For The Public Record
Mayor Kate, members of the Council-
Ken Dickinson, Rafael Meadows. I'm here this evening to look ahead regarding 350 Merrydale. I thought it appropriate, given this is a Real Estate Closed Session, to deliver my request to you here.
Tonight, I want to speak specifically about the future of the 350 Merrydale site.
While the community has been focused on the interim shelter, the City's own homeless housing website now describes the long-term plan as a minimum of 80 units of much needed affordable housing. The word minimum was added just a few days ago. That signals a significant and possibly larger entitlement decision than we had anticipated was coming.
Residents of Rafael Meadows, the Merrydale communities, Redwood Village and Pilgrim Park are asking for something simple and conscructive: early, direct engagement this time.
Mayor Kate, we would like to invite you-along with any interested councilmembers—to meet with the impacted neighborhoods before concepts are finalized, to share your thinking about what this housing projest could look like, how density and scale are being considered, and how the community can be involved early and often in shaping it.
The goal is to give you and the council an opportunity to avoid a repeat of the trust breakdown many residents experienced earlier in this process.
We hope you'll accept our invitation and reach out to our communities soon to arrange a time and date that works for everyone.
Thank you.
Ken Dickinson
San Rafael Meadows
December 15, 2025