Build at least 345 units of very low income affordable housing on land now used for Parking Plazas 1, 2 and 3 and replace at least 506 of existing 556 public parking spaces. The number of residential parking spaces was not specified.
Enhance the vitality of downtown Menlo Park. No strategies or investments were identified.
Community Concerns
While building hundreds of affordable housing units in Downtown Menlo Park is an admirable objective, our community is unlikely to widely support any development that fails to meet a stringent set of success criteria.
Enough convenient public parking to continuously support local businesses BOTH during all phases of construction and for at least a decade after the completion of the entire project. .
Enough private parking capacity for new households to ensures these residents do not displace customers for downtown businesses. .
Attractive housing buildings and grounds that are aesthetically compatible with Downtown and acceptable to Menlo Park residents. .
Does not create construction-related traffic and environmental impacts that reduce (a) the desirability of visiting Downtown businesses, e.g. outdoor dining, and (b) the City’s ability to keep and attract local businesses.
Additional Concerns
This housing project requirements do not include any design elements that would directly benefit Menlo Park residents. For example, there are no new public outdoor places that could attract more visitors to downtown Menlo Park. .
Parking structures that can accommodate required public parking could cost more than $40M to build, and Menlo Park will likely be responsible for funding them.
Additional Information
Menlo Park 2023-2031 Housing Element (City website) .
