Despite claims by Menlo Park City Council candidates that the city’s political scene doesn’t have to be divided, two distinct camps exchanged blows at a forum last week.
The two sides agreed on the key problems facing the city — lagging sales tax revenue, a shortage of sports fields, and vacant properties on El Camino Real — but were split on the solutions.
The Derry project referendum and the Bayfront Park ballot measure were key matters that divided the candidates into two clear-cut camps.
Each side has put forward three candidates to vie for three open seats on the five-person council, and the candidates didn’t shy away from criticizing their opponents in front of some 100 people at the forum, some of whom submitted written questions for the candidates to answer.
The forum was hosted by the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County and sponsored by the David D. Bohannon Organization.
Incumbents Lee Duboc and Mickie Winkler have sided with John Boyle, a member of the city’s transportation commission, to keep the council under the control of the current majority, and, in their words, “move forward” with improving the city’s economy, including its sales tax base.
The majority’s opponents are Linfield Oaks resident Vincent Bressler and parks and recreation commissioners Richard Cline and Heyward Robinson. These three candidates say they are running independent campaigns — they each have their own campaign literature while their opponents are pooling their resources — but are supported by key political figures who oppose the current majority.
“The current council majority is good at making decisions, but bad at getting results,” said Mr. Robinson. He pointed to the city’s decreased sales tax revenue.
Mr. Boyle said the city has “turned a corner” as the current majority has made strides in making the city more business-friendly. He said he wants to continue a process sparked by Ms. Winkler and Ms. Duboc — consideration of putting some city services out for competitive bid to cut the city’s costs.
Derry project
All three of the majority’s opponents said they support the referendum campaign against the Derry project, a plan to build 135 condominiums and more than 22,500 square feet of commercial space between El Camino Real and the train station. The council approved the project 4-1, with Andy Cohen opposed.Ms. Duboc said the project will enhance the city’s downtown area, and turn “commuters into residents.” She said the referendum campaign is motivated by politics.
Mr. Cline said the plans for the building are “beautiful,” but questioned the long-term vision for El Camino Real.
“We can’t just spot-plan this through,” he said. “Let’s take a step back and plan the entire corridor.
Bayfront Park
The camps are also divided on Measure J, the advisory ballot measure that asks voters if they support moving forward with plans to build sports fields for $15 million to $17 million at the 160-acre Bayfront Park off Marsh Road.“This is a contentious issue, and we’ve put it to the voters for that reason,” Ms. Winkler said. “We won’t do anything that puts anyone at risk, including the environment.”
Mr. Bressler said the current majority has “ignored” recommendations by the parks commission to build fields on other sites, and past councils should have negotiated with developers to build additional fields.
Really divided?
The candidates had different takes on the state of the council and local politics.“I question the assertion we have a polarized City Council,” Mr. Boyle said, prompting moans and laughter from the audience. He said that 13 percent of the current council’s decisions have been made by 3-2 votes, and that the notion that council is always divided has been created by the press.
The majority’s opponents said the council is polarized, and pegged blame on the majority, which doesn’t encourage public input, they said.
Mr. Bressler said his views “cut across the polarization,” which also prompted some laughter from the audience.
One thing the candidates did agree on is the need to mitigate increased traffic.
Ms. Winkler said the city should eliminate parking on El Camino Real during business hours, and consider grade separations at the railroad crossings and another turn lane on northbound El Camino Real at Ravenswood Avenue.
Mr. Cline said the city should direct traffic toward Sand Hill Road rather than El Camino Real.
Ms. Duboc noted that the Menlo Park City School District is looking at setting up a system to bus children to and from schools, decreasing traffic in neighborhoods near schools.
INFORMATION
The candidate forum will be broadcast on cable Channel 27 on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m.; and Friday, Sept. 29, at 9 p.m.
