Dear Mayor and Members of the Menlo Park City Council,
I am writing as a 30-year resident and homeowner in Menlo Park. My wife Elizabeth and I raised our four children here; they attended local public schools, and our family has deep roots in this community. We live within easy walking distance of 80 Willow Road in the Vintage Oaks neighborhood and have a strong interest in decisions that will shape the character, livability, and future of our city—particularly those related to the builder’s remedy and the location of required affordable housing.
Menlo Park has an opportunity to meet state housing requirements in a way that strengthens rather than strains our community. Towns across the Bay Area that have invested in their downtowns have created more vibrant, walkable, mixed-use centers that benefit residents, businesses, and property values. Menlo Park has largely stagnated by comparison, with only limited, mostly cosmetic changes. Building affordable and mixed-income housing downtown—on underutilized parking lots, with structured or subterranean parking—would bring people closer to jobs, shops, restaurants, and amenities. Increased foot traffic would support local businesses and help create the kind of lively downtown many of us want. While the upfront costs are real, other cities have offset them through tools such as municipal bonds and paid parking. In the long run, a stronger downtown raises the value and appeal of the entire city.
In contrast, the N17 proposal for 80 Willow Road—three towers of 18, 33, and 39 stories—is fundamentally mismatched to the site and surrounding area. Willow Road already experiences significant congestion. Adding this scale of density would further overload traffic capacity, place severe pressure on water, sewer, gas, and electrical infrastructure, strain school capacity, and not allow easy access to public transit. It would also risk depressing property values across a wide radius. This scale of development is simply not viable for the location.
New housing should be distributed equitably across Menlo Park, consistent with the city’s approved housing element. A disproportionate share of planned growth is already concentrated in District 3. The SRI/Parkline project is expected to deliver 1,082 residential units plus substantial commercial space roughly half a mile from 80 Willow Road. The USGS site is planned for 670 residential units and extensive commercial development. 68 Willow Road would add another 90 units. Layering the 80 Willow proposal on top of these projects would create unmanageable density in one limited part of the city.
I urge the Council to fight the current 80 Willow proposal and to pursue a more balanced, community-supporting approach that prioritizes downtown revitalization and equitable distribution of housing. With the November 3 election approaching, I also respectfully ask each of you to state your positions on these issues publicly so residents can make informed decisions.
Thank you for your service and for considering the long-term interests of Menlo Park residents.
Sincerely,
Rich and Liz Shane
191 Seminary Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025
