As a resident in the BH for a few years, I can't connect the racism dots because the race has changed so much. Not sure what Matt is saying, but whatever.

What I will say is that I took part in the process on Kelly Park during the first go around and the city largely did what it wanted and ignored our input. The second coming of Kelly Park, we actually got to impact that design a lot. We will see if the city takes that input, but we were involved. I would be residents near other parks did not get as involved or have the chance we have had.

It is hit or miss on these things, I don't see it as some kind of systematic racism.

This article totally ignores one critical fact that has been mentioned by Vince Bressler and others: there is no project, per se. Oh sure, there are drawings and plans, but what Bohannon is asking for is not permission to build specific buildings but permission to rezone his property. He refuses to commit to building anything on it within the next five years and perhaps even longer.

He's managed to get some Belle Haven residents on board with his plan by talking about jobs, but those aren't jobs that are going to be available now or next year or even in 2015. Those jobs may never materialize, because chances are significant -- once Bohannon gets his property upzoned -- that he will decide it doesn't "pencil out" to build and will instead turn around and sell the land. Which will of course be far more valuable if the city has allowed the rezoning.

Shouldn't the residents of the city, including the council and commission, be determining whether we want that big chunk of area to serve as light industrial (the current zoning) or offices (the zoning Bohannon wants)? Keep in mind that the light industrial can generate a lot of revenue for our city; offices do not (unless we somehow manage to enact a business tax). Also, if that area is rezoned for offices, the kinds of jobs available to people who aren't fluent in English or aren't college educated will be pretty limited. Light industrial offers many more opportunities. If I were a Belle Haven resident, I'd want to take a long-term perspective on this whole proposal.

It simply doesn't wash to try to "play the race card" here -- there are plenty of white folks as well as asian and latino and pacific islander and african american people who generally support or will support a project of this nature there, if the right conditions are negotiated as the City seems to plan to try to do. There are also people of all colors who are not convinced at all yet.

Let's stay focused on the *real* issues here - like good planning and negotiating the best overall package for the City for a project of this significant size if it's to go forward. Let's not get side tracked into a drama that simply isn't valid. (Or that may be being used to bully the Council -- none of who are or should be accused of being "racists" if they raise hard questions which it is their *job* to do at this point in the negotiation dance.

taxpayer says:
"if that area is rezoned for offices, the kinds of jobs available to people who aren't fluent in English or aren't college educated will be pretty limited."

Part of the BH residents benefits should include job training/college credits for the limited number of jobs that will be available... If we start now BH applicants should be ready.

Menlo Park has seen its commercial areas decline for the past twenty years due to paranoia about development and progress. Bohannon lives in Menlo Park, has owned the land for about sixty years, wants to develop it responsibly, make the investment in Menlo Park and take the risk of it failing. If the impacts can be mitigated, lets support that.

Industrial uses no longer make sense in that area. High density infill developments like this are supported by most environmental groups, that have a regional perspective, to keep development in areas that are already developed.

Vince Bressler's 'fact' that there is no project and that Bohannon may just sell is a fiction. It is another in our long local history of nimby obstructionism.

Long Time Resident - so show the rest of us where it says when the project will start, when the jobs will start, when the revenue will start.
Show us where it says that there will be any sales tax revenue from the 90% of the buildings that aren't the hotel.
Show us where the impacts will be mitigated. The draft environmental impact report says there will be significant adverse impacts that cannot be mitigated. It also studied alternatives that have slightly less revenue and a lot less adverse impacts. But none of those are what Bohannon has requested.
The city could get a lot more revenue, some pretty buildings, jobs, far fewer negative impacts, and significant public benefit SOON from a project. But not the one proposed.

Bohannon acknowledged that he is unwilling to commit to building anything within the next five years. So what he has to offer is puffery.

Note also that the opportunity to rezone will be his alone. His neighbors will suffer the ill effects of the traffic but will not be able to upzone themselves. So those of you who support this project because "he's owned this land a long time and should be able to do whatever he wants with it" may want to remind yourselves that his neighbors will not be given the same consideration.

The unions support this project because it will create construction jobs...for a few years. Then we residents will be stuck with this 1,000,000 square foot white elephant for decades to come. The unions are certainly allowed to have a voice in the matter, but their input should not overwhelm the big picture.

I have heard that the 2002 council studied this area extensively and came up with different scenarios for the M2. Why hasn't that research been introduced? Seems as though it would be very helpful to have an analysis that is not driven by a specific project.