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“I’m not a polished politician, I’m a neighborhood volunteer,” James Rohr said in his opening statement at The Almanac’s Menlo Park City Council candidate forum on Oct. 8.
Rohr, 48, moved to Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood from Sunnyvale in 2022 and immediately got involved in community organizations and volunteerism. Four years later, he is one of two candidates vying to replace Councilmember Cecilia Taylor, who is not seeking a third term, as the District 1 representative on the Menlo Park City Council in the Nov. 3 election.
Rohr served in the U.S. Army and worked in cybersecurity for 20 years. Now retired, he is seeking to ensure that District 1, which includes the Belle Haven and Bayfront neighborhoods, has equitable representation. He told The Almanac that he felt welcomed into Belle Haven when he arrived, particularly by Taylor (who endorsed Rohr), and wants to focus on preserving and beautifying the neighborhood.
One of the ways Rohr has connected with his neighbors is through gardening and said he wants to ensure that residents can lean on each other for support. He wants Belle Haven to have volunteer-based programs that check in on neighbors, deliver food and take care of community spaces.
“We want to make sure that anyone that lives within our area is given a helping hand, knows that there’s a community to help them, and that people are happy to help them,” Rohr said. He said that these programs can be organized through collaborations between the city and local nonprofits.
Rohr’s platform centers on housing, tenant protections, food access and neighborhood improvements.
Rohr said he wants the city to focus development outside of District 1 and instead look for sites near transit. He sees developing new housing as only feasible outside of District 1’s already existing residential areas.
“Unless three people sold their home at the same time to the same person to try to build something, it doesn’t seem geographically possible,” Rohr said of expanding areas for multifamily housing.
He also wants to ensure that the single-family areas of Belle Haven are protected.
“I want people to be able to enjoy their single-family homes that they’ve already purchased and lived in for generations,” Rohr said. “If you go to Belle Haven right now, every single street you will find someone that’s been there for 40-plus years. I don’t think we ever really want to break apart that type of history and community-building.”
For renters, Rohr wants the city to take a look at expanding tenant protections and ensuring access to legal representation for those facing eviction. He also supports funding a tenant resource center to help families navigate housing courts.
Access to groceries is another priority. Rohr wants to attract a full-service grocery store to Belle Haven so residents have access to fresh, affordable food. In the interim, Rohr said he thinks the city should organize a neighborhood farmers market to help connect residents with local produce.
Rohr is endorsed by Taylor and SEIU 521, which represents some city employees and also endorsed Rohr’s opponent.
Read more about Rohr’s candidacy here, see his answers to The Almanac’s candidate survey here and visit Rohr’s campaign site here.
James, if you truly want to preserve the neighborly lifestyle of Bell Haven, why would you not want more affordable housing there so family members could afford to live there?
“See developing new housing as only feasible outside of District 1’s already existing residential areas.” seems like a big contradiction, one also held by Council member Taylor. It never made sense to me.