On June 18th the City Council held a study session on the Environmental Justice Element and Safety Element of the General Plan. Menlo Park is following a new state law requiring an Environmental Justice element of the city’s General Plan to create policies and investments to address our history of environmental injustice and to create the plan with leadership from communities impacted by environmental injustice.
During the study session, the Council provided vital feedback to the draft element that included: strengthening language and commitments to action, anti-displacement strategies to secure safe and stable housing for renters, access for residents to resources at the Belle Haven Community Campus, and improving indoor and outdoor air quality. Significantly, Council approved $1 million towards Environmental Justice implementation in the budget.
Next steps:
- Project team will revise Environmental Justice and Safety Elements based on the feedback and prepare for an adoption hearing tentatively scheduled for Fall 2024
- What we’ll be looking for in the revised document:
- Strengthened Language and Commitment – Emphasized accountability, prioritization, and accessibility in the action plan with clear timelines and metrics to achieve intended goals.
- Timely and actionable programs to advance the top three community priorities: safe, sanitary and stable housing, reducing pollution exposure and improving air quality, and access to high quality and affordable food
- Consolidated Document – Consolidated version of the goals, policies, programs, timeline, and action items, all in one dual table that can also be accessed online will allow transparency and accountability.
- Elevated and accelerated Anti-Displacement Actions
- Strengthened programs and actions based on the top 3 community priorities that include providing safe, sanitary and stable homes, reducing pollution exposure and improving air quality, and promoting access to high quality and affordable food.
Below is the full list of feedback that council provided on the draft Safety and EJ Element.
Safety Element:
- Add a program to evaluate the earthquake risk of “soft story buildings” in which the residence is above an open parking garage, Hold a study session on existing regulations around bio science lab space. Connect sea level rise and climate change with the safety element using local Hazard mitigation plan data.
- Include business districts in disaster and emergency preparation plans
- Clarify property owner responsibility for soil remediation
- Focus on specific updates now and plan for a broader update during the San Mateo County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan update.
Environmental Justice Element:
- Strengthen Language and Commitment:
- Emphasize accountability, prioritization, and accessibility in the action plan with clear timelines and metrics.
- Clarification on terms like “should” and “must” to balance commitment without over-committing. For example, the suggestion to add bathrooms to parks may not be feasible for every location.
- Anti-Displacement Strategy:
- Elevate legal counsel representation and tenant protections.
- Incorporate community-based organizations in the work.
- Concierge at Belle Haven Community Campus (BHCC):
- Dedicated personnel located at BHCC to connect residents with city, county, state and federal assistance.
- Support a satellite viewing at the BHCC and make public city meetings more accessible.
- Consolidated Document:
- Consolidated version of the goals, policies, programs, and action items, all in one dual table that will be accessible online.
- Budgeting:
- Support the use of the Bayfront mitigation Fund ($1 million) for initial EJ element action items.
- Additional Items:
- Enhance access to healthcare, higher education, and Wi-Fi
- Expand on indoor and outdoor air quality
- Explore no-smoking policy in downtown
- Provide information on cooling centers and community resources for extreme heat