On Tuesday, Menlo Park City Council will hold a study session on Tuesday evening August 27 focusing on one of the key policies of the city’s Housing Element – building affordable housing on city-owned parking lots downtown. The meeting starts at 6pm and the study session will be near the start of the meeting.
Building deeply affordable homes on city-owned parking lots downtown has long been encouraged by Menlo Together and other housing supporters. The central location is walking distance from many stores and public transportation. Using land owned by the city is a powerful strategy to enable more deeply affordable housing since there is no need to purchase the land.
Based on a new feasibility study, city staff recommend a phased plan starting on lots 1, 2, and 3, on the northwest side of Santa Cruz.
These lots could enable about 483 homes at the Specific Plan bonus level of development, and potentially more using other available incentives.
One question will be how to continue convenient access to downtown while using parking lot space for housing. The city is already conducting a parking management study to assess parking utilization, and strategies to manage parking and improve access. In one nearby example, the City of Palo Alto established a Transportation Management Association serving its downtown areas, which successfully shifted well over 200 low-income service workers from car commuting and deferred the need to build a parking garage.
Letters from Together and partners at Housing Leadership Council recommend:
- Providing the highest number of homes using the available incentives in city and state law, at deep levels of affordability
- Evaluating downtown parking needs and access strategies, using a current parking management study to plan to maintain convenient downtown access
- Focusing community amenities on increasing affordability and helping residents drive less with bike parking, public transit support and car share infrastructure.
Here’s how to share your thoughts:
- Send your own letter to city.council@menlopark.gov
- Attend the meeting in person, on Tuesday, August 27 6pm, at City Council Chambers, 751 Laurel Street and make a public comment.
- Dial-in by zoom or phone and comment.
- Zoom Link: Zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 832 1285 7140
- Dial-in: (669) 900-6833 Meeting ID: 832 1285 7140 Press *9 to raise hand to speak
- In your comments, share your personal thoughts about affordable housing on downtown parking lots, including stories from your life and community, and how this benefits the city, plus some points listed above and in the letters.
To dig into the details, here is the meeting agenda and staff report, Menlo Together’s letter to city council, and the letter submitted by our partner, HLC (Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County).
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