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Save Downtown Menlo submitted its notice of intent to collect signatures on a ballot measure to require a vote on changes to any downtown parking lot at 2:30 p.m. on May 15.
The ballot measure would require a majority of voters to approve changes to the downtown parking lots and any action that would “diminish the availability” of the lots. The proposed ordinance exempts maintenance and improvements, as long as they are intended to improve and maintain the parking lots. It also exempts community activities shorter than three consecutive days.
The ballot measure has a long way to go before it could reach a vote. Supporters have completed the first step, as City Clerk Judi Herren certified receipt of the notice shortly after its submission,doing so in front of a group of about 40 supporters.
The measure aims to block a controversial proposal from the city council to use some of the downtown parking lots to build affordable housing in accordance with the city’s housing plan.
The city took the first step earlier this year by requesting proposals from developers; however, after resident backlash, the city council delayed declaring the land surplus. Now that the notice has been submitted, the city must either hold a citywide vote on declaring the land surplus or declare it surplus anyway, which would be void if the petition passes.
Under election law, a petition can have a maximum of three proponents. The three proponents for this petition are Alex Beltramo, Caitlin Darke and Van Kouzoujian.
According to a cover letter submitted with the initiative, they are represented by Rutan & Tucker LLP, the same law firm representing Save Downtown Menlo in its lawsuit against the city. The lawsuit claims the city does not have the authority to use the parking lots for housing without the approval of property owners.
Now that the notice of intent has been submitted, the city attorney has 15 days to write a ballot title and summary and send it to the city council and the proponents. Due to how days are counted in California, the city attorney has until the end of the day on May 30 to complete this.
After the city attorney creates the ballot title and summary, the proponents must publish them in a newspaper of general circulation (such as The Almanac). Once it is published, they may begin collecting signatures.
The proponents need 2,104 signatures—10% of registered voters in the city—within 180 days.
Save Downtown Menlo is seeking volunteers to help collect signatures, but it is not as simple as getting someone’s name. Volunteers must follow strict requirements regarding the contents of the petition and ensure signatures are from registered voters. They also must declare under penalty of perjury that they followed all requirements.
Beltramo said voters can sign up through the group’s email list or volunteer via a contact form.
He plans to set up tables in popular areas of the city to educate the public and collect signatures. He also hopes local business owners will inform their customers about the petition and help gather signatures.
If the group collects enough valid signatures, the city council must either call a special election, place it on the 2026 primary ballot or adopt the ordinance outright.
The city can commission reports on the initiative’s fiscal impact, business impact, impact on the ability to meet housing needs and more.
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Excellent reporting on this event, Arden! Accurate, clear and informative. Great photos, too : )
What a waste of time. If this nonsense stops the housing being proposed I hope the State pulls their housing element approval and opens it up to builders remedy.
Let’s see – we don’t want new housing in single family zones, we don’t want new housing on city owned parking lots and the USGS site is not zoned for housing.
So I guess our very comfortable life boat is full and anyone left swimming/drowning is just on their own.
Of course we hope that they find somwthing so that they can continue to teach our childern, staff our police and fire departments, take care of our lovely gardens and, for heavens sake, pick up our garbage.
Peter:
The people staffing our police and fire departments make too much money to qualify for very low income housing. So do teachers. VLI housing is what is being proposed. I know what that kind of housing becomes and it isn’t pretty. It will also do nothing for businesses downtown as the people living in that housing have little to no disposable income.