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Editor,
Having provoked the community’s outrage at its plan to shoehorn massive housing projects into our downtown parking lots, the Menlo Park City Council now must face the music and wait for voters to speak on the resultant citizens’ initiative when they head to the polls this November. At least that’s what you’d expect from council members who profess to embrace the democratic process.
But you’d be wrong.
Further, with the strong likelihood that Menlo Park voters will revoke the city’s power to do as it pleases with public parking lots, you’d think the city’s top priority now would be identifying alternate sites for affordable housing.
Again, you’d be wrong.
Instead, Mayor Betsy Nash and her silent majority on the council continue to push the parking lot housing plan as if no countering ballot measure existed!
So, kudos to Councilmember Drew Combs, who laid several reality checks before the Council at the Feb. 10 meeting. He pointed out that moving forward now can only generate ill will and serves no constructive purpose. He urged his colleagues to press the “pause” button by waiting for the community’s decision in the November election.
One of the most important revelations during the meeting occurred when Combs challenged the familiar “builder’s remedy” scare tactic of council member Jeff Schmidt as fearmongering. Combs dissected Schmidt’s speculation with fact-based observations that state housing officials cannot and will not punish the city if it falls behind its housing element quotas between now and November.
Indeed, there’s no rush at all considering that the city has until 2031 to approve projects that would satisfy its mandated housing numbers.
So, for the moment, that leaves Combs as the lone voice of reason and respect on the council, while Nash pushes her pet project ahead without regard to the upcoming election and the will of the people.
Cherie Zaslawsky
Menlo Park
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I wish recalling Nash was on the ballot. Her nonsense agenda’s have nothing to do with what the typical tax payer in Menlo Park wants.
Wholeheartedly agree. Follow the money I am sure it’s in her bank account
That’s an interesting possibility you bring up.
The process is spelled out in California’s Election Codes. After the preliminaries, those circulating the petition would need to gather signatures of 25% of the registered voters in her district. So it can be on the ballot, it just takes some work to put it there.