Menlo Oaks is also part of the County. If any residents from unincorporated West Menlo would like information about how to protect significant and/or heritage trees, please contact the Menlo Oaks Tree Advocacy and we'll help you. menlooaks-mota.org

"In this case, she said, the sphere of influence is clearly Menlo Park, as it is nearly completely surrounded by incorporated land." This must be a mis-quote. It should say "the sphere of influence is clearly Menlo Park, as the unincorporated land in "the Triangle" is nearly completely surrounded by Menlo Park."

Having our heritage trees shredded to make room for jumbo houses is not good economics, or good housing policy. The streets near the Triangle, like Oakdell, with beautiful protected trees, command much higher real estate values for similar housing stock. Lately, the county has approved clear-cutting of lots and the building jumbo houses that are out of the reach of young families trying to get into the Las Lomitas School District.

Traffic mitigation also seems to be beyond the grasp of the Planning Dept and Board of Supervisors at the County. They continue to allow young children to walk without sidewalks on the "crazy-busy" "crazy-fast" streets of West Menlo. Clearly they won't fix this problem until a child or other pedestrian dies when a Tesla-in-a-hurry passes on the right where a sidewalk should be.

Remember the disaster of the traffic islands along Santa Cruz Avenue, a few years ago? Every time I remember that hapless political screwup, I'm thankful that my parents were among the innumerable homeowners in University Heights who successfully opposed annexation to the City of Menlo Park, when the city grabbed the Sharon Estate in the early 1960s. Every day I and my guests are permitted to park cars overnight in front of my house (forbidden by city ordinance a few blocks away, without a purchased permit), I'm grateful for that, too.

Be careful what you wish for, people. Once you abandon being outside the city's reach, you'll never get that back. Small town feeling: adios.

Work with Rich Gordon and the county. They're not perfect, but don't be so quick to assume the city would be better. There's good reason to think it won't.

Rick Moen
rick@linumafia.com
1105 Altschul Ave.

The proposed annexation of 52 homes seems reasonable if the home owners wish it. I only hope the Menlo Park city officials don't obstruct it or deem it a "burden" on the city, especially since the City is welcoming with open arms, an addition of 4,500 new Facebook housing units which have the potential of adding 10,000 to 12,000 (or more?) new residence to Menlo Park's current population of 35,000 That, by the way, is akin to annexing the entire population of Atherton (p. 7,159) and Woodside (p. 5,481) combine. Food for thought.