Dear Mr. Ream:

Thank you for voicing your concerns. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the new water efficient landscaping ordinance being considered by the Menlo Park City Council and how it potentially affects property owners.

The ordinance being considered by the Council would have no effect on existing landscapes, whether they were at residential, commercial or other properties. The ordinance would have no effect on any property in the City until a development application (i.e. building permit, subdivision, etc.) was filed with the City, and the proposed work included new landscaping of sufficient size to trigger compliance with the landscaping ordinance. The ordinance would not require any property owner to re-landscape.

The ordinance is under consideration because of the new State law (the "Water Conservation in Landscaping Act") that came into effect January 1, 2010, which requires all cities and counties to enact an ordinance regulating the amount of water used for landscape irrigation. The City of Menlo Park is participating with the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agencies (BAWSCA) in a regional effort to develop an ordinance that is not overly burdensome to property owners and developers, is effective at conserving water and complies with the new state law. We will be presenting a draft ordinance to the Council in an upcoming meeting and will welcome your comments or suggestions on it then.

Information about the new State law and the future ordinance is available as part of the staff report to the City Council in December 2009. It is available on the City's website at:

http://service.govdelivery.com/docs/CAMENLO/CAMENLO_101/CAMENLO_101_20091215_050000_en.pdf

Lisa Ekers, Engineering Services Manager

From: Knute Ream <knute_at_(domain_name_was_removed)<mailto:knute_at_(domain_name_was_removed)?Subject=re:%20lawn%20ordinances%20under%20discussion%20-%20opposed>> Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 12:36:37 -0800

Dear sirs:

I am a long time resident of Menlo Park, (current residing on Hermosa Ave) and recently read in the Almanac about restrictions the council is discussing and proposing related to limiting lawn square footage at private residences and also potentially controlling at what time of day one could run lawn sprinklers. I am not unsympathetic to conservation efforts, and indeed I am environmentally sensitive, meticulously recycle, and go to great lengths to reduce power consumption as much as possible.

However, I am adamantly opposed to the city mandating what I can grow on my property- this is an invasion of privacy, and an inappropriate application of legislative control. If the city wants to encourage reduction of water usage, I can understand that, but the city's response should not result in micro-managing my landscape choices.

Please reconsider the direction I perceive you are headed on this issue- you are attempting to address a valid concern (water conservation) by applying a very inappropriate solution.

Upset,

Knute Ream Received on Thu Jan 07 2010 - 14:41:32 PST