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Dear Menlo Park City Council Members,
My name is Karsten Iwers, owner of Harvest Furniture, and I want to express my frustration with the closure of the 600 block of Santa Cruz Avenue.
As I have expressed in the past, I am vehemently opposed to the closure. Simply put, when you block or close the road that leads to a business, the business will suffer financially.
We have four locations in the Bay Area, three of which are recovering from the business impact of the pandemic with revenues around 85% of normal, while our Menlo Park location is generating less than half the usual revenue. I attribute this loss of revenue to the street closure.
An additional unintended consequence is that my neighbor Ali from Vida restaurant has set up an outdoor dining area that encompasses so much space that our store is no longer visible. Ali has taken over the street in front of our store as well as about half the space in front of Walgreens. This may suit his business needs, but it interferes with mine.
The street closure has definitely demonstrated a favoritism for restaurants, and it has created a chaotic situation on Santa Cruz Avenue.
Harvest has been in its current location for over 20 years, and I ask that you take measures that allow all businesses to thrive. Parklets in front of restaurants allow for outdoor dining without blocking access to other businesses, for example.
I have taken informal surveys on the street and have found the overwhelming majority of downtown business owners to be strongly opposed to the closure.
I have also been asked countless times what I think about the closure, as have my neighbors, only to learn that our input is being ignored.
I am asking for your consideration. I would also like to request a copy of the findings of your research to understand your reasoning.
Lastly, I am asking for your plans for the future for Santa Cruz Avenue. Our lease ends in April of 2021, and the street closure is a deciding factor in our decision to extend the lease or close.
Thank you for your attention to this letter.
Sincerely,
Karsten Iwers
Harvest Furniture[cid:image007.jpg@01D68B40.A4092980][cid:image008.jpg@01D68B40.A4092980][cid:image009.jpg@01D68B40.A4092980]
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