The Future of our Downtown
is Worth a Vote.
Smart growth starts with good decisions. There are ways to meet our housing requirements without putting the downtown at risk.
And yet …
Despite viable alternatives, the City wants to convert heavily-used parking plazas into housing.
The loss of surface parking would drive out businesses that we depend on.
Easy access to surface parking is what makes our downtown work.
We have only one downtown. But residents have been left out of this once-in-a-generation decision.
SO WE’VE PROPOSED A COMMON-SENSE SAFEGUARD:
The parking plazas may not be repurposed without voter approval.
November 2026 Ballot
Downtown Parking Plazas Initiative
THE MEASURE: No repurposing of the parking plazas without a public vote.
THE GOAL: Encourage community-driven solutions that keep our downtown thriving.
THE IMPACT: Residents — not City Hall — get the final say on our downtown’s future.
☑️ Vote YES to: Ensure that any fundamental transformation of our downtown plazas has community consent.
⬜ Vote NO to: Allow a 5-person City Council to repurpose our downtown plazas at their own discretion.
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Allow residents to decide the downtown’s future - vote YES!
In 2025, we had to say no.
Just over a year ago, the City was set to declare our downtown parking plazas as “surplus land” for high-density housing.
When word got out, concerned residents and business owners overflowed the City Council chambers and wrote hundreds of emails - expressing dismay and disbelief.
Menlo Park City Council Meeting - Jan. 14, 2025
Residents proposed better housing locations, but city officials would not reconsider.
And so the people of Menlo Park were left with little choice but to do a Citizens’ Initiative. 15% of Menlo Park voters signed it, far exceeding the required 10%.
In 2026, we get to say YES!
YES! - TO PUBLIC CONSENT
Right now, any 5-person city council can declare the downtown plazas to be “surplus land” and lease them to developers for $1/year. It almost happened, and it still might.
We all hope our city leaders will make sound choices. But a permanent decision of this magnitude must not be made without true public consent. And that requires a public vote.
YES! - TO A THRIVING DOWNTOWN
We love our downtown - both what it is, and what it can be.
Whether you adore our long-time shopkeepers, or relish the prospect of new venues, all of it depends on convenient parking.
The very prospect of losing this vital parking is causing existing businesses to not renew leases, and new businesses are choosing other locations - as shown by a statement from 130+ businesses expressing their deep concern.
Our initiative provides a needed safeguard: it ensures that any permanent change to this critical infrastructure must have broad public support, so we can continue to enjoy a thriving downtown - one that businesses want to invest in.
YES! - TO BETTER ALTERNATIVES
Putting large apartment buildings into narrow, commercial parking lots is fraught with problems. There are better alternatives - sites appropriate for residential use, with better access and proper infrastructure. We do not need to depend on the parking plazas to comply with our housing obligations - we can pivot to a better path.
The question is not whether we need more housing. The question is whether the downtown parking lots are the right place for it. Our Citizens’ Initiative trusts the people of Menlo Park to make that decision.
Let’s Do This Right
San Mateo easily amended their Housing Element. We can too. Click the above video to watch a one-minute summary.
We Have Time
What About Builder’s Remedy?
When Councilmember Schmidt asked what would happen if the City chose not to move forward with the parking plaza plan, the City Attorney confirmed the City could “continue on the path of pursuing other housing development projects.”
Watch the exchange:
Housing Elements are implemented over time. Cities adjust sites as a project’s viability changes or better options emerge.
Importantly, cities are NOT required to complete construction by 2031. The current Housing Element cycle runs through 2031, and compliance is measured by entitlements and permits — not finished buildings.
Changing course on the parking plaza plan does not automatically jeopardize certification or trigger “Builder’s Remedy.”
The greater risk to compliance is spending years advancing a site with significant financial, legal, and logistical challenges while more viable options are available.
The best way for Menlo Park to stay in compliance is to shift to better alternatives. We have time.
We Have Choices
Menlo Park has multiple sites better suited for residential development - locations with proper infrastructure, transit access, and room to build. These alternatives allow us to meet our housing obligations without sacrificing our downtown.
Explore our Better Alternatives page for details.
Bohannon Park
Civic Center (city-owned)
333 Burgess Dr. - Corporation Yard (city-owned)
1283 Willow Rd. (city-owned)
2400 Branner Dr. (city-owned)
SRI / Parkline
Drew Combs Explains
In his December 2025 newsletter, Mayor Drew Combs captured the situation clearly:
“… there were alternative paths to pursuing redevelopment of the parking lots … I don’t think the city council should take any additional actions to move the project forward until the voters have spoken.”
For further explanation, watch this 2.5-minute excerpt. The mayor expresses concern about 'the extreme concentration of affordable housing in one location' and 'strangling downtown.' He then candidly admits the parking lot plan was not a last resort, but rather 'what the Council at the time thought was the vision of Menlo Park in the future.'
March 4, 2025 City Council Meeting
Drew Combs has been the only one willing to listen to residents and trust voters to decide this issue. He understands that any “vision” for our downtown should be that of the community, not just his fellow councilmembers.