Re: Agenda 5/6/08

Hon. Mayor and Council Members:

The FRA environmental studies required by the Environmental Protection Agency determined that the train horns alone at 660' from the tracks resulted in a "severe" impact to residents and that 2-1/2 million residents are already affected.

The cacophony of clanging bells, congested traffic idling at its least efficiency while spewing poisons, with auto horn blowing, intolerable engine noise levels and cancer-causing diesel emissions from locomotives constitutes a public health hazard and rules out compatibility and sustainability of transit housing so close to the railroad tracks as that planned in the Derry Project and presented as an option for 1300 El Camino. The additional space required for rails will necessitate the removal of a sound wall on the property line at Derry.

Approval of the O'Brien Group and other developers to obtain public financing for the residential portion of such projects shows callous disregard for human rights.

Menlo Park station is not designated for TOD by regional and state agencies and it certainly does not have the infrastructure for such massive projects. As it is, there are numerous hourly downed gates which are destined to increase congestion with health and safety issues thereby exacerbated.

The Public Utilities letters re safety at the crossings, the Housing and Urban Development guidelines for noise and the Air Resources Board standards should be paramount. Existing and proposed conditions are the antithesis of such reasoning.

This is to go on record as opposing the city's role in promoting additional housing alongside the heavy rail and freight railroad and its stations. if only due to the penetrating horn blasts which will continue and, indeed, multiply with electrification unless "quiet zones" are established as a prerequisite.

The city as the lead agency and its officials as the stewards of our health and safety has failed its existing railside residents in seeking relief from the air and noise pollution. Indeed, officials are clamoring for more service which at the last JPB meeting is estimated to double with or without high speed rail.

At the present time I have been advertising an apartment for rent with full disclosure which has been rejected several times strictly due to its proximity to the tracks, although it is not near the noisier station area or as close as the proposed Derry project.

When I bought this property a tenant was moving out after three weeks due to the train noise which was not disclosed to me. The trains have almost doubled since then. All concerned should be held accountable for current non-disclosure.

It would be prudent to keep development mixed-use without housing along the El Camino/Caltrain Corridor and to refrain from exposing any other living thing to its congestion, air- and -noise pollution, at least until all railroad projects and mitigation measures are completed. This includes children at play, day sleepers and other sensitive receptors.

The petition of those affected and presented by Jon Scott, Esq, then transportation commissioner has been lost by the city. It was not given to the City Clerk and was last known to be in the office of the former manager or assistant manager Audrey Seymour. Please notify if it is found or whether it is lost forever as was a previous file which went through the hands of city manager, Jan Dolan

Former mayor Paul Collachi must remember this petition since he asked a crowded room with petitioners spilling out of the door who was there as a complainant and every hand went up.

This was the project priority setting of 2002. It is shameful that management, staff and city officials have continued to look the other way and ignore all pleas.

Thanks to now mayor, Andy Cohen, its importance has once again been brought home to you.

Respectfully,

Margaret Petitjean, Menlo Park

attached mail follows:

http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1355 Received on Tue May 6 10:50:46 2008