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A new state law will require Menlo Park and parts of Atherton to allow much taller housing developments near the Menlo Park Caltrain station — up to 75 feet within a quarter-mile and 95 feet immediately adjacent to the station.
Senate Bill 79, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, mandates that cities allow high-density, transit-oriented housing near certain major transit stops, including Caltrain stations. The measure is part of a broader state push to address California’s housing shortage by promoting dense housing near public transit.
Under SB 79, Menlo Park must permit housing projects up to 75 feet tall within a quarter-mile of any pedestrian access point to the Caltrain station and up to 95 feet tall within 200 feet of any access point. The law overrides local height and density caps in current zoning rules. The city also must permit developments with a maximum density of 120 housing units per acre and cannot impose standards that prevent a project from having up to 3.5 times the size of the lot in housing.
Since its population is slightly under 35,000 (estimated at 33,000 as of 2024), Menlo Park will not be required to allow 65-foot-tall buildings within a half-mile of the station.
However, if its population exceeds 35,000 by its next housing element cycle, it will be subject to those additional requirements near the Menlo Park Caltrain station and in parts of the city within a half-mile of the Palo Alto Caltrain station.
State law allows cities to avoid the new requirements by creating an alternative transit-oriented development plan to relocate the density elsewhere, as long as the total number of units and floor area allowed remain the same as the state’s plan.
While the Atherton Caltrain station has been closed for years and does not count as a transit stop, some parts of Atherton may fall within a quarter-mile of the Menlo Park station. Estimates by this news organization suggest that only a handful of properties may be subject to the requirements. The law measures distance from any portion of a property to the train station, meaning some Atherton parcels near Nativity School and one house on Victoria Drive may be eligible.
Atherton is currently determining which parcels are affected.
“Staff has been reviewing the impact(s) of SB 79,” City Manager George Rodericks said. “We do not have a formalized map of the affected parcels as we are still working with GIS to determine exactly which parcels are affected. There is some discussion as to where the line actually starts for measurement from the Caltrain station in Menlo Park.”
The town is aware of the option to create an alternative plan and expects to present options to the Atherton City Council in the future, Rodericks said.
But Atherton and Menlo Park do not have much time to develop an alternative plan. The plans must be approved by the state by July 1, 2026, but the state can take up to 90 days to review them.
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