EDITORIAL: Give Menlo auto mall a good look EDITORIAL: Give Menlo auto mall a good look (September 01, 2004)

In the jargon of sales, nothing is more compelling than a win-win argument, which can often close a deal if it can be shown that buyer and seller each benefit from the transaction.

And although it is far too early to apply that label to a scenario that could see Menlo Park's El Camino Real auto dealers move to a new auto mall on Haven Avenue, off Marsh Road near Bayfront Expressway, there are definite advantages for all parties if such a move takes place. Here is the way some city officials are viewing this, in win-win terms:

** The dealers gain by getting exposure to, and easy access from, the Bayfront Expressway and freeway. Haven Avenue connects to Marsh Road near its intersection with U.S. 101. In addition, the dealers could be grouped in an "auto mall" configuration, which is said to add critical mass and synergy to sales.

** The city would gain by keeping the dealers in town, a crucial need since auto sales are the top-producing segment of the city's sales-tax base. In addition, the city gains by moving a high sales-tax-generating industry to property that now produces very little revenue for the city. The city also will gain from the likely follow-up development of auto dealers' properties downtown, which if restricted to retail-oriented uses, would generate additional sales taxes for the city.

** The current property owners at Haven Avenue, whose parcels have shrunk in value during the recent crash of commercial property values, would likely command much higher prices for their acreage if the dealers, who need three to five acres each, find the plan attractive.

The city staff's idea to propose a serious study of the auto mall concept gained a significant amount of steam at last week's City Council meeting, when the council voted 5-0 to give staff 60 days to conduct more research. Besides auto dealers, regional retail stores and hotels will be considered as potential users of the site.

Much more work needs to be done before any Menlo Park car dealers may join Carlsen Porsche in this little used corner of Menlo Park. (This dealership is actually located in Redwood City, across the street from the properties to be studied.) But the built-in advantages such uses would bring to all parties will be difficult to duplicate by either hotels or regional retail stores.

The city will conduct a preliminary traffic assessment to determine if a full environmental impact report is needed. The site is far away from residential areas and should not significantly impact the surrounding neighborhood, which is almost entirely devoted to industrial use.

If the city's research goes well, it will be up to the auto dealers and property owners to forge a deal that could produce the most significant changes in downtown Menlo Park in years.

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