Friends of Downtown Menlo Park,

Between our petition with 2,900 signatures, hundreds of emails to Council, and residents literally overflowing the Jan. 14th meeting, we sent a clear message that the vast majority of Menlo Park residents strongly oppose the use of downtown parking lots for housing.

Nonetheless, City Council voted to continue with an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) to solicit developer credentials and designs. Fortunately, they stopped short of declaring the parking lots to be “exempt surplus land”, as it was deemed that the declaration could wait until the point of choosing a developer.

We had hoped that Council would listen to the community and end this plan now, rather than adding many more months of fear and uncertainty for our businesses. But Council wants to look at specific designs, and do more analysis, before making the decision.

And so developers will submit designs, and studies will be done. The real-world problems that would come with stacking housing into the middle of our business district will surface. The costs for replacement parking will become more clear. And, we have been told, the Civic Center alternative will be explored more earnestly.

We truly hope that the information gathered over the next months, combined with continued public pressure, will lead Council to stand up for Menlo Park and amend our housing element. 

So keep engaged. Our petition is still going, and still relevant. Continue to spread the word and join in efforts to save our downtown.

To stay in the loop, subscribe to our newsletter at SaveDowntownMenlo.org.