I am opposed to taking park land for housing, especially Sharon Heights Park. Geologically it is not suited for housing. If we are to have more affordable housing in Sharon Heights, taking open space park land is a poor choice and one that I oppose. We are already densely populated with at least 5 condominium and apartment complexes.
I would favor making the Sharon Height shopping center a mixed use site with residential as well as commercial space. The shopping center needs more pedestrian traffic and shoppers.
There are other choices of land that are not park land in other areas of Menlo Park that would be more suitable and perhaps these spaces will be available soon.
Parks are so important for our physical and mental health we must preserve them. There are few parks west of El Camino. There are Nealon Park and the one bordered by Arbor and Fremont. and then we have Sharon Heights. These parks serve our communities and many surrounding communities. Since we have mostly lost the school grounds as recreational assets, losing any park has a very real impact.
I am very much in Ray Mueller’s proposal to require a city wide vote to convert our parks to housing or other purposes.
Margaret K Chilton