Dear Council Members:

We are writing in regard to the Oak Knoll School draft environmental review currently being circulated for public comment. At the top of our many concerns with the proposed expansion plan is the removal of heritage trees, including a 300 year old oak tree, for a new school parking area. How can Menlo Park, a designated "Tree City USA" community, justify removing valuable trees for additional parking!

This whole project has an unfortunate similarity to the "modest, low impact" hotel going up at the Sand Hill/280 intersection. This so-called hotel has turned into a huge, overwhelming multi-building village. It is with despair that we again foresee future regret--this time with faulty overall school planning when it is too late. Why is it necessary for the disruptive impact of a new two story building and parking lot to replace the present playing fields? Why not temporarily move the 14 portable buildings to the playing field and put up the new buildings where the portables are now?

Let us be clear: We appreciate the wonderful schools in Menlo Park which have brought many advantages to the neighborhood. Current plans, however, seem to support the concept of "destroying the present school in order to save it". A very lamentable, but avoidable, situation indeed. Bob/Joanna Martin
rjmenlopark@earthlink.net Received on Fri Mar 28 13:05:27 2008