Menlo Park downtown plan update

Members of the Menlo Park Downtown Alliance, a group of local business and property owners, told the city they’re concerned that the draft environmental impact report and fiscal impact analysis of the proposed downtown specific plan could be publicly released in early December, when most people are preoccupied with holiday celebrations.

Nancy Couperus, founding member of the organization, listed several components of the plan that the alliance thinks need closer scrutiny, including eliminated parking in the plaza behind Trader Joe’s, a lot used by farmers’ market shoppers on Sundays, and the partial closure of Chestnut Street, which may interfere with vendor traffic.