L1 and L2. Consider appeals of two Planning Commission approvals, one for the Menlo Uptown project at 141 Jefferson Drive and 180-186 Constitution Drive and one for Menlo Portal at 115 Independence Drive and 104 and 110 Constitution Drive.
The staff reports contain extensive information about the projects, the environmental impact reports and other issues analyzed, and the appeal letters (including responses from City staff). The staff reports also include information about the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) and explain the limitations the City has in its ability to deny and/or limit housing projects.
L1 - Menlo Uptown consists of 483 multifamily dwelling units comprised of 441 rental units and 42 for-sale condominium units and approximately 2,940 square feet of commercial space proposed to be used as an urgent care center, as part of the applicant's community amenity proposal.
L2 - Menlo Portalconsists of 335 multifamily dwelling units and an approximately 34,499-square-foot office space which includes about 1,600 square feet of non-office commercial space proposed to be used as a child care facility, as part of the applicant's community amenity proposal.
Below are some additional items that may be of interest.
Update on Climate Action Plan Goal #1 - Existing Building Electrification
The City Council meeting on August 31st included a Study Session on how to achieve Menlo Park's goal of electrifying 95% of exiting buildings by 2030. Both the Almanac and the Mercury News covered the meeting and I encourage you to read their stories. Note that the Daily Post had some errors in their story, and they printed a correction on the front page a few days after their original story. I also invite you to read the comments I delivered at the outset of the Council discussion. You can access those here. To watch a recording of the meeting, visit https://menlopark.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=2451. The agenda item, including presentations and public comment, begins around minute 18:00 and Council discussion starts around minute 1:51:00.
Did the recent community discussion on existing building electrification bring up lots of questions for you? Here are some resources to get more information:
In order to keep Menlo Park's streets in good condition, the City regularly repaves its roadways. Willow Road, between Middlefield and Chester Street will soon be repaved. Details about the project can be found in this staff report from June 2021. Please note that there may be delays.
In addition to the repaving, radar speed feedback signs are also set to be installed on Willow Road between Middlefield and Nash. These signs will alert drivers of their speed will hopefully keep our streets safer.
Housing Element Community Meeting - September 23rd at 6:30pm
Save the date of September 23rd (at 6:30pm) for a Housing Element community meeting to review preliminary strategies to meet housing needs and to give feedback on where new housing should be located. More information about this meeting, including the Zoom link, can be found here.
In addition to the community meeting on September 23rd, there are currently two more important meetings about the Housing Element tentatively scheduled for October; one joint Housing Commission and Planning Commission meeting tentatively scheduled for early October and a City Council meeting tentatively scheduled for late October. I will continue to keep you posted.
To learn more about the Housing Element you can visit the City's Housing Element webpage at www.menlopark.org/he. You may also want to check out a past newsletter of mine that summarizes key aspects of this important planning process.
Learn about Measure B - Parcel Tax Measure on the November Ballot
This November, registered Menlo Park D3 voters will have the opportunity to approve Measure B, a parcel tax that will help secure long-term financial stability for the Menlo Park City School Districts schools. This is not a new tax, but rather a replacement for Measure X (passed with overwhelming support in 2017), which is sunsetting.
Cal Water Launches New Water Conservation Programs/Rebates
Water conservation is one of the best - and cheapest - ways to respond to the worsening drought. To help customers make landscaping and irrigation systems as efficient as possible, Cal Water just announced two new conservation programs.
Highlights of the new programs include:
Lawn-to-garden program offering a rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with drought-tolerant alternatives.
Spray-to-drip program providing a rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from a standard spray irrigation system to a drip system. Drip irrigation uses 20 to 50 percent less water compared to sprinklers.
These new programs are part of Cal Water's Smart Landscape Tune-Up Program, which fixes most leaks for customers at no cost, providing savings in water and money.
