Downtown Parking Plazas
Ballot Measure
A 5-person city council should not be able to repurpose the downtown parking plazas without voter approval.
To qualify our Citizens’ Initiative, volunteers collected signatures from 15% of Menlo Park voters - well beyond the required 10%. On November, 10, 2024, we submitted the signatures to City Clerk, Judi Herren. On December 2nd, the Menlo Park City Council voted unanimously to put our measure on the 2026 ballot. Hurray!
What does our Ballot Measure do?
If passed in November, our measure creates the Downtown Parking Plazas Ordinance, which would require a public vote before the City can sell, lease, declare as surplus, or repurpose any of the eight Downtown parking plazas.
Improvements to enhance or expand parking would not require a vote, nor would temporary events such as farmers markets. The ordinance applies only to the 8 publicly-owned downtown parking lots - it does not impact the development process anywhere else.
Quotes from some of our organizers:
Van Kouzoujian, Menlo Park Resident
“Downtown Menlo Park works because it’s accessible. The Parking Plazas are the infrastructure that makes that possible. If the City wants to change their use, the community—not just City Hall—should make that decision.”
Richard Draeger, Owner of Draeger’s Market
“Our market depends on customers being able to park nearby—especially older folks and families with kids. Loss of convenient parking poses an existential threat to businesses such as ours.”
Alex Beltramo, Menlo Park Resident
“This initiative simply says that any plan to repurpose the downtown parking lots must be approved by the voters. The plazas are public assets, and the public deserves a say before they’re lost forever.”
Vasile Oros, Owner of Menlo Park Ace Hardware
“People don’t just stumble into our store—they plan a visit. If they expect that parking will be difficult, they’ll go somewhere else. This initiative gives power to the people, so they can keep shopping in Menlo Park.”
Caitlin Darke, Menlo Park Resident
“As a real estate developer myself, I’m excited about ways Menlo Park can create more housing. But using the Downtown parking lots is a terrible idea. It would devastate our businesses.”
Mary Seaton, Woodside Resident
“Our family comes Downtown for everything—errands, lunch, grocery shopping, and church. I don’t want the City making irreversible changes without first asking the people of Menlo Park. That’s why I support this initiative.”
Parking Lots 1, 2 and 3, going from University Dr. to El Camino on June 5, 2025 (3x speed)