Dear Menlo Park City Council,
Im a Menlo Park resident living near the proposed 80 Willow Road site. Im
writing to ask that the council require a full Environmental Impact Report
before any decision, and to share my concerns about the project as
currently proposed.
I want to be upfront: I support more housing in Menlo Park, including in my
neighborhood. My concerns are about whether this project actually serves
the community:
- Housing balance: roughly 3,000 new jobs but only ~665 homes, with ~100
affordable. For a city struggling with a jobs-housing imbalance, that ratio
moves us in the wrong direction.
- Traffic and safety: the developer projects 7,000+ additional car trips
daily on Middlefield and Willow — roads that serve as evacuation routes and
emergency access to neighborhood schools. That deserves independent study,
not the developers word.
- Parking: ~1,400 planned spaces is far below what city code calls for. The
gap doesnt disappear — it spills onto surrounding streets.
- Process: a project of this scale deserves a full, independent EIR.
Skipping it sets a precedent that will outlast this one development.
Im asking for a project that actually pencils out for the community — more
homes relative to jobs, real traffic and safety analysis, and a process
residents can trust. Please dont let the developer pressure the council
into approval without addressing these concerns.
Thank you,
Anita Zhang
Resident of The Willows in Menlo Park
