1.  I'll work to resolve the Sunset Housing Project by trying to moderate the project to fit more into a residential neighborhood it is being located.

2.  We need to make make rail safer. We can start with making the Caltrain tracks located in the four railroad track crossing in Menlo Park into a quite zone. But also to see if we could raise enough funds to put the tracks located in Menlo Park in a trench to reduce the number of fatalities along the entire Caltrain tracks from San Francisco to San Jose.  There has been over 30 such fatalities in the last three years.

3.  We need more housing. Together we must convince the State that ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units) should be counted as an acceptable housing units.  ADU’s are being put forth in Atherton’s Housing Plan.  I personally converted my pool house to an certified ADU before I moved to Menlo Park to help this cause.

What are the greatest challenges in Menlo Park?

I believe the greatest challenge is to deal with the Sunset Project and somehow change the character of the project to a more residential character, than it is now proposed.  Otherwise, the City will have a difficult problem in digesting such a large metropolitan project in a City that is more residential in nature.

Additionally regrding the City's most recent housing element, my thoughts are that the 2,161 Units needed to meet the Plans requirements that will be placed in the three parking lots placed between the U S Post Office parking lot between El Camino and Chestnut, second the parking lot on Oak Grove between Chestnut and Crane Street and third the lot between Crane and University will be too many for these City owned parking lots. This will be too many in such a small space.

Stop Signs

I believe that Menlo Park should eliminate many if not all the stop signs along Santa Cruz Ave.  These signs just congest this main street of the town down area.  In order to eliminate these signs the City would have to change the parking spaces to vertical spaces only and have no horizontal spaces.  This would require eliminating the grass spaces in the middle of Santa Cruz also.  This would be similar to the main street in Burlingame.  This would cause a wide open Santa Cruz from El Camino to University Avenue.

Should Menlo Park pursue a Caltrain quiet zone?

I believe the quiet zone should be pursued as one of my three top priorities above.  The quiet zone would allow people to sleep better at night and would also reduce the number of injuries and fatalities. 

Ensure that all residents of Menlo Park are included in decisions that may affect them, their environment and their health.    

The only way the City Council can ensure all residents of Menlo Park are included is to propose a referendum like a Measure CC for the residents to vote on that will ensure the residents are  involved in the decision making process.

Transient Occupancy Tax increase (Measure CC)

I want to know how competitive the tax is compared to hotel taxes in near-by city and towns.  Assuming the new rate is competitive with other towns I would support it, assuming the rate is much higher than other towns I would not support it.  Based on a limited comparison with Palo Alto the proposed Measure CC rate is less than Palo Alto and will only be more than Palo Alto in two years after it is passed.  Therefore I would support passing the Measure CC tax.

Encourage vibrancy in Menlo Park Downtown

Let's first find out why the Menlo Park City Chamber of Commerce is no longer in business, since its goal would normally be helpful in getting the businesses involved and make the City more vibrant.  If the Chamber is in business, I would work with them more to see if the City could do more to help them to be active and vibrant.  Someone at City Hall should find out why businesses are going out of business and what the City can do to help them to stay in business. 

I have found out that the City Chamber of Commerce has been merged into three other cities Chambers and is functioning has a merged entity for all three cities.  I would want to look at this merged entity to see if it is working well enough to improve the vibrancy of Menlo Park.  If it is not I would want to see if a new separate entity should be reestablished to make the City more vibrant.