Editorial: Palo Alto could help Menlo on impact

Thank you for the thoughtful editorial, and for keeping such an important issue in the minds of your readers.

Perhaps Menlo Park would like to lead by example and share some of the payments that it demanded from Bohannon with the Fire District to help offset the impacts of the Gateway project on the Fire District.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Palo Alto should negotiate on behalf of Menlo Park's needs to be met directly by Stanford to Menlo Park. It doesn't make sense for Palo Alto to get money to give to our city.
Similarly, Menlo Park should have negotiated money to be provided for the Fire District from the Bohannon project. Let's hope Palo Alto's negotiating team is stronger than Menlo Park's.

In both instances, the cities have the ultimate power in negotiations because they grant approvals. There should be no rush to end negotiations until community needs are met; the projects wouldn't go to another city.

Peter,

It's Mr. Bohannon who needs to compensate the Fire District for added support directly required by his Menlo Gateway project; not Menlo Park, East Palo Alto or Atherton, the districts service area. I understand that these impacts include a new truck that can reach higher floors; a new station in which to park it and extra staffing.

The Fire District shouldn't approve occupancy permits until this is done. Not by Menlo Park, and not through financing imposed bond on residents.

Perhaps you could update us on those efforts, and the status of negotiations with Bohannon to provide for them.

Since this is a Fire Board issue let me make clear that I am speaking here only as an individual and not on behalf of the Fire Board or Fire District.

CEQA gives the exclusive responsibility to negotiate necessary mediation to impacts of a proposed project to the agency which will issue the building permits. Just as the Fire District implored Menlo Park to require mediations for the impact of the Bohannon project on the Fire District so too must Menlo Park implore Palo Alto to act in Menlo Park's behalf - sadly both Menlo Park and Palo Alto have chosen to ignore the impacts of the projects in question on other jurisdictions.

The Fire District must issue an occupancy permit for a new or remodeled building once the Fire District is certain that the building complies with the Fire Code. This permitting process does not even begin until plans for the project has been finalized and submitted. The Fire District has no authority to withhold that occupancy permit based on impacts that a building (which otherwise complies with the Fire Code) may also have on the ability of the Fire District to serve that building without degrading its service to other structures or residents. Some agencies would not hesitate to reach beyond their authority in this respect but the MPFPD is not one of them.