Ive lived in Menlo Parks low density Districts 3-4 for over 25 years. I routinely drive to downtown Redwood City or downtown Palo Alto for many more business meeting, shopping, entertainment and dining options than found in Menlo Parks relatively sparse downtown. Id much rather walk or bike to downtown Menlo Park.
My children also attended Menlo Park schools where they were sometimes taught by teachers who had either grown up in my district or lived in Menlo Park. More recently, I hosted an EPA high school teacher and several Stanford students at discounted rent. Very few new teachers, if any, can afford rents in Menlo Park for over two decades. We cant wait for interest rates to correct this acute lack of housing supply.
I support the maximum density option for Menlo Park downtown. To have any serious economic impact on rents and starter condo prices, we need many, many more housing units in the Central and West Menlo area than were restrictively capped in the original 2012 Downtown Specific Plan and were projected in the modest December increase. Because the public parking lots are set largely within commercial buildings, the current 8-10 story maximum for over the downtown public parking lots will not raise significant residential neighbor opposition while making significant economic and social impact (in my 25+ years in MP, Ive never heard any complaint about nine story 1360 University). More new local feet on the street will attract more businesses to our currently sleepy downtown and, if the new neighbors are public service employees, make those streets and sidewalks safer and smarter.
Im not alone in favoring greater density. Measure Ms attempt to impose similar restrictions on El Camino were soundly defeated as was Measure Vs recent attempt to impose more hurdles on rezoning (the less zoning, the better).
Given the currently very low, near zero assessed value of the public parking lots and the Citys long term interest in affordable housing, Im sure the City can do what non-profit Stanford has done and "ground lease" the lots to a developer with provision that the large savings in paying only for the construction plus operation of the building will lead to relatively lower rent and lower priced multi-family housing atop the mixed use ground floors and garages below. "Dirt" is more valuable in my district than an old small house that sits on the lot.
Since we own the public parking lots, we can also act much more quickly without negotiating a private land owners profit. We should build much more densely to ensure our citys more neighborly future.
-Paul Roberts
formerly Princeton Road, now Ambar Way
