Honorable Members of the Menlo Park City Council:

1906 El Camino (Acorn Restaurant) has been appealed and is on the agenda
for the City Council meeting February 27, 2007. This intended
medical/dental facility will be located on one of the busiest streets on
the Peninsula, at one of the more dangerous intersections of the busiest
street in Menlo Park (El Camino Real and Watkins). In light of this
indisputable fact, the Planning Department's resistance to conducting a
traffic analysis is stunning, and fudging the proposed building's square
footage in order to avoid such an analysis is reprehensible.

My wife and I strongly urge you to consider the traffic implications of
the proposed medical/dental facility intended for that location.
Watkins is the border street between Atherton and Menlo Park and is one
of only two streets in Atherton crossing the rail corridor. As a major
access route to Marsh Road and 101, it is heavily trafficked during the
day, especially during commute times.

There is no traffic light at the Watkins/El Camino intersection. There
is no traffic signal of any kind on El Camino at that crossing. El
Camino traffic moves at 35 mph and faster through that intersection both
north and southbound. Crossing El Camino from Watkins to head south is
a dangerous undertaking day or night because there is no entry lane
southbound on El Camino. Even without the increased traffic that will
result from the proposed development, this intersection has been a major
safety hazard.

Dental and medical appointments typically begin at 7:00 a.m., concurrent
with morning rush hour. For an example, one can experience the traffic
that will be generated at Watkins and El Camino, by driving on Welsh
Road in PA at most times of the day. Bear in mind that entering Welsh
Road does not involve merging with traffic moving at 35 mph +. A
further potential hazard is that patients occasionally drive home
following medical/dental procedures that may render them less than fully
alert.

Knowing all this, we ask who will bear responsibility for the first
accident, perhaps a fatal one, at this intersection?

We strongly urge you to reject the appeal for the construction of this
proposed development at 1906 El Camino Real.

Respectfully,

Judith and Martin Engel-Orasanu

-- 
**********************
Martin Engel
1621 Stone Pine Lane
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650:323-1670
martinengel@earthlink.net
**********************