Menlo Park

Menlo Park is a city of 35,000 at the Peninsula's southern edge — home to Sand Hill Road's venture capital corridor and Meta's global headquarters. Incorporated 1927, governed by a five-member Council, straddling the boundary between San Mateo County affluence and Silicon Valley influence.

CivicCause organizes issues, meetings, elections, and public activity around Menlo Park so you can see what is happening locally and how it connects to broader county decisions.

Menlo Park’s affordable housing efforts are falling short, with the city government focusing planning largely on three downtown plazas. The debate centers on whether to redevelop the city’s 556 public downtown parking spaces into affordable housing while maintaining parking access. Recent coverage from The Almanac highlights that meaningful change depends on voter decisions in the upcoming November 3 local elections, as current city policies have not adequately addressed the affordability gap.

Separately, Menlo Park City Council held meetings earlier this year but has no meetings scheduled in the immediate future, leaving the November election as the key moment for residents to influence housing policy. Other ongoing issues include uneven progress on affordable housing permits and the city’s climate action priorities, especially related to flooding risks in low-lying neighborhoods. Residents should watch for election campaigns and ballot measures addressing downtown redevelopment and affordable housing strategies, as these will shape Menlo Park’s housing landscape going forward.

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