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Re: Multi-Family Development Standards - Toward the Walkable City Oct. 18, 2021 Dear San Leandro City Council, Planning Commission, and Community Development Department: Residents of San Leandro dream of a truly walkable city where children, seniors, and people with disabilities can live and play safely. It does not have to be a dream: we community organizations and concerned citizens are writing to urge city staff to take immediate action to bring us closer to the walkable city. The city is working on revising Multi-Family Development Standards, laying out the kind of communities we want to see more of in the future. But under the current draft, we are planning for continued car dependence, and that is what we will keep getting. Car traffic kills seven people every year on average in San Leandro, seriously injures another 26, and hurts many other people as fumes and tire bits fill our air. But as long as the city is built in a shape that requires cars to get around, residents will remain tethered to their cars. San Leandro requires all new buildings come with way too many parking spaces, even close to public transportation. When city staff collected public feedback, they found broad interest in lowering required parking near transit. Unfortunately, the draft Standards barely change parking requirements, even within a quarter mile of BART. As the attachment details, lowering mandated parking near transit not only provides needed opportunities for lifestyles with fewer cars, but means we get more affordable and mixed-income housing. It is an essential ingredient for the walkable city. San Leandro needs more frequent and accessible public transit. More walkable neighborhoods are what will make this transit sustainable, and are what the city has the power to create on its own. The time is now. We urge you to plan for more housing for people and less housing for cars. With hope, (signed) John Minot San Leandro 2050 174