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Residents intend to notify the city of Menlo Park they will begin collecting signatures on a ballot measure that would force a citywide referendum on any proposal to lease, sell or repurpose any of the eight downtown parking lots.
Save Downtown Menlo will file a notice of intent to circulate the petition on Thursday, according to Menlo Park resident Alex Beltramo, an author of the initiative. He said the group will need to collect over 2,000 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot.
The measure is being launched in hopes to block Menlo Park City Council’s controversial plan to build affordable housing on some downtown parking lots. Proponents feel the voters should decide on changes to the parking lots.
“These parking lots aren’t surplus land—they’re essential public infrastructure. They were created for the community, and once they’re gone, they’re gone for good,” Save Downtown Menlo’s Statement of Reasons said. “The future of Downtown Menlo Park is too important to be decided without us.”
Menlo Park Mayor Drew Combs said in an interview that he supports voters exercising their rights in petitioning for a ballot measure. Combs did not take a side on the ballot measure itself.
“(A city-wide vote on the parking lots) certainly has an authority that a vote of city council does not have but obviously, not everything can go to the voters. There is an efficiency that you lose if you’re going to a ballot measure every time,” he said.
“(The petition) could be described as expected, given Menlo Park’s history,” Combs added.
The proposed measure, titled “Downtown Parking Plazas Ordinance,” is similar to a previous effort to block a housing development. Measure V would have required a citywide referendum on any changes to “R1” zoning. It failed with 38% of the vote on Nov. 8, 2022. The measure was also citizen-initiated and was in response to proposed teacher housing near Flood Park.
In addition to proposing a measure, Save Downtown Menlo has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging the city does not have the authority to repurpose the parking lots since the lots were paid for by a special assessment district. The city disputes that claim. Save Downtown Menlo raised $148,000 to fund the lawsuit.
Save Downtown Menlo claims to not be opposed to affordable housing, just objects to the loss of the parking lots. It has suggested affordable housing in the civic center instead of downtown.
“The measure would not restrict short-term community uses like farmers markets or improvements that enhance or expand parking for downtown customers, workers, and visitors,” said Beltramo.
A previous Change.org petition started by the group received 3,600 signatures, although those will not count towards the measure.
This news organization reached out to the San Mateo County Office of Elections to learn more about the process but did not hear back in time for publication.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify Beltramo’s role in the initiative.
Come be a part of it – Thursday, 2pm at City Hall. Learn more here: savedowntownmenlo.org/ballot-initiative
If you don’t want new housing in single family zoned areas and don’t want new housing over the downtown parking lots then just exactly where do you want new housing???
Perhaps you solved the NIMBY riddle?