Alternative Sites
Better options for meeting our housing needs
Why This Page?
Menlo Park’s Housing Element [explained here] currently designates the downtown parking lots as potential housing sites to meet state-mandated housing goals.
But this approach has drawn overwhelming opposition — from residents, businesses, and visitors — who ask: “Isn’t there a better way?”
The answer is yes. It is still early in the 2023–2031 cycle, and the Housing Element can be amended. There are other sites — both private and city-owned — that could provide housing while preserving the accessibility and vitality of downtown.
Below, we highlight five alternative sites for consideration.
Bohannon Industrial / Office Park
Size & Ownership: 24 acres | Private
Background: The owners of the northwestern portion of Bohannon Park have repeatedly told the City they want to redevelop the site for housing, sending multiple letters to that effect. From a December 6, 2022 letter:
“…we also request that the City include the contiguous parcels located in Bohannon Park … which could be assembled and developed into a viable, multi-family village if the City creates the necessary densities, such as those established for the ConnectMenlo General Plan.”
Opportunity: This site could be a game-changer, with the potential for hundreds of low-income units. It represents a major opportunity that should be prioritized.
SRI / Parkline
Size & Ownership: ~30 acres of office area within 63-acre campus | Private
Background: The proposed Parkline project includes more than 1 million square feet of new offices but only 800 housing units. The anticipated increase in jobs would dwarf the housing provided — worsening the city’s jobs-housing imbalance and deepening the housing shortfall by an estimated 1,500 units.
Opportunity: With a housing-first approach, this site could solve our housing shortage rather than worsening it. Its location near Caltrain, downtown, and civic amenities makes it especially well-suited for new homes.
➡️ The City Council still has the chance to reshape this project. If you believe it should include fewer offices and more housing, let them know at city.council@menlopark.gov.
333 Burgess Dr. - The Corporation Yard
Size & Ownership: 2.35 acres | City-owned
Background: Currently used as an operations center for Public Works, this parcel sits adjacent to the SRI property slated for redevelopment.
Opportunity: Relocating the Corporation Yard could free this city-controlled site for housing, potentially in coordination with the adjacent SRI development. It may also allow city operations to be consolidated in a more efficient location.
1283 Willow Road
Size & Ownership: 0.66 acres | City-owned
Background: Though modest in size, this city-owned vacant parcel is larger than Downtown Parking Lot 2 (0.56 acres). This area has experienced significant gentrification, and Belle Haven is identified in the Housing Element and 2025 HCD data as facing displacement risk.
Opportunity: Adding very low-income housing here would help reduce displacement pressures in an at-risk neighborhood.
2400 Branner Dr. - Stanford Hills Park
Size & Ownership: 2.9 acres | City-owned
Background: This little-used park is located across the road from Sharon Heights Shopping Center.
Opportunity: This site could provide much-needed homes for people who work at Stanford. A portion of the land could remain as park space, continuing to serve residents and neighbors while still allowing room for housing.
Final Thoughts
It is not too late to change course. Watch the City Attorney explain [here], and learn more about the Housing Element [here].
Menlo Park deserves housing solutions that strengthen our city without sacrificing our downtown.
➡️ Tell the City Council to stop the repurposing of downtown parking lots and pursue better alternatives: city.council@menlopark.gov
And when the time comes, vote YES on the Save Downtown Menlo ballot measure — so residents can protect the downtown, knowing City Hall has better options for meeting our housing needs.