Lots happening this week - two City Council meetings and a Housing Element Intro Webinar. Find out what's going on in District 3 and around town by checking out the update below.
The City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 29th is dedicated to a study session on redistricting. In 2018, Menlo Park transitioned from "At-Large" to "By District" elections. As part of this transition, a 5-District map was established (see below). Even though Menlo Park recently went through this process, due to the new census numbers about to be released (currently expected on September 30, 2021), all jurisdictions around the country will be redrawing their district lines. To aid the city in this process, at the June 8th meeting, the City Council awarded GEOinovo Solutions Inc. a contract for demographic analysis and census mapping services. The City Council must now decide whether to use itself, an independent or advisory committee, or a hybrid to assist in the process (draw and select new maps). Please let the Council know what you think. To access the agenda, with ways to participate/share your thoughts, and a link to the staff report, click here.
Other Items of Interest
Below are some additional items that may be of interest.
Ravenswood and Oak Grove Closures Monday Night
(from 7:45pm on June 28th to 5:30am on June 29th)
Caltrain will be performing foundation installation work in Menlo Park that will require a temporary closure of the Ravenswood and Oak Grove Avenue railroad crossings to vehicle and bicycle traffic. Both closures will take place on Monday night (from 7:45pm, June 28th) to early Tuesday morning (5:30am, June 29th). The closures are occurring the same night but only one street at a time will be closed. Please navigate with extra care around this area.
Housing Element Intro Webinar on Thursday, July 1st at 6pm
As I outlined in a previous newsletter, Menlo Park is embarking on a process to update its Housing Element, the chapter in the city's General Plan that covers how and where Menlo Park will add housing over the next decade. The city is holding an introductory webinar to educate residents and stakeholders about this endeavor. Topics to be covered on July 1st include existing housing conditions in Menlo Park, an overview of the process and schedule, and opportunities for community involvement. For more information about this event, and to register, click here. I will continue to keep you informed about the Housing Element process as it moves forward.
SRI "Parkline" Project Community Meetings
July 15th at 6pm, 24th at 11am and 28th at 6pm (Details Below.)
At the June 22nd City Council meeting, SRI International, along with developer Lane Partners and architect STUDIOS, gave a brief overview of its project, "Parkline." Presentation slides can be found here and a video of the presentation and Council discussion can be found here at minute 1:09:10. SRI announced that it will be holding in-person community meetings at 333 Ravenswood on July 15th, 24th and 28th to hear feedback and answer questions. You can visit their website to learn more at https://menloparkline.com/. Note: the meetings listed above are not official city meetings. The City of Menlo Park will have its own review process including meetings at the Planning Commission and City Council. Once the project plans have been officially submitted, the city will also develop its own project webpage. Stay tuned.
Electric Home Ambassador Program - Sign Up to Participate
Have you recently installed solar panels on your roof or put in a charging station for your electric vehicle? You could be an Electric Home Ambassador! Perhaps you are curious about the benefits of converting your home to all-electric. Through the Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley's Electric Home Ambassador program, you can be matched with someone in our area who can help walk you through the process. Whether you want to help others, or get help yourself, learn more about this program here. And to get up to speed about the benefits of electrification, and how to start, visit The Switch is On at https://www.switchison.org/get-started.
Off the Grid is Back!
Off the Grid has returned to the Menlo Park Caltrain Station (1120 Merrill Street) on Wednesday nights from 5:00-9:00pm. For a list of featured food trucks, visit https://offthegrid.com/event/menlo-park/.
