El Camino Real - Hard decisions are be made - is this the right council

By Richard Ciardella

Blight along El Camino Real from Atherton to Palo Alto is the number one issue in this campaign.

Dear Menlo Park Voter,

The national election is drawing a lot of attention this year, so voter turnout is expected to be high. But I want to encourage every voter to participate in the city election. Historically many of the city council elections have been decided by only a few votes. Your vote is very important in Menlo Park.

In this message I want to present my thoughts on what I think is the Number One Issue in this election. In future messages I will cover other issues and let you know where I stand. You can visit my web site at http://www.voteforrick.org and read about my issue positions. During the next four years Menlo Park will be faced with a number of large and important decisions. The city council will have to make smart decisions to keep Menlo Park the most desirable place to live on the Peninsula.

The property blight along El Camino Real from Atherton to Palo Alto is the number one issue in this campaign. The current and former city councils have failed to make timely decisions, and the result is disgraceful. The automobile dealerships began leaving Menlo Park over six years ago. The Park Theater has stood empty for even longer. Millions of dollars in potential tax revenue from this commercial land has been lost. At the same time the city has spent tax money on study after study. The only winners have been the consultants and lawyers. And still we have no decisions. We have "analysis paralysis" and a landscape of urban blight.

It's time to stop the studies and start affirmative discussions with planners and developers. The continual investment renewal that has taken place in our residential neighborhoods should be the model we follow. Private land owners bring their proposals to the city engineers. If they conform to published codes and are not totally offensive the owner is allowed to invest and build. A drive through our residential areas gives proof that taking a positive approach works. The volume of major improvements and complete reconstructions in our neighborhoods provides ample proof that we don't have to fear every proposal and study it to death. The number of proposals and development decisions in our neighborhoods far outnumbers the commercial developments in our city. The residential projects show tremendous variety of design. They reflect our individual tastes. But the end results are positive.

My experience and professional training in design and engineering can help end the decision gridlock. Look at the projects I have completed. It gives you a good report card of what you can expect. There shouldn't be fear of over-development and high-rise blocks of buildings. I know what you know. We live in Menlo Park because we have preserved a unique quality of life here. We also know that we need the blight that now lines both sides of El Camino to be replaced and tax revenues to flow to our city.

Visit my web site for more details on my campaign. I invite you to help me by getting involved. You can contribute time or money or both. The web site provides easy links to become part of our effort. Send this message to your friends and neighbors. We need everyone to get involved.

Thanks, and above all, VOTE on November 4th.

Rick Ciardella