the current rents for the new SpringLine apartments!). There will be some city revenue, but since SRI is a non-profit, this massive development will not offset many of the costs residents must pay for infrastructure (schools, police, fire, water and roads). Yet it will create a significant reduction in our quality of life (and possibly home values), bike/pedestrian safety for school children and residents, and increasing the state-mandated affordable housing units even more. We need to require that any new office development provides/includes the affordable housing that the office spaces and employee densities will be required to be built in Menlo Park." Thank you for your consideration regarding rejecting this enlarged and negatively impactful proposal for this development . Nancy Hosay 325 Linfield Place Menlo Park

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