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From: <br />Chris Sturken <br />To: <br />GRP -City Council <br />Subject: <br />Public Comment on Item 7A <br />Date: <br />Monday, February 8, 20214:53:41 PM <br />CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when <br />opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. <br />Dear City Council Members, <br />I am writing as a member of Peninsula for Everyone in regards to the proposed <br />redevelopment of Sequoia Station. I will be impacted by this project because I live in the <br />downtown neighborhood directly across Jefferson Avenue from Sequoia Station. I urge you <br />to move this project forward for the following reasons: <br />At the last City Council meeting, Peninsula for Everyone provided public comment in <br />support of redeveloping Sequoia Station into a walkable, mixed use community. While this <br />project is office -heavy, Sequoia Station is one of the best locations on the Peninsula for <br />transit -oriented office development. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, our <br />region will need to shift away from autocentric office parks and move toward transit - <br />oriented, dense offices adjacent to residential and retail. That being said, it is imperative <br />that we protect residents from displacement by increasing tenant protections, allowing <br />denser housing, and incentivizing housing over additional office space. <br />The four -track station would allow express trains to pass local trains, making service more <br />frequent, reducing traffic, and improving connections. <br />In addition, the grade separations required by the additional tracks would separate the <br />Caltrain tracks from the downtown cross streets, improving crosstown connections and <br />increasing pedestrian and bicyclist safety. <br />Finally, the proposed project would provide hundreds of affordable units, including deeply <br />affordable homes as well as larger affordable homes for families. I urge you to maximize <br />housing on this site to the greatest extent that is economically feasible. <br />In summary, I urge you to advance this project and take additional steps to ensure the city <br />continues to add more homes at all income levels and protect renters to help mitigate the <br />negative effects housing unaffordability has on renters in the community. <br />Thank you, <br />Chris Sturken <br />Sincerely, <br />