IF SAUSALITO CAN DO WHY CAN’T MENLO PARK
Dear Menlo Park City Council:
Sausalito put the housing options to a vote including the rezoning of a
park in the American Democratic way. If they can do it, why not Menlo Park
put it to the residents’ voice through a vote.
On November 4, 2025, Sausalito voters approved two housing measures, *Measure
J and Measure K*, to keep the city in compliance with state law. The
special election was held to finalize a rezoning plan for new housing that
is mandated by the state of California.
*Results of the election*
- *Measure J (Sausalito Commercial District Local Control Measure)* passed
with about 75% of the vote. This measure rezones 12 commercial sites
throughout the city to allow for multi-unit residential development.
- *Measure K (Sausalito MLK Local Control Measure)* passed with about
56% of the vote. This measure rezones a two-acre portion of the Martin
Luther King Jr. Park property to allow for up to 50 affordable senior
housing units.
*Why the vote was necessary*
- *State mandate*: California law requires cities to meet specific
housing goals, and Sausalito was tasked with planning for 724 new housing
units by January 30, 2026.
- *Local control*: Passing both measures was essential for Sausalito to
maintain local control over its zoning decisions. Failure to pass the
measures could have resulted in the state overriding local zoning laws,
along with the potential for fines and litigation.
The passage of Measures J and K in the November 2025 special election
allows Sausalito
to
proceed with implementing its state-mandated *rezoning plan,* focusing on
compliance with the *January 30, 2026 deadline* to avoid state penalties.
The next steps involve the administrative process of finalizing the
election results and beginning the actual development process on the newly
rezoned sites.
*Certification of Results*
The official final election results are scheduled for release on *Tuesday,
December 2, 2025*. Once the results are certified by the City Council, the
new zoning ordinances will take effect 10 days later.
*Implementation and Development*
With the rezoning measures approved, the focus shifts to the development
phase:
- *Compliance with State Law*: Sausalito is now on track to meet the
state-mandated deadline to plan for 724 new housing units during the
2023-2031 period.
