Menlo Park: Debate on home-building rules rages as petition deadline nears Menlo Park: Debate on home-building rules rages as petition deadline nears (February 04, 2004)

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

New home-building rules in Menlo Park continue to spur activity as a group of residents gather signatures to get the rules repealed, and the mayor plans a press conference to defend them.

About 45 volunteers have been seeking signatures by going door-to-door and stopping people in locations such as the Menlo Park Library, said Planning Commissioner Kelly Fergusson, who is leading the effort. The group has until February 12 to amass 1,700 signatures; at this point, Ms. Fergusson said, "the count is too uncertain to say."

If enough signatures are gathered, the council must either repeal the rules or have the voters decide whether they should be rescinded. Ms. Fergusson said that she'd like the council to rescind them.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lee Duboc said she's holding a noon press conference on February 4 at the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce office at 1100 Merrill St. to provide a defense of the home-building rules. She and fellow council members Mickie Winkler and Nicholas Jellins voted in support of the rules, with Chuck Kinney and Paul Collacchi dissenting.

The rules take effect February 12 if not enough signatures are gathered.

While supporters of the plan say its tiered, rule-based approach brings certainty and fairness to the approval process for new homes and major remodels, opponents say the plan removes much-needed human discretion from the process, making it easier to build oversized homes that don't fit into neighborhoods.

City staff reports on the new rules are posted at menlopark.org.

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