Menlo Park Puts Downtown Parking-Plaza Control Measure on 2026 Ballot

Overview

• On Dec. 2, the City Council unanimously voted to place the citizen-initiated Downtown Parking Plazas Ordinance on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot.
• The measure requires voter approval to sell, lease, dispose of, or make parking-reducing alterations to the plazas, with an initial vote establishing voter control and subsequent case-by-case approvals.
• A city-commissioned M-Group analysis, costing slightly more than $164,000, found the ordinance would limit housing and mixed-use opportunities and could reduce potential long-term fiscal benefits.
• Menlo Park’s request for proposals to six developer teams remains active with a Dec. 15 submission deadline, though it is unclear whether later planning stages will pause until after voters decide.
• Opponents cite harms to downtown businesses and push for alternative sites, while housing advocates say restricting the plazas would complicate meeting state housing targets and heighten builder’s-remedy risk.