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Fall 2024

Menlo Park has been my family’s home for more than thirty-five years, and we feel extremely fortunate to have lived here. However, the poor economic condition and appearance of Downtown Menlo Park remains a huge shortcoming. The evidence is undeniable. Store closings exceed openings. Numerous long-term vacancies mar Santa Cruz Avenue. Streets and parking lots are poorly maintained, and sidewalks and crosswalks are stained and dirty. Like many U.S. cities, our downtown has faced severe economic pressures. But unlike neighboring Peninsula cities, e., g., Palo Alto, San Carlos, Redwood City, Mountain View, and Burlingame, Menlo Park has expended little effort to make our downtown more successful, interesting and attractive. I believe both Menlo Park residents(median household income about $192,000 in 2022) and local businesses deserve a much more attractive, vibrant  and well-maintained downtown and that more Atherton residents (median household income about $242,000 in 2022) would take advantage of its convenient location IF Menlo Park City Councils stopped ignoring its poor condition and lack of competitiveness and instead invested in it.

I intend to use this website and my blog on The Almanac to educate residents and local business owners on the status of city planning on major civic projects, invite them to submit their own ideas for improving Downtown, and encourage them to insist that Menlo Park City Councils fully engages them in city the planning process. The Council has kicked off plans to add about 350 units of high density housing and potentially parking structures in three public parking plazas. While these might provide some real benefits for our city, these could potentially create huge negative impacts on downtown and area traffic. Our community cannot afford to trust the Council to fairly and accurately represent our interests. Two of the five members will appointed rather than elected starting in January 2025. And none will have the requisite skills, experience and knowledge to manage the planning for this complex and transformative project without substantial community participation.

Dana Hendrickson

Editor & Publisher

danahendrickson2009@gmail.com

Short Bio

After retiring from multiple senior management roles at computer, communications and network security companies, I turned my attention to community service and focused on community advocacy for Menlo Park civic improvements.   Creating a More Vibrant Menlo Park is my blog on Almanac Online.  I co-founded Elevate Art Menlo Park, a nonprofit that is now building a unique public art walk in Downtown Menlo Park. I also developed comprehensive evaluations of the trade-offs associated with the El Camino Corridor Study including bike lanes, downtown parking structures, potential satellite parking sites, grade separations,  and Middle Avenue bike lanes.

I created and led the national non-profit Rebuild Hope which provided financial counseling and assistance to the families of severely disabled Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans who were living in poverty while waiting for merited service-connected compensation.  I also regularly built homes on the Peninsula with Habitat for Humanity and served as a volunteer driver for the Avenidas senior community center in Palo Alto.