The Menlo Park City Council is moving forward with a plan to convert downtown parking lots into affordable housing, aiming to create at least 340 units. Despite community opposition and ongoing lawsuits, the council informally voted to solicit proposals from qualified developers. This initiative has sparked conflict between advocates for affordable housing and business owners concerned about revenue and parking accessibility. Some council members expressed concerns about the impact on parking and traffic during construction, though there was a sense of urgency to comply with state housing mandates to avoid further legal consequences.
Members of the City Council raised several concerns during the meeting, including the need to replace existing parking spaces, implement traffic mitigation measures during construction, and assess whether the project should be paused in light of legal and political challenges.
I’d be supportive of a pause, Combs said. There are a lot of swirling dependencies at play that may be outside of the council's control. It seems like an appropriate approach to see how some of those things play out.
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