To the Council and Fellow Menlo Park Residents: I want to say first what a pleasure it is to see the Menlo Park City Council considering vital steps to deal with density and planning. It has been far too long in coming. I'm writing today to raise a specific question of density and the ECR/Downtown Specific Plan. This development plan, long in the making, has given rise to an explosion of project approvals accounting for some 80% of all available space within the Plan area. In one such case, the 1704 ECR/Hampton Inn, a huge bonus has been proposed for developers in return for odd concept that a bonus can be offered in return for paying one's taxes. At their last, June 22, meeting a majority of the Planning Commission determined that the Hampton Inn's planned payment of?? the so-called Transient Occupancy Tax was neither an appropriate nor sufficient Public Benefit to grant a bonus Floor Area Ratio of 1.1 to the Project from the 0.75 Base FAR that prevailed in the Downtown/ECR Specific Plan area. On that basis, a majority of the commissioners then present voted against the proposed project. To briefly consider the tax issue, the TOT is a tax that all hotels must pay. It has been the absurd position of the hotel developer and indeed Planning Commission staff that the project's payment of a TOT is a Public Bonus meriting a 46% increase of allowable project density. Many of us may wish that we got special credit for paying our taxes. It of course isn't the case. In the instance of the Hampton Inn, the hotel's prospective payment of TOT does nothing for the affected low-density neighborhood surrounding the hotel. Indeed, it is the neighborhood that pays the price of this development with crowding and higher density. This concept of neighborhood cost rather than benefit deserves the Council's attention as it develops plans that will continue to guide the development of this city. Payment of taxes should never be used in considering project merits.?? Project developers should be compelled to provide amenities that specifically benefit the surrounding neighborhood in order to be granted a Public Benefit Bonus allowing for increase density. Again, it is encouraging to see the City Council consider these topics in ways that may improve all our futures. Sincerely, Fred Rose, Menlo Park Resident Received on Sun Jul 14 2019 - 17:32:49 PDT