To City of Menlo Park Council Members:  

We have lived in our current home at 300 Santa Monica Avenue since 1976 and hence have a relatively long-term perspective of the history of our neighborhood.  

Seminary Oaks Park was given to the City of Menlo Park by the developers of Vintage Oaks after much protest by people of the surrounding neighborhoods over aspects of the plan that would have negatively impacted the area both environmentally and socially. For example, we successfully overturned plans to create a wall around the development on Santa Monica Avenue which would have effectively isolated Vintage Oaks from the surrounding neighborhood. Today the park¹s many trees have matured, creating a small green oasis treasured by neighbors of both Vintage Oaks and South of Seminary neighborhoods. The park brings us together.  

Naturally, we were blindsided by recent notification that there were long-term plans to demolish the park in order to build an underground reservoir with a 4 foot central elevation as well as a large groundwater pumping station. The plan, we came to understand, would entail removal of all existing mature trees except one and creation of a much smaller park.  

Although this planning process appears to have begun nearly ten years ago, there has been no public involvement until now. There seems, also, to have been a lack of communication between different departments in the city, as well as with new city council members. Over the years several different consultants have been involved in the project, resulting in widely ranging estimates both for emergency water and fire flow. It seems the city needs to first determine the actual needs for MP Municipal Water District and work with the fire department to determine the water needs to fight fire. The city also needs to coordinate with Cal Water and come to some agreement on how much water is really needed for the entire city in order to find a location that would meet long-term needs.  

As far as we understand, plans for this project have not been coordinated with Parks and Recreation. Most similar reservoirs are placed beneath sport fields. The reservoir could be placed in a site that would have the advantage of an additional playing field in our community without having to destroy the trees in our community park. Partnering with private or other government entities could result in a better outcome for both parties and save the city substantial funds in the long run.  

In summary, because we believe the process has been flawed, we request that the site selection process for a water reservoir/groundwater facility be reopened, based on a comprehensive list of criteria of what makes a suitable site for a reservoir (or possibly a set of wells), examining not just city-owned lands, but all sites appropriate, and considering long term needs and costs. Community engagement is necessary to help come to an optimum, well thought-out decision regarding an emergency water supply for our city.  

Respectfully yours,  

Mark and Jana Tuschman
300 Santa Monica Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025  

• mark tuschman 300 Santa Monica Ave. Menlo Park, CA 94025 650 322 4157 (office) 650 867 6364 (cell)

http://www.tuschmanphoto.com Received on Mon Jun 30 13:09:32 2008