LETTERS LETTERS (December 29, 2004)

High rents cause downtown vacancies

Editor:

I was pleasantly surprised to read in Mary Gilles' letter in the December 15 Almanac that she agrees with me on two important points. First, that "exorbitant rents are contributing to our downtown vacancies." Second, that rent control is not the answer.

If retail business is to thrive in Menlo Park, landlords and tenants need to understand they are in a sort of partnership. Landlords need to recognize that, while they need to earn a return on their investment, base rents must also make it possible for merchants to make a profit on a reasonable sales volume.

Merchants, on the other hand, need to be willing to share the fruits of better than expected sales with their lessors through percentage rents. Failing to understand these reciprocal interests creates vacancies that hurt, not only the landlords and merchants, but also those of us who want to shop locally. And the city's sales tax revenue suffers too, when stores are closed. James R. Madison

Holly Avenue, Menlo Park

In cars vs. bikes, cars always win

Editor:

Bicycles with a rider weigh 150 to 250 pounds, give or take a few pounds. Cars weigh 2,000 to 3,000 pounds, so when bicycles and cars meet, the car always wins.

Adding bicycles to the already gridlocked El Camino Real or downtown of Menlo Park would be a recipe for many accidents and injuries. Bicycles should be walked through downtown and not allowed on El Camino as they would create many a hazardous condition.

Pat White Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park

Nevin wrong to take Samtrans post

Editor:

Let me make sure I have this correctly. Emperor Mike Nevin has appointed himself to the Samtrans Board? Why is he above the appointment process, which applies to everyone else?

This is outrageous. Supervisor Nevin is a politician, not a member of the public and most certainly not someone who even uses public transportation. The Samtrans seat is reserved for a "citizen" of the county in order to have adequate representation by members of the public who use Samtrans.

Supervisor Nevin's self-appointment is a slap in the face to the citizens of San Mateo County. It is our leadership doing whatever it pleases and making a mockery of the whole appointment process.

We have enough political grandstanding in the county. Let us use the Samtrans Board as it was intended. Supervisor Nevin can find something else to occupy his time after he leaves the Board of Supervisors. Maybe he could start by riding buses for a while.

RickCamacho San Mateo

Wonderful opportunities in Menlo Park

Editor:

Thank you Menlo Park for the wonderful opportunities I've enjoyed in 2004.

This spring I took a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class through the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. It offered "hands-on" training to learn practical preparedness techniques and an opportunity to ask a bevy of questions of Menlo Park firefighters -- a superb experience.

Later I was privileged to work on the campaigns of two Menlo Park City Council candidates -- Mike Lambert and Lorie Sinnott. I appreciated the creative, sensible solutions to the city's challenges they offered and that they focused their campaigns with positive ideas and high ethics.

And, by taking time to personally observe some City Council and Planning Commission meetings, I gained an even greater appreciation for the hard work and difficult decisions with which our city's leaders regularly grapple.

This fall I took the city recreation department's Monday evening class "Forever Fit -- Crowder Exercise. Here I discovered a venue for exercising just about every part of my body to pleasant, upbeat music -- cloaked in an environment of caring encouragement and expertise by instructor Sue Chiappone.

In addition, during 2004 I've continued to serve on the board in our Willow West condo complex in the tree-lined Linfield Oaks neighborhood and to enjoy the teachings of hope and connectedness at my "church family" at Menlo Park Presbyterian, where I've met so many good friends.

Yes, thank you Menlo Park for providing such rich opportunities and for more "special friends." And now, 2005 beckons...

Kathy Goodell

Willow Road, Menlo Park

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