Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 7:14 PM
https://n2v.almanacnews.com/square/print/2009/02/11/church-granted-expanded-use-of-meeting-space
Town Square
Church granted expanded use of meeting space
Original post made on Feb 11, 2009
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 7:14 PM
Comments
Posted by concerns
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Feb 11, 2009 at 12:11 pm
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Feb 11, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Why is Menlo Park using tax payer dollars to provide parking for a religious organization? Does the church pay taxes - property taxes, user, improvement or business fees, etc? Also, are the weekends of the arts and street faires specifically excluded as use days? In a sense are we giving up our public property rights to a religious organization?
Posted by observer
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Feb 11, 2009 at 4:39 pm
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Feb 11, 2009 at 4:39 pm
As I posted before, the PC was sure to approve this nonsense. I doubt anyone in the community will have the initiative to appeal this lousy decision. The more I see from this new PC the more I see they are a bunch of wimps.
The Presbyterian Church has in the past shown more political clout than other group in town and they show it again.
Keep your eyes on their upcoming expansion plans as they see to obtain variances and new zoning for whatever suits them.
Posted by How Terrible
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Feb 12, 2009 at 9:04 am
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Feb 12, 2009 at 9:04 am
Scandalous, outrageous, horrible, outlandish!!! How could we ever approve a group of individuals the right to occupy a room, that would otherwise be vacant! Oh, the horrors!
Get a grip people. At least this group gives back to this community. We are lucky to have the Presbyterian Church in this town. I am not a Presbyterian, but I don't care what religion it is, they give back much more than any non-profit or religious group in Menlo Park. Find something else to criticize, and while you are at it, find some more church groups to occupy those other vacant store fronts in the commercial district!
If you don't like this post, then tell us YOUR idea to fill this vacant room, and the rest of the store fronts, then perhaps I'll reconsider my opinion. Good Luck!
Posted by observer
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Feb 12, 2009 at 3:59 pm
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Feb 12, 2009 at 3:59 pm
OK,"How Terrible"
We could generate plenty of TOD tax by creating a Red Light district along Santa Cruz. Say 10 or twelve bordellos would being in plenty of occupancy taxes and the store fronts would be filled. Think of the additional traffic to other stores along Santa Cruz.
You don't generate healthy retail strips, by putting none retail usage in these spaces. I don't like your post and I don't think you even begin to understand the picture. Of course, the PC doesn't either.
Posted by Dude
a resident of Menlo Park: Downtown
on Feb 12, 2009 at 10:54 pm
a resident of Menlo Park: Downtown
on Feb 12, 2009 at 10:54 pm
As far as I can tell, anything that brings potential customers into Menlo's downtown can only mean a more vibrant community. Without this agreement, we'd have no Hardware store either. Sure, MPPC has some clout, but I see them using it for the betterment of Menlo and the Peninsula in general, which is more than I can say for some.
