Menlo Park: Visions of parking garages abound Menlo Park: Visions of parking garages abound (October 06, 2004)

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

If you could wave a magic wand, what would be in store for the humble asphalt parking lot?

Perhaps you'd transform it into an inviting square with restaurants, an ice cream shop and grassy spaces. All those nasty cars and SUVs would be hidden below in a subterranean parking lot.

Such was the picture painted by Menlo Park resident Dick Poe during a September 28 brain-storming session about building parking garages. To him, it's infinitely more attractive than a towering structure.

"Menlo Park is blessed with a huge asset, these parking plazas," he said of the city's eight downtown lots. "Now we have asphalt and cars there, but we also have sunlight and open space in our downtown. That's irreplaceable."

Then there was a more bustling image offered by Planning Commissioner Lou Deziel, who suggested merging retail and parking all in one multi-level structure. People could shop at businesses in the middle, with parking available above and below.

At this point in the study on parking structures being conducted by Watry Design Inc. of Redwood City, visions abound but details are hard to come by. The consultants are still analyzing the large questions, such as which of the city's downtown parking lots would be the best location for a garage.

And then there's the small matter of how to pay for it.

According to Watry Design principal Michelle Wendler, who hosted last week's meeting in the City Council chambers, construction costs could range from $12,000 to $20,000 per parking space. Burrowing underground would be more expensive than building up, and multiple shorter structures would be pricier than one taller one, she added.

The consultants are planning to hold more public meetings to get further input from residents before bringing a report to the council. The $45,000 study is ultimately expected to include design concepts and initial environmental studies.

High demand

At the September 28 meeting, which had about 20 attendees, Ms. Wendler presented some early results of the study.

The lots with the highest demand for parking during lunchtime are Plaza 4, next to Draeger's market; and Plaza 7, next to Trader Joe's market, she said.

But two other lots are the largest of the eight, which means they have the most ability to provide a net increase in parking spaces, she said. Those are Plaza 1, by the post office; and Plaza 3, on the north side of Santa Cruz Avenue at University Drive.

Councilwoman Mickie Winkler suggested building a garage on a lot with lower demand and designating it for employees of the surrounding businesses. That would free up the higher-demand areas for people doing business downtown, she said.

Resident Hank Lawrence said he was concerned about the potentially high costs incurred by having to move utilities if a garage is built underground.

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