*September 2, 2025*
*Subject:* Menlo Park Downtown Parking Plazas – Disclosures and Issue
*Dear Justin Murphy, Mayor Combs, and City Council Members:*
As a concerned Menlo Park resident and tax payer, I want my city’s downtown
businesses to thrive and for the City to work within their current budget.
The City Council’s persistence in repurposing our parking lots is a major
concern for me and my husband (as well as many other residents), especially
because we feel it may result in increased taxation due to resulting in
highly probable litigation, stress on the city resources, and developers
seeking assistance from city and county taxes.
While the housing initiatives are meant to make Menlo Park more affordable,
some of what the City Council is attempting to do may result in increased
taxation thereby increasing cost of living for current residents as well as
for future residents.
Below are some of the risks involved with the City of Menlo Park continuing
along the path of taking over our city parking lots instead of shifting
efforts to viable housing options:
1. *Citizens’ Initiative*
A citizen-sponsored ballot measure has gathered well over the signatures
required to qualify for the June 2026 ballot. If passed, it will require
voter approval before the City can sell, lease, declare as surplus, or
repurpose any of the eight parking plazas. The measure is retroactive to
actions taken by the City on or after May 2025. Have all the bidding
developers been made aware of this initiative?
2. *Litigation*
Probable liability for litigation are:
a) At risk business owners where both the owners and their employees’
livelihoods may be jeopardized are poised for a legal challenge.
b) Save Downtown Menlo has filed a lawsuit challenging the City’s
actions. The effort is backed by $150,000 raised from 175 local donors,
with community donors committed to replenishing those funds as needed.
3. *Feasibility Constraints*
The lots are small, difficult to access, and directly abut existing
businesses. The City has produced no studies on traffic, emergency access,
soil contamination, or construction feasibility in such a constrained area.
These unresolved issues present significant site-specific risks.
4. *Public Opposition*
Opposition is well organized and growing. Council chambers have at times
overflowed, 115 businesses signed a joint letter of opposition, roughly 500
opposition emails have been sent to City Council, 4,000+ people signed a
https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fChange.org&c=E,1,zJoxeTzR8att2XIpduKxOIch3tZNQVDHzGnPu4Gqvgg8B0rGSVAgCCK-6v4PrOF1Do_Ko05InHIxT3oh_ngi81EjdN7LVnAQbxnSKDj8iQ,,&typo=1 petition, and 3,000 Menlo Park residents (and counting) have
signed the Citizens Initiative. Have all the bidding developers been made
aware of this initiative?
5. *In the City Council Meeting, Dated: 8/26/2025; Staff Report Number:
25-126-CC; Regular Business: Provide feedback and authorize staff to
release a request for proposals for development on downtown Parking Plazas
1, 2 and 3*
The City Meeting Minutes states:
a) “Any redevelopment should balance affordable housing needs and the
creation of a new downtown residential base while maintaining an adequate
supply of public parking” (Policy Issues, Section3, Page K-1.1).
b) “Provide at least 556 parking spaces (a one-to-one parking
replacement ratio), integrated within the development or as a standalone
structure(s), and able to be constructed by the Developer *without*
financial contributions from the City” (Section 1, Page K-1.8).
c) “345 housing units” “should be incorporated into a proposal that
uses all three lots ” (Section 3.2)
The statement in item “b” above: “without financial contributions from the
City,” would *not *be negotiable for us residents especially with the one
dollar give away of our parking lots and to the ruin of many of our
downtown businesses.
*6. **Anyone who is familiar with the layout of the downtown parking
lots understands:*
a) the intensity and practicality of their use including accessibility
to the many seniors and those with disabilities who require accessibility
for grocery shopping, banking, hardware store needs, etc.
b) the existing traffic congestion suggests that high-density housing
on these lots would have untenable impacts including fire risk and impact
to the safety for our children- many of whom ride their bikes to and from
school.
*7. **Our community is fully mobilized to prevent the parking lot take
over. *
In short: whichever developer the City selects will face substantial legal,
political, and practical barriers that make successful execution highly
improbable. Have all the bidding developers been made aware of this?
We are not opposed to more housing — in fact, alternative sites in the city
that are far better suited for development have been presented to the City
Council and Housing Committee. Those sites can be viewed at
https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fSaveDowntownMenlo.com&c=E,1,1OXvZ2dWgCmEaQdzayb8Vxav-VLLAn8qfMqWDB2Yvh0FcGLKQZJQrTm5lX9M_winuFMWtnk0UFXCHBjMUPczOAIAQdaSBOh1W-vjpMB8kiQr2Lg,&typo=1
Have all the bidding developers been made aware of the alternative sites?
We are amazed and in wonderment as to why our city representatives have not
taken action in pursuing alternative housing locations.
Sincerely,
Rubye Cervelli
30-year resident and property tax payer
