So, let's be clear. If Stanford residential tenants include families with school age children who attend Menlo Park Schools, there will be no property tax to help with their education? Sounds like the City Attorney needs to research this provision. The School Board also needs to pay attention.

"If Stanford residential tenants include families with school age children who attend Menlo Park Schools, there will be no property tax to help with their education?"

Correct and there is no reason that Stanford could not utilize the entire project for such housing - which according to the EIR would have the least traffic impact of any other permitted use.

The school district would however get significant impact fees from the proposed project..

Peter: so Middle Plaza effectively becomes an off-campus residential complex for Stanford rather than housing for office and retail workers located at Middle Plaza or non-Stanford residents and it increases Stanford's housing supply and Menlo Park housing demand. Plus, Menlo Park receives no property taxes. This aspect of the project does not appear to be a good deal for our city. Stanford should cover the cost of ALL city-provided services through some sort of fee structure. Where do I go to look at the economic impact of this project? I need to understand this soon.

"Stanford should cover the cost of ALL city-provided services through some sort of fee structure."

What about the costs to the school district and the Fire District? Or do you subscribe to the view that the city should , as it always does, only look after its own narrow interests

So is the only beneficiary of all this housing the Oasis?

"Even though the sidewalks won't be designed specifically for bikes, they probably could be used by cyclists to travel short distances as a safer alternative to El Camino Real under its current configuration, according to Ms. McCown."

Not legally. From the Menlo Park Municipal Code.

11.56.120 Restriction of operation of bicycles on business district pedestrian facilities.
It is unlawful for any person to ride or operate a bicycle on any sidewalk within any business or commercial districts and zones within the city. (Ord. 900 § 1, 2000).

I'm pretty sure ECR would count as a business district/zone.

@Carpenter "The school district would however get SIGNIFICANT [emphasis added] impact fees from the proposed project.."

School impact fees are limited (capped) by the state, and the fees are one-time, so I do not believe that is an accurate statement. The school boards should find out exactly what fees could be expected. The Sequoia Union High School District charges the following:

 Residential Construction: $3.48 per square foot (effective 6/19/16)
 Commercial & Industrial: $0.56 per square foot (effective 6/19/16)

The total impact fee for that school district is $1,147,640; not all would go to our local high school obviously. Private schools can apply for an exemption, so it appears that Stanford could avoid at least the residential portion of the fee that is the bulk of it: $1,061,400.

I don't know the impact fee rate is for Menlo Park school district, but the bulk of the fees come from residential. Stanford could seek an exemption.

If Stanford were a good neighbor within Menlo Park, they would not seek the exemption. They also would allow their property to be reappraised. That would be a real public benefit.

As a taxpayer who was involved with the Specific Plan process along the way, I had the expectation that these large projects would help pay for city infrastructure. Our streets are falling apart rapidly, exacerbated by all the heavy equipment for new development. Our downtown parking lots look like 3rd world, with disintegrating pavement and lots of litter. Our gutters and storm drains don't seem able to deal with moderate rainstorms; water pools at crosswalks and along gutters.

It will take money to fix infrastructure and to provide the improvements we were led to believe would come from the Specific Plan's new development. Are the necessary public improvement fees in place so these can be collected? If not, are we taxpayers expected to cough up what is needed, not the developers?

If you have concerns regarding this latest EIR, you may consider attending the Planning Commission meeting on Monday. You may also email the Commission.

"The total impact fee for that school district is $1,147,640; not all would go to our local high school obviously."

Although the impact fee is (cleverly) collected by the high school district 60% of the amount collected goes to the elementary school districts.

Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?

I have been a resident of Allied Arts for 20 years. I do not understand why people in this community continue to block progress. This development will bring money, restaurants, progress and important change to our community. Downtown Menlo Park has not evolved in 20 years. It needs to evolve, attract restaurants, galleries, etc..... This development will do that and benefit the overall community.

" I do not understand why people in this community continue to block progress."

I do not see any comments that are aimed at blocking progress, just some questions and a few suggestions about making the project better. Those seem appropriate because there will be a written agreement with Stanford that is yet to be negotiated. It is disconcerting to see labeling of comments and suggestions as "blocking progress". Can't fellow residents rise above that level of discourse?

"This development will bring money..."
This project may not bring much money at all, so be careful with that assumption. As an academic institution, Stanford can seek exemption for most if not all of the project. There would be minimal sales tax from the small amount of retail that is less than 2% of the whole project.

@Peter Carpenter, are you saying that the City of Menlo Park and therefore it's residents and taxpayers should just step up and be more than willing to cover schooling and other city services for new residents on the Stanford-owned property? Please clarify your post.

Clarification: stanford csn seek PROPERTY TAX exemption... i think that includes impact fees.
Full disclosure of fiscsl impacts is importsnt

An impact fee is a reimbursement for an actual cost. Legally, "local agencies" may not derive revenue in excess of costs from impact fees. For a complete and accurate legal analysis of California law go here Web Link

"A development impact fee ... must be reasonably related to the cost of the service provided by the local agency. If a development impact fee does not relate to the impact created by development or exceeds the reasonable cost of providing the public service, then the fee may be declared a special tax and must then be subject to a two-thirds voter approval. (Cal. Const., Art. XIII A, § 4.)

There can be no (net) public (revenue) benefit to the School District from impact fees charged to offset District costs from housing projects that add students. *SIGNIFICANT* impact fees can only be exacted when there are *SIGNIFICANT* costs.

"Because of skyrocketing student enrollment, two school campuses in Atherton and Menlo Park will see some SIGNIFICANT [my emphasis] changes in the next couple of years. The changes are driven by a 40 percent enrollment growth in the past decade, said Menlo Park City School District Superintendent Maurice Ghysels." Web Link

If you want to learn more about the actual hard service costs downtown development has on the City of Menlo Park go here: Web Link In particular Table 12 p16 shows per capita costs of city services for new residents and employees.