City Council Weekly Digest

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1 City Council Weekly Digest TO: FROM: MENLO PARK CITY COUNCIL Alex D. McIntyre, City Manager Friday March 28, 2014 ITEMS INCLUDED: ATTACHMENTS: Mid-Peninsula to Host Community Meeting on Menlo Gateway Willow Road Apartment Renovation Cogan Speaks to AIA Panel Regarding Architecture s Impact on Community The CNN 10: Visionary Women including Ari Horie of Women's Startup Lab Silicon Valley Business Journal Article: 'A lot of ugly out there': Silicon Valley planners, architects list top challenges Menlo Park Construction News Update 03/28/2014

2 Council Digest March 28, 2014 Mid-Peninsula to Host Community Meeting on Menlo Gateway Willow Road Apartment Renovation In July 2013, the City of Menlo Park announced the availability of funds for new affordable rental housing projects in Menlo Park, as a final step in completing the requirements of the lawsuit brought against the City by area housing nonprofits. Approximately $3.2 million in Below Market Rate (BMR) housing funds was made available under this Notice Of Funds Availability to support the acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of housing providing long term affordability. The funding was intended to fill the financing gap between the projected total development costs and other available funding sources. The City received only one proposal, which was from Mid-Peninsula Housing which was presented as an information item to the City Council at the January 14, 2014 meeting. At the January 14, 2014 meeting the Council urged Mid-Peninsula to reach out to the community, to engage all interested parties in the overall design, purpose and community impact of the project. Mid-Peninsula has been meeting with interested community members in small meetings thus far, but will be holding their first broader community meeting Wednesday, April 3rd from 6:30-7:30 pm at the Menlo Park Senior Center. If you have questions contact Lily Gray at lgray@midpen-housing.org. Staff will continue to work on the details of the project design, timeline and financing. Cogan Speaks to AIA Panel Regarding Architecture s Impact on Community Economic Development Manager Jim Cogan was invited to speak to over 100 attendees at the March 26 th meeting of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Jim joined a distinguished group of municipal and design professionals for a panel discussion at the March 26th meeting of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The title of the program was Toward a Better Urban Community: How Architecture 101 engages planning officials & decision makers in a design dialogue. One of the recurring themes involved how good design should engage and even create public spaces that contribute to community building as the character of Bay Area cities evolves to meet the challenges associated with growth. Everyone acknowledged that the priorities of Generation-Y residents and employees are helping to drive development trends. As Bay Area cities look to address the challenges of traffic and rising housing costs, the newest generation of talent is looking for multimodal transit opportunities, experiential retail and even proximity to a skate park. They prefer urban villages to suburban neighborhoods and the onus falls to applicants and city officials to communicate the value of these new types of development to existing residents. The panel discussed the sometimes competing generational visions for their communities and how they are wrestling with the challenges of finding common ground as market demand requires ever intensifying development. The AIA panel consisted of: Jim Cogan, Menlo Park Economic Development Manager Steve Piasecki, City of San Jose, Interim Planning Official; Michael Garvey, Manager, Grand Boulevard Initiative; Howard Miller, City of Saratoga, Past Mayor & current Councilmember; Thang Do, AIASCV Board Vice President/President Elect & President, Aedis Architects. An article about the event that appeared in the Silicon Valley Business Journal on March 28, 2014, is attached. Page 2

