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On the Nov. 3 ballot, Menlo Park voters will weigh in on Measure P, a citizen initiative that would bar the city from selling or making significant changes to its downtown parking lots without first holding an election to get voter approval. The measure would apply to all eight city-owned lots downtown, including three for which the city has solicited proposals for housing development and replacement parking.
The measure is the result of a signature-gathering campaign from Save Downtown Menlo, a group largely organized by downtown business and property owners, who argued that developing the parking lots would impair customers’ ability to access businesses and reduce foot traffic downtown.
Opponents say the measure would imperil Menlo Park’s ability to live up to its state-mandated goals for adding much-needed housing and represents bad governance by taking complex land-use decisions out of the hands of elected officials.
In the most recent filing period, the No on P campaign reported raising over $272,000 and the Yes on P campaign reported raising more than $202,000.
Top donors to the No on P campaign include John Matthew Sobrato, director of impact and learning at the Sobrato Organization; former OpenAI executive Robert McGrew; and local housing advocate Karen Grove.
Top donors to the Yes on P campaign include property manager Alex Beltramo and his family members; Richard Draeger, co-owner of Draeger’s Markets; and Mickles Enterprises, a business representing a downtown property owner.
Yes on P is endorsed by the Daily Post; former Menlo Park mayors John Boyle and Robert McNamara; former Planning Commission members Henry Riggs and Michael Doran; and real estate agent Mary Gilles, among others.
No on P is endorsed by the ACLU of Northern California, the South San Mateo County League of Women Voters, Habitat for Humanity of Greater San Francisco, Menlo Together and the Greenbelt Alliance, among others.
Information in favor of Measure P can be found at savedowntownmenlo.org and against Measure P at noonpmenlopark.com.
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Guest opinion: For Menlo Park's Measure P or not for P, that is the questionOctober 4, 2026 11:02 am
