Atherton fails to notify public of new laws, resident claims

Posted by Terence Kenney
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Mar 27, 2008 at 11:13 am

Re 3/28/08 on the Lowrys' appeal and Atherton not publishing legal notices because there's not a newspaper in printed or published in the Town of Atherton:

Posting on the Town Bulletin board is not a method the Town would use to give notice if it actually wanted its citizens to have notice of a pending zoning law change and such.

Assuming posting on the Town bulletin board meets the "letter of law" in terms of providing notice, it certainly is not in compliance with the "spirit of the law", which is to give notice of a zoning law change and such before that zoning law change is implemented.

Assuming posting on the Town bulletin board technically suffices, it falls far short of the notice one would reasonably expect the Town to give to its residents if it actually wanted the residents to have notice. Its "going through the motions", but not really trying to get the job done. In other words, its an elevation of form over substance. It allows the Town say it gave the required notice, when in fact it gave real notice to the citizens at all.