Save Downtown Menlo - Legal Defense Fund

Stop the City’s Plan to Use Downtown Parking Lots for Low-Income Housing

On January 14th, the Menlo Park City Council voted to move forward with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to develop the three downtown parking lots north of Santa Cruz Ave. These lots, which were originally paid for by the surrounding property owners, provide 556 parking spaces which are critical to our downtown businesses, customers, employees, and residents. If the City’s plan goes forward, the parking lots would be replaced with a minimum of 345 low-income housing units, in apartment buildings up to 10 stories high.

We Support Affordable Housing - But This Process Is Flawed

We are not opposed to affordable housing or thoughtful development downtown. However, the City Council has failed to conduct proper impact studies and ignored viable alternative sites across Menlo Park. Despite overwhelming opposition from residents, businesses, and stakeholders, the Council is moving forward without proper consideration of other locations to meet the State's housing quotas.

Legal Action to Protect Downtown and Ensure a Legitimate Selection Process

Save Downtown Menlo, as an unincorporated association of Menlo Park stakeholders, is retaining Rutan & Tucker LLP, a land-use law firm, to represent us in opposing the City’s proposed use of downtown parking lots for housing. The firm has already done important work for us on this matter and can provide political as well as legal consultation. If our group decides to pursue a ballot measure, we would form a separate, properly registered campaign committee, and any fundraising for that effort will be conducted separately.

We Need Your Help!

We aim to raise $250,000+ so that we have ample resources available for a long legal process. If we are successful in convincing the City Council to pivot to a proper course of action, and the downtown is no longer at risk from this housing plan, GoFundMe allows for any unused funds to be returned to the donors. Also, if anyone wants to mark their donation as "anonymous" GoFundMe provides that option as well.

If the City proceeds with this plan, it will have dire consequences on the downtown economy, congestion, infrastructure, and overall experience. We encourage everyone to donate - so that the City Council does the right thing for Menlo Park.

To learn more, visit www.SaveDowntownMenlo.org.

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