Dear Mayor and Council Members,

I am writing on behalf of Casa dei Bambini and their request for a Use
Permit for 1215 O’Brien Street. I strongly urge you to reconsider the
decision of the Planning Commission and to approve the permit to allow Casa
dei Bambini to locate a preschool at O’Brien Street.

I have read the Planning Commission Staff Report, and listened to the audio
transcript of the Planning Commission meeting on November 27, 2006 via the
city’s website [thank you for providing such ready access to the public]. I
believe the Planning Commission has erred in rejecting the Use Permit.

As I am sure you are aware, there is a desperate need for quality preschools
our communities. For example, there is currently only one Montessori
preschool in Menlo Park (University Heights). Their waiting list is long
and they can only accommodate 50 students. Certainly you can agree that the
backbone of any community is its families. And families need quality
choices for one of their most important tasks: providing a solid education
for their children.

As a school, Casa dei Bambini stands apart. It is probably difficult to get
a sense of the school simply from the Staff Report, Architectural diagrams,
maps and figures. A school isn’t really the bricks and mortar: it is the
spirit of the place that resonates with children. I would urge you to
request a visit of the Palo Alto campus to see for yourself the wonderful
and enriching environment that the staff has created for the children in
their care. Imagine a similar atmosphere in Menlo Park.

As the mother of two young children (3 ˝ and 1 yr), I certainly support the
need to protect the safety and health of our children. So, it was
appropriate for the Commission to inquire as to the suitability of locating
a school in the M-2 zone. Ultimately, I believe we must rely on the public
professionals who we entrust as experts in this field: the Planning
Commission Staff, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, the EPA, the
police department, etc. They have all judged this applicant to be an
appropriate use of the space.

If, on the other hand, the decision of the Commission and Council indicates
that those experts have failed the community in evaluating the safety of
locating a preschool on this site, so near to other schools and
neighborhoods, perhaps we need a full scale reinvestigation of the entire
M-2 area and how it impacts the surrounding communities. If the safeguards
and insurances currently in place are insufficient to protect the community,
additional regulations are in order. A hearing with the parents and staff
of the nearby high school (Mid Pennisula), preschool (OICW) as well as the
neighbors in the adjacent neighborhoods is certainly warranted in such a
case.

However, I believe that the experts have made an appropriate judgment. It is
they who understand the regulations, who have researched the matter and
whose duty it is to protect us. It was the recommendation of the Staff to
approve the request. The EPA and Fire Protection District found no issues
with the use request.

Please consider the appeal of Casa Dei Bambini for their Use Permit of 1215
O’Brien.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Sara Armstrong

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A signed hardcopy of this letter has been sent to your offices via USPS.