3 Council Digest March 28, 2014 April 1 st, Tuesday PARTIAL LIST OF UPCOMING EVENTS Deadline for Form 700 Conflict of Interest filers April 2 nd, Wednesday Caltrain Electrification DEIR Public Comment Meeting Redwood City Library, 6 pm April 3 rd, Thursday April 11 th, 12 th, 13 th Fri/Sat/Sun April 17 th, Thursday April 19 th, Saturday April 23 rd, Wednesday Tree Planting Ceremony in honor of Arbor Day Belle Haven Child Development Center, 9:30 am Menlo Park Sidewalk Fine Arts Festival Santa Cruz Avenue, Fri./Sat. 10 am - 6 pm & Sun. 10 am - 5 pm Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Spring General Assembly and Annual Business Meeting City Center Oakland Marriott, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Egg Hunt Two locations: Burgess Park & Kelly Park, 10am- 12 pm League of CA Cities Legislative Action Day Sacramento, 10 am- 6:30 pm April 23 rd, Wednesday Rotary Club of Menlo Park s Rotary Connects Evening Out LB Steak House, 5:30-7 pm April 26 th, Saturday May 3 rd, Saturday May 15 th, Thursday May 20 th, Tuesday May 22 nd, Thursday June 7 th, Saturday June 11 th, Wednesday June 18 th, Wednesday June 18 th, Wednesday July 4 th, Friday July 19th-20th, Sat/Sun Rebuilding Together Peninsula s 25 th National Rebuilding Day Bus Tour and Picnic Oracle, 2:30-7 pm Kite Day Bedwell-Bayfront Park, 12-3 pm Menlo Park Library Volunteer Reception Oak Room, Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, 5:30-7 pm City Commissions Annual Training and Appreciation Reception Jobs for Youth 32 nd Annual Fundraising Breakfast Foster City Crowne Plaza, 7:30 am 10 th Annual Disaster Preparedness Day San Mateo County Events Center, San Mateo Taste of Menlo TBD Downtown Summer Block Party Santa Cruz Avenue, 5-9 pm Kickoff of Summer Concerts in the Park Fremont Park 4 th of July Parade and Celebration Santa Cruz Ave to Burgess Park, 11:45 am - 2:30 pm 28th Annual Connoisseurs Marketplace Santa Cruz Ave, 10 am Page 3

4 Council Digest March 28, 2014 UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS April Tuesday, April 1, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, April 29, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) May Tuesday, May 6, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, May 13, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) June Tuesday, June 3, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, June 17, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) July Tuesday, July 15, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) August Tuesday, August 19, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, August 26, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) September Tuesday, September 9, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, September 23, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) October Tuesday, October 7, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, October 21, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, October 28, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) November Tuesday, November 18, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) December Tuesday, December 2, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, December 16, :00 p.m. Council Mtg. (Closed Session, 6:00 p.m.) Page 4

3/27/2014 The CNN 10: Visionary Women - CNN.

Previous Next Startup sister By Ann Hoevel, CNN Amid a sea of young students sporting identical uniforms and red leather backpacks, there was Ari Horie.

She built up resilience during those years of standing out in her native Japan and experienced a new sense of belonging years later as an exchange student in the United States.

5 3/27/2014 The CNN 10: Visionary Women - CNN.com «Hom e page INTRODUCTION SKILL SHAPER CODING COACH SEXISM SLAYER RESTAURANT REFORMER DREAM DRIVER STARTUP SISTER WAGE GAP WARRIOR STIGMA STOPPER FASHION FUTURISTS READING REVOLUTIONARY Previous Next Startup sister By Ann Hoevel, CNN Amid a sea of young students sporting identical uniforms and red leather backpacks, there was Ari Horie. She had a pink backpack, and it sparked a realization: Being different didn t have to be a bad thing. At that point I was just 7 years old, so I felt very isolated.... I wanted to belong, Horie said. She built up resilience during those years of standing out in her native Japan and experienced a new sense of belonging years later as an exchange student in the United States. She thinks of those experiences now, after founding Women s Startup Lab in It s a technology industry accelerator designed to help female startup founders flourish in a field dominated by men. ROLE: Founder and CEO, Women's Startup Lab AGE: 41 LOCATION: Menlo Park, California IDEA: Explore and capitalize on what makes female tech 1/2

6 3/27/2014 The CNN 10: Visionary Women - CNN.com At Women s Startup Lab, they re considering how women work differently, Horie says. Having more diversity and having a woman be part of it in a unique way actually creates an opportunity, Horie said. The magic ingredient is a collaborative process based on hito, the Japanese pictograph letter that means human. She says the character looks like a man and a woman, leaning on each other; If one falls, they both fall. With more questions asked and more opinions offered, female entrepreneurs find more success, she says. The hito rule that Women s Startup Lab swears by is based on collaboration: Women tend to do really well in that environment, Horie said. Instead of saying I know the answer, they say, What do you think? Women s Startup Lab helps female tech company founders grow their companies, expand their technological goals and focus on the traits that will best serve them in business. Nobody really talks about it, but the amount of pressure and stress that founders are under, it s enormous, Horie said. company founders unique and successful QUOTE: We can find another option for success instead of... being a slave of the startup world. You can still be driven and successful while being collaborative and successful. LEARN MORE The 18 women who joined Horie s accelerator program in 2013 weren t fresh startup hopefuls but Silicon Valley serial entrepreneurs, she says -- not what Horie was expecting. They say, We want to connect and be able to talk about some of the challenges.... That s very different than the male serial entrepreneur. Horie s goal for 2014 is to reach more female startup founders around the United States or internationally. Creating a hub for them will mean women can have access to our connections and be able to succeed, she said. Horie doesn t want women to feel limited by the culture they were born into or the place where they live, she says. She believes that their opportunities should be endless. 2/2

there': Silicon Valley planners, architects list top challenges Lauren Hepler Economic Development Reporter- Silicon Valley Business Journal Email Twitter LinkedIn Google+ In the midst of Silicon

