Opponent criticizes Combs for endorsement he got from the pro Measure P campaign

BY NORAH SHEPPARD-HUTCHINS
Daily Post Staff Writer

A Menlo Park councilman running for reelection is catching flak from his opponent after getting an endorsement from the Measure P campaign, which is trying to halt plans for public housing on the city’s parking lots downtown.

Vamsi Velagapudi, who is running against Councilman Drew Combs to represent the Willows, Suburban Park and Flood Triangle neighborhoods, sent an email yesterday saying Combs has been playing “both sides,” and criticized the endorsement he received from Save Downtown Menlo.

“It’s no surprise we’re having to deal with Sunset skyscrapers after eight years of fence-sitting,” Velagapudi said in an email to supporters.

Save Downtown Menlo is the campaign in favor of Measure P, which would require the city take any plans for the downtown parking lots to the ballot box.

On Monday, it announced it was endorsing Combs and Finance and Audit Commissioner Laura Melahn, who is running for another seat on council.

Combs said he will be voting “no” on Measure P. Combs said this endorsement does not indicate that he shares the group’s vote, but may be because of his empathy for both sides of the measure.

“Even though I’m no on P, I’ve not tried to demonize them. I have not tried to paint them as bad people,” Combs told the Post. “And I’ve said that these are small businesses that are at the core of our downtown and they’re concerned about how they’ll survive.”

Combs said his opposition to Measure P is known. He wrote about it in his September newsletter saying he wanted to focus on building on just one lot instead of three, or developing one parking lot at a time.

Also a “no”

Velagapudi said he will also be voting “no” on Measure P.

“Obviously, there are residents who are supporting me that kind of go the other way, and I respect their decision. I’m being very clear on where I would vote, partly because Measure P as it stands is trying to at least slow down the building of homes downtown, if not block it out,” Velagapudi said.

Also endorsed

The other candidate endorsed by Save Downtown Menlo, Melan, is the only candidate who has not explicitly stated how she will vote on Measure P.

Melahn is competing against Charlotte Reed to replace Betsy Nash to represent District 4, which includes the Allied Arts and parts of central Menlo Park. Melahn’s campaign includes a housing plan where she says deepening the affordability of homes in already-ap-proved developments would be more helpful than trying to build affordable housing on the downtown parking lots.

Melahn is also part of the Downtown Menlo Fund, a booster group for downtown that puts on events.

“I am on my own team. I’m on team Menlo Park, which is a perspective that says, no matter what happens on Nov. 3 when people vote, we need to plan to move forward,” Melahn said.

Since Day 1 Reed is a two-time Grammy-nominated singer who wants a dedicated commission of residents and local business owners who would prioritize bringing liveliness to downtown.

Reed said she has been against Measure P since day one of her campaign, however she understands the democratic right for voters to choose and therefore has no direct control over the outcome.

“My responsibility as an elected official is to make sure that I deliver the best possible outcome, no matter what the result is. And I’ve talked to many people knocking on doors that support no on P, that support yes on P. But all of those residents are part of this big tent and this coalition that I’m building,” Reed said.

No endorsement here

Save Downtown Menlo made no endorsement in the race between Woman Lee and James Rohr to replace Cecilia Taylor in representing on council the Belle Haven neighborhood and the far eastern part of town, nearest the Bay.

Rohr, who calls himself a community volunteer, said he will vote “no” on Measure P because it would take away powers of the council.

“I’m not only no on Measure P but I’m full on making sure that we improve the parking lots there,” Rohr said. “Even though I am one that goes there every single week for the farmers market, I know that if we do it in a staged approach, it won’t displace any of those vendors and it won’t ‘displace any of the initial companies.”

Lee is on the Parks and Recreation Commission and said that because more housing is a major proponent of his campaign, it would be hypocritical if he didn’t vote “no” on Measure P.