In most Bay Area cities, an all-affordable teacher housing project is met with excitement. But in Menlo Park, it was met with a ballot measure that stands to hinder its path forward, and that is profoundly disappointing.
On Nov. 8, Menlo Park voters face a critical question on housing and the longstanding ability of the City Council to make land use decisions, with Measure V proposing a significant power shift away from elected officials.
The Las Lomitas Elementary School District governing board decided not to take a stand against a Menlo Park initiative to limit the City Council s authority when it comes to zoning.
In Menlo Park s only competitive City Council race, two longtime residents, incumbent Betsy Nash and former council member Peter Ohtaki, have diverging views on the city s obligation to significantly increase its housing.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2295 into law, allowing school districts to build teacher housing on land they own, potentially changing the ground rules for development of the Ravenswood district s former Flood School site in Menlo Park.