Meeting our Housing Goals
The plan to use the downtown parking plazas for high-density housing faces serious legal, infrastructure, environmental, economic, and financial problems. (Learn more.) And developers acknowledge they cannot pay for replacement parking without substantial City assistance - money the City does not have.
Passing the ballot measure would encourage the City to add additional opportunity sites to the Housing Element rather than relying on a single downtown strategy.
WE HAVE OPTIONS
The 2023–2031 Housing Element timeframe is for entitlements — not construction. There is time to move to a better plan.
To meet our housing goals, the City can amend the Housing Element, adding more sites, as San Mateo recently did.
Wondering what the Housing Element is? See our Housing Element Primer.
Watch this important response from the City Attorney when a City Council member asked what would happen if the current downtown plan was stopped because “the residents are overwhelmingly telling us no, this is not what we want.”
Her answer is that the City would “continue on the path of pursuing other housing development projects.
So let’s look at some of those other options.
Examples of Alternative Housing Opportunities
Below are examples of sites that could help Menlo Park meet its housing goals without relying on the downtown parking plazas.
Bohannon Industrial / Office Park
Size & Ownership: 25 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. In a December 6, 2022 letter, they wrote:
“…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: Potential for a mixed-income neighborhood of hundreds of homes, adjacent to Marsh Manor shopping center, with direct freeway access and easy reach of Bayfront Park.
UPDATE: SamTrans is planning to convert the abandoned rail line that runs adjacent to Bohannon Park into a bus-only lane with walking trail and bike path - providing convenient transit straight to downtown Redwood City. Learn more here.
345 Middlefield Rd. (USGS/Presidio Bay)
Size & Ownership: 17 acres | Private
Background: When the Housing Element was adopted, this parcel was still the federally-owned USGS site. It has since been acquired by Presidio Bay Ventures for redevelopment.
Opportunity: At 17 acres, this is one of the largest redevelopment sites in Menlo Park. If the City prioritizes affordable housing in negotiations with the developer, this site could contribute significantly toward meeting our RHNA requirements.
1283 Willow Road
Size & Ownership: 0.66 acres | City-owned
Background: Vacant parcel larger than Downtown Parking Lot 2 (0.56 acres). Belle Haven is identified in 2025 HCD data as at risk of displacement. And with the Willow Village project paused, there is even more need for housing in this area.
Opportunity: An apartment building with a needed grocery/pharmacy on the ground floor would be of great value to this part of town.
SRI / Parkline
Size & Ownership: 62-acre campus | Private
Background: The Parkline project includes 800, of which 250 units will be affordable. This is significantly more housing than was originally counted on, and helps reduce the pressure to put housing in the parking lots. And it may get even better, as the developer is now asking to add even more housing.
Opportunity: This site is ideal for homes walking distance from the train station, parks, library, and downtown.
333 Burgess Drive (Corporation Yard)
Size & Ownership: 2.35 acres | City-owned
Background: Public Works operations yard adjacent to the SRI campus.
Opportunity: If Public Works operations are consolidated elsewhere, this site could deliver new housing right next to Burgess Park and the library. Development could be planned along with the adjacent SRI/Parkline parcel.
Note: Venice did exactly this, converting their maintenance yard to housing
¼ Mile from Train Station
(SB 79 Zone)
Background: Because of the new SB 79 law, the City now has more opportunities to accommodate housing near transit than were available when the Housing Element was originally prepared. That’s because the SB 79 law allows much higher-density housing within a quarter mile of the train station. It is time to amend our Housing Element to include sites within this area.
Opportunity: There are many old buildings in this area, including downtown, that are ready for redevelopment. With the higher density allowed by SB 79, property owners now have an incentive to redevelop with high-density housing. Rather than relying on the parking plazas, the City should encourage housing opportunities throughout the area.
Note:
When the Housing Element was adopted, SB 79 did not exist. Because of this major change in state law, many properties within walking distance of the train station may now be more attractive candidates for housing than they were just a few years ago.
Summary
Together, these sites provide greater capacity than the downtown plazas — in locations better suited for residential growth. And there are more viable sites in addition to these.
By prioritizing better alternatives, Menlo Park can meet its housing requirements while preserving the parking infrastructure that keeps our downtown thriving.