Honorable Mayor and members of the Menlo Park City Council:

You will shortly hear this information in far more detailed and accurate description from city manager Glen Rojas, who attended this afternoon's meeting (1.7.09) with representatives from Parsons Brinkerhoff, HNTB, and CHSRA.

This was an initial "get acquainted" meeting. Also present from Menlo Park were Kent Steffens and Chip Taylor. Atherton was represented by Mayor Carlson, Atherton Public Works staff and several representatives from the Atherton rail committee. Unfortunately, no Menlo Park city council members attended. Atherton notified me of the meeting or I would not have known about it.

The point of this email is to reiterate the absolute necessity of affiliating with Atherton in the form of a standing joint rail corridor committee which should eventually expand to include other neighboring towns north and south.

The process of design/build for the HSR on the Caltrain corridor has started. It is absolutely critical that our towns have a crystal clear understanding and agreement about what we want, what we expect and what we don't want. And, it is also critical that we agree. We must become pro-active in seeking information from the key players who are shaping the project engineering designs and EIS/EIR. Furthermore, we must become pro-active in communicating our position to them. We must be firm and clear about that position.

We must begin with their realities, such as that development will take place only within the Caltrain corridor, which may be expanded where necessary. There are no other route alternatives, such as within the #101 or #280 right-of-way, possible.

As city manager Rojas will tell you, they have provided a time line. The clock has started.

The mission of this committee includes the gathering of information and the dissemination of our respective cities' wishes in the form of joint resolutions. The more cities join as signatories to such resolutions the better. The aforementioned joint standing committee (or task force) can be the vehicle for such actions.

If we insist and persist, we can get CHSRA to take tunneling seriously. It is not off the table at this time. HNTB was extensively involved in the Almaden rail trench in Los Angeles and has experience with this type of construction, as well as with tunneling. Our needs and concerns must be transmitted to those doing the planning and designing; they have asked us to do so.

They suggested a raised viaduct structure. We must reject that as grossly intrusive and divisive, cutting through residential areas. We indicated to them that we reject intrusive design alternatives that raise the track levels upward, either on berms, walls or viaducts.

With all due respect and humility, I strongly urge fast-tracking this issue and making it a top priority for Menlo Park.

Respectfully and cordially,

Martin

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Martin Engel
1621 Stone Pine Lane
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650:323-1670
martinengel_at_earthlink.net


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