Menlo Park politicos and community members gathered downtown last week for Mayor Drew Combs’ annual “State of the City” address. The mayor struck an optimistic tone about the city’s growth while acknowledging challenges ahead.
The crowd on Oct. 23 included senior city staff, elected officials, former mayors, two current council members and leaders of local advocacy groups. Attendees mingled at Bar Loretta over appetizers and drinks provided by owner Ali El Safy before turning their attention to a 20-minute speech by Combs.
The event marked a sharp contrast to Combs’ previous address in 2021, which was held over Zoom during the pandemic. This year, he struck an optimistic tone, touting Menlo Park’s vibrancy and new additions to the city’s dining scene. He also noted that major firms such as data-storage company Snowflake and AI startup Periodic Labs opened offices in the city this year.
Combs praised pedestrian and bicycle safety upgrades on Middle and Coleman avenues, touting them as examples of Menlo Park’s investment in decreasing traffic fatalities and increasing mobility.
Menlo Park also had its fair share of challenges this past year. Menlo Park and its pool operator had a lengthy dispute regarding two facilities that Combs said “laid bare the sense of alienation that some in our community still feel.” However, Combs is optimistic that there will be a resolution that unites the community.
While Menlo Park’s financial situation has improved following a voter-approved increase in the transit occupancy tax, the city’s projections anticipate a deficit soon and depleting some of its reserves within five years.
Combs also commented on the builder’s remedy project at the former Sunset Magazine headquarters, calling it “potentially the most provocative builders remedy project in the state’s history.” Another housing-related challenge the city faces is a ballot measure proposed by Save Downtown Menlo that is headed to an election.
While he avoided taking a position on Save Downtown Menlo’s measure to preserve the downtown parking lots, Combs closed with a call for inclusivity: “Whatever the outcome of this ballot measure, or ultimately the proposal to redevelop the parking lots into affordable housing, I have no doubt that Menlo Park is stronger and better when it strives towards inclusiveness and aspires to reflect the spectrum of lived experiences in all aspects of our community.”
I’m rather shocked that Ali hosted this at Bar Loretta as Combs is likely to come down on the side of the parking to housing issue. He’s consistently sided with the housing groups from outside Menlo Park over the taxpayers.