7 3/29/2014 Can Silicon Valley get less ugly? City planners, architects on top challenges - Silicon Valley Business Journal From the Silicon Valley Business Journal Mar 28, 2014, 5:50am PDT Updated: Mar 28, 2014, 6:36am PDT 'A lot of ugly out there': Silicon Valley planners, architects list top challenges Lauren Hepler Economic Development Reporter- Silicon Valley Business Journal Twitter LinkedIn Google+ In the midst of Silicon Valley's current real estate boom, it's easy to focus on the gleaming luxury residential towers springing up in downtown areas or the massive new office compounds taking shape in longtime job centers. But large swaths of the region are still dominated by dilapidated strip malls and faded office parks lining streets that are often supremely uninviting for pedestrians. Panelists at a Santa Clara Valley chapter meeting of the American Institute of Architects. From left to right: San Jose Interim Planning Official Steve Piasecki; Menlo Park Economic Development Manager Jim Cogan; Saratoga Councilmember and former Mayor Howard Miller; Grand Boulevard Initiative Manager Michael Garvey; Aedis Architects President Thang Do. Photo by Andrew Fair. "We've got a lot of ugly out there," said Steve Piasecki, San Jose's interim planning official, during a Wednesday panel discussion moderated by the Business Journal and hosted by the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Piasecki was joined by other area planners and Aedis Architects President Thang Do to discuss the potential for better public-private collaboration on the design of local cities. The verdict: While project-by-project battles over entitlements remain a constant threat, both sides are seeking middle ground to take advantage of the real estate investment funds currently up for grabs. Exorbitant housing prices and traffic gridlock have forced some area cities and developers to consider denser, more transit-oriented projects. Still, residents in wealthy cities like Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Los Gatos, among others, have persistently challenged new development, often citing traffic congestion as a primary concern. 1/2

8 3/29/2014 Can Silicon Valley get less ugly? City planners, architects on top challenges - Silicon Valley Business Journal Michael Garvey, a Bay Area political consultant currently focused on efforts to redevelop El Camino Real as part of a multi-city Grand Boulevard Initiative, said forward-thinking urban planning efforts are often strained by a "well-educated but not fully informed active citizenry." In Silicon Valley and elsewhere, NIMBYs, or residents taking the "Not In My Backyard" approach to development, are nothing new. However, favorable financing rates currently available with the strong recent run up in the regional economy have once again pushed developers to invest in new projects, sometimes incurring backlash. "We really have tried to kind of paralyze ourselves in time," said Saratoga Councilmember and former Mayor Howard Miller, who also called efforts in the city to block better linkages to Highway 85 "amazingly stupid." Jim Cogan, Menlo Park's economic development manager, joked about his city's notorious antidevelopment streak, saying: "If Silicon Valley is a family, Menlo Park is kind of like the rich, crazy uncle." San Jose, meanwhile, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The city is aggressively pushing for 70 new urban villages as part of its 2040 general planning process. Piasecki said one primary challenge with that initiative is cooperation among adjacent property owners. Pushing beyond politics At the AIA event on Wednesday, architect Thang Do who is currently working on his own mixed-use downtown San Jose development said that narrow focus on individual projects or aesthetic styles often detracts from broader goals for more inviting public spaces. He urged more architects to get involved in local planning commissions or architectural review boards that aim to improve design in area cities. In the meantime, he said better education about design principles is another possibility. For more than a decade, AIA has attempted to spur better communication between architects and city planners with an "Architecture 101" program that aims to reinforce positive broad urban design principles instead of getting bogged down in the politics that often come with new development proposals. In recent months, Do and other area architects have redoubled their efforts to offer presentations on the topic to area cities like Saratoga and Mountain View. "We wanted other people to understand architects and their terminology better," said Hari Sripadanna, principal of Srusti Architects and current chair of the Architecture 101 program. "Purely evaluating buildings on a stylistic level benefits no one." Instead, Sripadanna emphasized the threads of livability and mobility, urging more consideration of design variables like distance from the street or access to adjacent open spaces to make buildings more inviting to the public. 2/2

