Hon. Mayor and Council Members, et al

On July 31, '08 at 7 p.m. in the Menlo Park Recreation Center there is to be another ill-timed meeting re the location of a bicycle tunnel under the Caltrain tracks.

There can be only three reasons why this project is going forward at a cost of around $50,000 to Menlo Park taxpayers at this time:

1. It was a campaign promise made by the majority of the city council members after the previous council had put it to rest until plans for a Ravenswood vehicle grade separation are completed. There was also a petition filed in opposition to the Willow underpass by Linfield Oaks residents.
2. The present city officials may use their findings in a carrot/stick persuasion process with the developers of the Stanford- owned land along the Caltrain/El Camino Corridor; This will open up Linfield Oaks and Alma for tenants, employees, visitors, etc. to relieve the parking for El Camino development;
3. Additional proponents of such a tunnel (notorious for muggings, rapes and transient habitats) may be unaware of the decades of effort to clean up the rail r.o.w of mattresses under the five-star Stanford Park Hotel windows, clean -out of the human excrement from the creek and other areas, including around the train station and all along the railroad which is known to be a haven for the homeless; This problem again exists in the vacant car-dealer lots.

Most of the examples given so far do not link commercial areas with residential areas. San Carlos for example is industrial to commercial.

El Camino Real is a state highway which is not compatible with the uses demanded by some misguided proponents of bicycling/walking. 660' from the railroad has been designated by an environmental impact report of the railroad officials themselves as having a "severe" impact on residents from the train horns alone. The noise and air pollution of diesel particulates from the present locomotives are known to be injurious and should be avoided by the unprotected. These conditions will continue for years to come.

Here again is the chapter from the publication of the MTC who guides and funds regional rail:

"The Challenges for TOD...Some TOD sites in the Bay Area may be located near abandoned industrial sites, freeways or busy arterials, and other sources of pollution. All potential hazards must be adequately addressed before development can occur at these sites."

A Build It Green organization speaker stated that health declined exponentially eight blocks from the toxic emissions of heavy traffic areas.

The attached article will show another switch by the high speed rail spokesmen.
Initially, they told us that only a few feet by the train station and along the Derry project would be required for extra rail. Now the Examiner reports that the present r.o.w. will be too narrow and require eminent domain acquisitions from Redwood City to Burgess Drive in Menlo Park. Does anyone really know?

Until the November election when the bond measure for HSR is voted upon and/or Caltrain's plans for electrification, etc. are completed, with or without HSR, this city's commitment to the study of locations for tunnels is a complete waste of taxpayer time and money.

Furthermore, it is hoped that candidates for upcoming council seats will oppose all housing adjacent to these vast construction projects planned along the Caltrain/El Camino Corridor; that they will be committed to ensuring that mitigation and compensatory measures are taken for existing residents and that the present "vision" of high-density toxic-oriented housing with tunnels inviting additional traffic into residential areas will fade into oblivion.

Margaret Petitjean, Menlo Park
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attached mail follows:

http://www.examiner.com/printa-1497244~Rail_plan_on_track_to_eminent_domain.html Received on Mon Jul 21 12:24:43 2008