Group seeks to halt Menlo Park parking lot redevelopment with ballot measure

Save Downtown Menlo Park, a group opposing plans to build housing on three public parking lots downtown, has filed a notice of intent with the city, hoping to bring the issue before voters.

At City Hall, at least 40 business leaders, residents, and downtown patrons gathered Thursday afternoon to file the notice. They expressed concerns about the city’s proposal to build at least 340 housing units on Parking Plazas 1, 2, and 3 located off Santa Cruz Avenue near Maloney Lane, Chestnut Street and Crane Street.

Opponents contend the plan would eliminate over 500 parking spaces, even temporarily, harming small businesses reliant on customer access.

“This initiative simply says that any plan to diminish public parking downtown should go to the voters,” said Alex Beltramo, a leader of Save Downtown Menlo Park, in a statement. “The plazas are public assets, and the public deserves a say before they’re lost forever.”

In their filing, the group described downtown Menlo Park as a community hub.

“Families run errands, friends meet for coffee, and local businesses form the backbone of daily life,” they wrote. “All of this depends on easy, reliable access — including parking.”

Save Downtown Menlo Park argues that even garages would dissuade patrons from coming downtown and suggests building housing at the nearby Civic Center instead.

Proponents of the redevelopment — including affordable housing advocates — argue that the city must act swiftly to build housing wherever possible amid an escalating housing crisis.

Before the measure can appear on the ballot, supporters must gather signatures from at least 10% of Menlo Park’s roughly 20,000 registered voters.

Save Downtown Menlo Park also sued the city in April in an effort to block the project. They argue that the parking lots are held in a “fiduciary capacity,” meaning the city must act as a trustee for the public’s use — not for private development.

City officials have disputed that interpretation.

Several developers have submitted proposals for the site, including Alliant Communities, Eden Housing, MidPen Housing, Path Ventures, Presidio Bay Ventures, Related California, Alta Housing, and a joint submission by The Pacific Companies and West Development Partners.

All proposals include plans to replace or mitigate parking impacts and express a willingness to work with local stakeholders.

The city faces mounting pressure from both state officials and local advocates to deliver more housing, especially in high-cost cities like Menlo Park — home to tech giant Meta and several major venture capital firms.

Amid a worsening statewide housing shortage, state regulators have been closely monitoring cities’ compliance with housing mandates. Cities that fail to follow through on approved housing plans — known as housing elements — risk decertification, which can trigger the “builder’s remedy,” a legal provision that allows developers to bypass local zoning if at least 20% of the proposed units are affordable.

Noncompliant cities may also lose access to critical state and federal funding.

Menlo Park’s housing plan outlines efforts to build nearly 3,000 new homes by 2031. Across the Bay Area, cities are collectively aiming to construct 442,000 homes in that timeframe, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments.

City staff is reviewing the proposals and anticipates presenting recommended next steps to the city council in May.

The evaluation will consider development concepts, developer qualifications, financial plans, community engagement strategies, and construction management approaches.