9 Menlo Park Construction News Update March 28, 2014 The construction news update provides summarized weekly news on ongoing construction activities. It is intended to provide advance information for decision makers, including City Management, Police Department, Fire District, Post Office, SamTrans, etc. so they can anticipate potential impacts and respond accordingly. Please direct any construction inquiries to the assigned inspectors for immediate attention or contact the project engineer. To receive notices of updates of this newsletter (or other available City publications) use this subscription link: New this report: Construction activities with significant impact on traffic this coming week: Item No. Project Description Status Significant Impacts 1 Willow Road/VA Hospital Entrance/Durham Street Signal Modification Project Work entails the complete reconstruction of the Willow Road//VA Hospital Entrance/Durham Street intersection. It includes: shifting the VA Entrance to align with Durham Street, new traffic signals, new ADA compliant curb ramps, and new stamped asphalt crosswalks. Veterans Affairs Project Manager: Min Pham (650) City Project Engineer: Rene Punsalan (650) City Engineering Inspector: Eric Hinkley (650) Contractor: Halbert Construction Company Kenny Steidl (619) Contractor would like to begin construction on the northeast corner of the intersection of Willow Road and VA Hospital entrance as soon possible. They are currently working to provide additional information to the City prior to beginning work. The work entails new curb, gutter, and sidewalk to realign the VA Hospital entrance with Durham Street, as well as installation of new storm drain pipes and drain inlets. Once work begins, it will require closure of the sidewalk along the north side of Willow Road at the VA Hospital entrance. Some sidewalk closures possible next week. No significant vehicular traffic impacts expected next week. Once work begins in the right-ofway, expect potential extreme delays due to traffic control lane closures.

10 2 Sharon Heights Pump Station Project: The work entails replacement of an existing pump station which is a critical component of the water distribution system. The pump station takes water from San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and increases its pressure to serve the Sharon Heights neighborhood, SLAC, Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club and to two reservoirs. Construction began on October 31, 2013 and is expected to be completed in April, Activities for the upcoming week: For the upcoming week of April 3, 2014, Anderson Pacific will install the rebar and form the temporary pump station slab. Anderson will continue the new temporary controls for the pumps, and continue with the fabrication of the underground piping. Majority of work to occur in the City s pump station lot at Sharon Park Drive and Lassen Drive. Except for the occasional equipment and supply deliveries, no significant traffic impact is anticipated throughout construction. City Project Engineer: Rene Punsalan (650) Construction Management: Swinerton Management & Consulting Project Manager: Jorge Bermudez (408) Contractor: Anderson Pacific, Inc. Matt Mirenda (408) Hamilton Avenue Sanitary Sewer Upgrade for the Facebook Development Project: The work entails upsizing an existing sanitary sewer from 12- inch to 16-inch diameter along Hamilton Ave. immediately west of Willow Road. This sewer upgrade will accommodate the Facebook private development project. Construction of this project was temporarily suspended. Utility conflicts owned by Comcast and PG&E need to be cleared prior to resumption of work. Coordination with utility companies ongoing. Most of the work is being constructed at night to minimize traffic impacts; however, the pavement work will occur during the day. Expect minimal traffic interruption during construction. Parking restrictions may be enforced as necessary. City Project Engineer: Rene Punsalan (650) Construction Management: Facebook Project Manager: Fergus O Shea (415) Contractor: Preston Pipelines 4 El Camino Real Trees Project Phase III: This project consists of planting approximately 70 London Plane trees in the sidewalk and median islands along El Camino Real from Oak Grove Avenue to Middle Avenue. Additional work items include installation of an irrigation system and some miscellaneous concrete work. Contract was awarded to Del Conte s Landscaping on January 28, City has conducted a pre-construction meeting with the Contractor and is currently gathering required documentation prior to start of construction. Potential delays due to traffic control along El Camino Real during construction hours. City Project Engineer: Rene Punsalan (650) City Engineering Inspector: Eric Hinkley (650) Contractor: Del Conte s Landscaping (510)

City Council Weekly Digest

City Council Weekly Digest TO: FROM: MENLO PARK CITY COUNCIL Alex D. McIntyre, City Manager Friday April 4, 2014 ITEMS INCLUDED: ATTACHMENTS: City Celebrates Arbor Day with Tree Planting Menlo Park Construction