To the City Council:

Kim Lemieux's posting to the Menlo Park City Council regarding solar access should remind residents that our residential design ordinance is at least 14 years old. In 2002, after an excruciating two-year process the City Council crafted an updated ordinance that included strengthened protections for solar access. With the backing of the local real estate lobby, the next council (Winkler, Duboc & Jellins) rescinded that ordinance and substituted one that the realtors and residential developers preferred. Kelly Fergusson led a successful referendum campaign against that ordinance which propelled her election to the Council in 2004. Ms. Fergusson is now in her fourth year on the Council and the burning issue of residential zoning has been forgotten. The Green Ribbon Citizen's Committee has made its recommendations and the only mention of solar is the waving of permit fees. As Ms. Lemieux points out, nothing has been done or even proposed to address long-standing deficiencies in the outdated ordinance.

An effective new ordinance would protect existing and potential solar installations from shadows cast by new construction and identify a process by which a California state law regulating vegetation that grows into solar access can be removed or trimmed. The City should also require solar installations on new construction and assist builders in site planning for solar orientation.

With City Council elections just around the corner, many residents will be working for a change on the council that will bring real action on pressing issues and fewer press releases.

Steve Schmidt Received on Thu Mar 13 18:51:41 2008