I AM BREAKING THIS EMAIL INTO TWO PARTS BECAUSE THE SEVERAL PICTURES
MADE IT TOO LONG TO TRANSMIT ALL AT ONCE. SEE "SPRUCE AVE. FLOODING II"

 
Subject: Spruce Avenue Flooding
 
Thanks for giving attention last Tuesday to the petition to fix the
Spruce Avenue flooding problem.
 
I don't know what process in followed regarding the petition I handed in
at the Council Meeting, but I think it is important for each member of
Council to have a copy of the cover letter and 5 attached pictures.
Accordingly I am enclosing them here for your consideration.
 
We truly need to "drain the swamp" on Spruce Ave. by securing a
commitment to complete the job begun two years ago and fix it once and
for all. We are requesting that the City put this project at the top of
the capital expenditures budget for 2007 and promptly embark on the
first phase which I expect would be an engineering study to determine
the range of fixes that would solve the problem.
 
Respectfully yours,
Don Barnby
________________________________________
 

January 8, 2007

To: Menlo Park City Council

From: Residents of Spruce Avenue

The attached petition has been overwhelmingly endorsed by 46 residents
representing 100% of the 27 homes contacted (all but one home). Also,
please see the attached photos of Spruce Avenue flooding.

Spruce Avenue drains very poorly, floods badly in the rain, and is
ragged and potholed along its edges; it looks like a slum rather than
Menlo park. In wet weather, the residents as well as the many customers
of Celia's Mexican Restaurant who park on Spruce must walk (unsafely,
particularly at night) down the center crown of the road to avoid deep
puddles and mud along the edge.

The street was built when the area was county before its annexation to
Menlo Park over 30 years ago. Since that time the residents have been
paying Menlo Park taxes, but the City has never brought the street up to
Menlo Park standards. About two years ago the City began addressing the
Spruce Avenue flooding problem by installing drains at the street's end
near the railroad tracks; that has helped drain standing water from in
from of the houses at the very end but does nothing to relieve the
significant flooding along the rest of the street's length.

Furthermore, the sewer beneath the street clogs frequently, requiring
City maintenance. (That may be the result of grease overflow from
Celia's grease trap.) In addition, it is worth noting that the sewer
beneath the street is at such a shallow depth that the sewer laterals to
the homes along Spruce have inadequate slope if they run from the back
of the home.

The attached petition requests that the City complete the drainage job
begun two years ago and reengineer, re-grade, and rebuild the entire
street (and sewer) to provide adequate drainage from El Camino Real to
the drains near the railroad tracks. Spruce Avenue is a pleasantly
informal street and there does not seem to be any need (or desire) for
sidewalks, but either curbs or concrete drainage swales along its edges
are important to contain and direct the flow of water, and to eliminate
the ragged unkempt appearance.