Menlo Park: Hotel developer, neighbors must compromise, commissioners say

Good job Drew looking out for the residents there. Susan, we are tried having these developers make $$$$$ on us residents. No we as residents were here first and we don’t want to share more space with developers, unless they get in line! Drive in traffic on Marsh and willow.... Susan!

The public benefit bonus is NOT an entitlement and it would be a significant financial grant from the city to the developer.

Any public benefit bonus must be justified by an analysis of both the benefits and the COSTS of such a bonus.

The DSP states
"The study session(s) should incorporate appropriate fiscal/economic review (with work overseen by
City staff), which should broadly quantify the benefits/costs of the bonus FAR/density/height and the
proposed public benefit."

Those costs have not either been identified or quantified and many of those costs will be borne by the neighbors.

In the case of this project the staff reports strongly suggest that the granting of the public benefit bonus has been assumed.

When and where will the required "structured negotiation" for the 1704 ECR public benefit bonus take place?

Will this be done behind closed doors?

Or has it already been done?

I predict that unless the developer goes back to the previously acceptable to the neighbors underground parking plan ( which greatly reduces the above ground mass) that the granting of a public benefit bonus will be fought at the PC level, at the Council level and in the courts.

Without the public benefit bonus this project is dead.

And even if that battle not to grant a public benefit bonus is eventually lost (which I don't think it will be because using the TOT to justify a public bonus without looking at the cost is just the city taking a bribe at the cost of the neighbors) the delay will doom this project.

Of note, hotel owner Sagar Patel lives in the Forest Park town hone community which is situated around and next to his hotel. However his home is not among those impacted by his project.

Drew and Susan if you can only empathize with developers you should remove yourselves from the commission so that our residents and their homes can be properly represented.

Perhaps we should have a state law the commissioners and council members are not allowed to accept political contributions for a period of 20 years from either side of projects they rule on.