*To the Honorable Mayor, Members of the Menlo Park City Council, and City
Staff:*
I respectfully urge the City Council not to move forward with declaring
Downtown Parking Plazas 1, 2, and 3 as exempt surplus land.
This decision carries significant legal, financial, and community
consequences that deserve careful consideration before the City takes
another irreversible step.
Throughout the Housing Element process, the California Department of
Housing and Community Development (HCD) repeatedly emphasized that when
sites present environmental, jurisdictional,infrastructure, or other
significant constraints, local jurisdictions should carefully evaluate
alternative locations. HCDs review letters issued on October 21, 2022, and
again during the Citys 2023 Housing Element review requested additional
analysis regarding site suitability, constraints, and the adequacy of the
Citys housing inventory.
Many residents and business owners believe those concerns remain unresolved.
Downtown Menlo Park is not simply a collection of parking lots. It is the
economic heart of our community. More than 100 downtown businesses have
expressed opposition to the current proposal because of concerns regarding
customer access, business viability, construction impacts, parking
availability, circulation, emergency access, and the long-term health of
the downtown business district. Thousands of residents have also signed a
ballot initiative seeking voter approval before these public properties are
permanently repurposed. These actions demonstrate that the proposal remains
highly controversial and lacks broad community consensus.
The City is also aware that litigation has already been filed regarding
this matter. Proceeding with an exempt surplus land declaration before
these issues are fully resolved will almost certainly invite additional
legal challenges, increasing costs for taxpayers while delaying any housing
project the City hopes to accomplish.
This is not an argument against affordable housing.
Menlo Park has both the opportunity and the obligation to meet its housing
goals. The question is whether these three downtown public parking plazas
are the appropriate locations. If substantial environmental, circulation,
safety, infrastructure, jurisdictional, or other development constraints
exist, then the City should follow HCDs guidance by evaluating alternative
sites that can better achieve housing objectives while minimizing harm to
existing businesses, residents, and taxpayers.
The City should not move forward with a declaration that could permanently
alter the character and function of Downtown Menlo Park until all legal,
environmental, circulation, infrastructure, economic, and public safety
concerns have been thoroughly addressed and the community has confidence
that all reasonable alternatives have been fully evaluated.
Public trust depends not only on complying with state housing law, but also
on making thoughtful, transparent decisions that balance housing needs with
the long-term vitality of our downtown.
We respectfully request that the Council pause this process, reconsider the
selection of Parking Plazas 1, 2, and 3, fully evaluate alternative
locations, and avoid taking actions that may expose the City to unnecessary
litigation, financial liability, and further division within the community.
Please make decisions that are fiscally and morally sound and safe for our
community.
Respectfully,
Mary Seaton
On Sat, Jul 11, 2026 at 10:08 AM cherie zaslawsky
wrote:
> This just in from Betsy:
>
> *Tuesday’s Council agenda includes: updates about potential Housing
> Element development sites and a tentative schedule for the proposed housing
> project downtown; Nealon Park parking and Blake Street access; gymnastic
> fees; and the Middle Avenue undercrossing. *
>
> Not a word about the ballot measure, not a word about them seeking
> alternatives to the downtown parking lots since they won’t know the outcome
> of ballot measure till November, not a word about them opening a
> much-needed dialogue w/HCD over this issue plus the Willow Village
> disappearance from their HE plans.
>
> What could go wrong…?
>
> —Cherie
>
> On Jul 11, 2026, at 9:50 AM, rich rollins wrote:
>
> I feel units imperative for attorney Dave Lanferman be informed and ccd by
> Alex in this staff report
> He needs to be in the loop and perhaps fire off a warning letter to city
> Also cc Jamie Fisfis
> I fully expect Grove will bring pressure on council Tuesday nite to push
> forward
> The gloves must come off !!
> Rich
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jul 11, 2026, at 9:25 AM, cherie zaslawsky
> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> Take a gander at the Council’s agenda text written up by its staff. Any
> tiny little detail missing from this plan?
>
> * If the City Council selects a preferred development team and proposal,
> staff would begin the formal process required under the state Surplus Land
> Act (SLA) for the disposition of publicly-owned properties. This would
> include adoption of an SLA resolution, notification to the California
> Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), approval of an
> exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with the selected developer, and
> ultimately approval of a disposition and development agreement (DDA)
> following a General Plan conformity determination by the Planning
> Commission. A DDA is a contract between the City and a housing developer
> that would govern the sale or long-term lease of the parking plazas. The
> DDA would establish the terms under which development of the parking plazas
> must be designed, entitled, and constructed. It would include developer
> deliverables such as financing, project approvals, and construction
> timing. *
> Ah…here it is: *City staff will continue to evaluate progress in the
> tentative schedule and potential impacts of the ballot measure, if approved
> by voters, and provide updates to the City Council as necessary.*
>
> —Cherie
>
> On Jul 11, 2026, at 9:13 AM, rich rollins wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Rich Rollins, Broker
> Rollins Realty and Management
> 770
>
> Menlo Ave.
>
> Menlo Park, Calif. 94025
>
>
> Ofc. 650
> -327-0375
>
> Cell 415 999 7109
>
>
>
>
>
