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Menlo Park council splits on advancing downtown parking‑lot housing proposals ahead of referendum
Summary
Public commenters and councilmembers clashed over whether to pause staff work on downtown parking‑lot redevelopment until voters weigh in on a referendum. Some residents urged delay; others and staff urged continuing public outreach and presentations so voters are informed.
Residents and councilmembers debated whether Menlo Park should proceed with staff presentations and outreach about proposals to build affordable housing on downtown surface parking lots while a referendum related to those lots is pending.
At the informational‑items portion of the meeting, Anthony (Tony) Drager, a longtime Menlo Park resident, asked the Council to “put off any of these decisions on these parking lots until that election is held, and the people speak,” arguing voters should decide before the city advances proposals. Later, Karen Grove, a Menlo Park resident, thanked staff for moving forward and said she supports building “hundreds of deeply affordable homes” and looks forward to a public open house where community members can review developer concepts.
Councilmember Drew Combs said he is generally opposed to Council giving direction on a particular proposal before the election and warned that advancing a single recommendation could engender ill will. “I generally am opposed to the idea of Council giving direction on a particular proposal before the election,” he said. Other councilmembers said informational presentations and community engagement should proceed because the timeline with state housing authorities (HCD) and funding milestones may require the city to keep making progress.
Councilmembers agreed on one procedural point: presentations and community forums that show what developers are proposing help voters be informed. They differed on whether staff should write a report asking the Council to endorse a single proposal before ballots are cast. Staff said the referendum could pause the process if it succeeds, and that nothing will be implemented until voters give clarity.
Public comment and council discussion produced no formal Council action on the proposals at the Feb. 10 meeting. Staff said they will continue the public‑facing steps outlined in the staff report and will note Council feedback; Councilmembers asked staff to consider the referendum timeline and HCD process when scheduling future steps.
