It is ducking the point for the city to claim that it can't upgrade the Belle Haven Library because it is on the property of Ravenswood School district. THAT is part of the problem. BECAUSE it is on the school site, it does not serve the rapidly growing community well. The space allotted is too limited, and the hours it is open also are too limited.

The CITY needs to find a suitable location for a proper branch library that serves well the growth in Belle Haven that the City has approved. In the ConnectMenlo process, we were told that the city would make plans for community services like the library. There is no plan.

" In the ConnectMenlo process, we were told that the city would make plans for community services like the library."


That was all a grand lie.

A responsible city would have required the massive development that it approved in the M2 to include significant Public Facility (PF) sites to allow for essential services like a library and a new fire station.

How about we walk before we run?

The current library only has evening hours (usable for, say, parents taking kids after work) three days a week. The currently library doesn't open before noon on Tuesday and Sunday. How about we get funding to the point where we can run a meaningfully staffed current library 10AM-9PM 7 days a week?

Once we're running 10AM-9PM, how about seeing what we can do better with the current space and some simple modifications? Look for underutilized sections, and shrink them to expand kids / teens. Use something simple (think cubicles) to create study and small group areas. If you want to try laptops instead of desktops, try them - but given who uses library computers for internet, desktops are likely a better choice anyway (less theft, wear and tear, etc).

@ MP resident "Once we're running 10AM-9PM, how about seeing what we can do better with the current space and some simple modifications?"

So why ask Belle Haven to limp forward at the same time a huge new library is being discussed for the other side of Menlo Park?

We need a library available to our community. Being in the school means it isn't available to everyone during school hours.

"So why ask Belle Haven to limp forward at the same time a huge new library is being discussed for the other side of Menlo Park? "

For exactly the same reason that the City failed to provide NEW PF zoned sites when it approved the massive new M2 development - there is no east side representation on the council and libraries and fire stations provide no REVENUE for the city so those east side services are ignored.

Now the ongoing M2 projects already approved will soon overwhelm the capacity of the existing east side library and Fire Station 77 and the City does nothing.