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In a cordial meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Atherton City Council approved a resident-only parking program for Maple Manor after neighbors said student parking from nearby Menlo-Atherton High School had spilled onto their streets.
Once signs are installed in the small neighborhood, only vehicles displaying resident or guest permits may park on De Bell Drive between Oak Grove Avenue and Middlefield Road or on Maple Leaf Way from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays.
In addition to parking restriction signs, Atherton plans to install unenforceable “No Through Traffic” signs as a deterrent.
At a 20-minute special meeting Sept. 9, the council unanimously approved weekday parking restrictions and sign installation — a decision Mayor Stacy Holland called a “no-brainer.”
On May 4, 23 Maple Manor residents submitted a petition asking the City Council to consider restricting parking during school days. Maple Manor is a small neighborhood off Middlefield Road that includes De Bell Drive and Maple Leaf Way.
Residents said Menlo-Atherton students parking on the neighborhood’s narrow streets had created safety concerns and affected their quality of life.
After receiving the petition, the town put “No Student Parking” signs at the neighborhood’s entrances. While the signs were temporarily successful, the underlying lack of parking for Menlo-Atherton students meant the town needed a permanent solution, town staff said.
The town found that overgrown vegetation meant that if cars are parked on both sides of the roughly 18-foot wide streets, it may not be safe for passing cars and could impede emergency vehicles.
The town manager will establish criteria for issuing permits.
The permit program will be modeled after a similar program approved in 2025 near the Atherton Civic Center after residents said the remodeled facility and library were causing an increase in street parking.
