Area Overview

The El Camino Real Corridor and Downtown area is the commercial center of Menlo Park, including 120 acres next to the Menlo Park Caltrain station. The neighborhood includes the blocks on either side of El Camino Real, which runs 1.7 miles from one end of the city to the other. The heart of Menlo Park’s downtown is at the intersection of Santa Cruz Avenue and El Camino Real. 

Menlo Park is a small but densifying city that has been engaged in a downtown planning vision for several years. Uses lining the adjacent El Camino Real corridor include small retail, restaurant, and personal service establishments; grocery stores; office buildings; motels; automotive service stations; and auto body shops. According to the July 2008 El Camino and Downtown Vision Plan, vacancies and underutilization of large parcels in the area, particularly those with the exposure that El Camino Real provides, offer the opportunity to envision future uses that are different than those that formerly occupied those key sites. Adding to the potential for change in this area is the potential construction of the California High Speed Rail through the Peninsula.

Menlo Park has four different transit providers. Caltrain provides service along the Peninsula, including Baby Bullet trains in the morning and evening to San Francisco and San Jose. SamTrans buses connect to points within San Mateo County, and VTA buses serve nearby Santa Clara County.  Menlo Park Shuttles also provide local service, including shuttles to Caltrain at commute hours and a midday shuttle to assist seniors with shopping. The potential new Dumbarton Rail across the Bay would have a station adjacent to this area.

Area Vision

The City of Menlo Park has created a Vision Plan for the area that builds on the attributes and opportunities that exist as community assets today. In planning for the area, the community has identified the train station and the number of independently-owned businesses in the area as important assets. The vision for this area is for a unique place where people live, work, and shop. Development in Downtown Menlo Park and the El Camino Real corridor should continue to reflect the vitality and diverse range of activities that are currently available in the area.  This includes maintaining the character of Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park’s “Main Street,” as an intimately-scaled street with fairly wide sidewalks. The neighborhood currently has 270 housing units and over 5,000 jobs.  While the city has a marked need for new housing, it is important to existing residents that it maintain its pleasant, tree-lined village character as it develops.

The wide sidewalks of downtown Menlo Park are already conducive to pedestrian activity. New land uses, including housing, will allow more residents to take advantage of the walkable nature of the area.  New development in the area will also make Caltrain and local buses a convenient option for more workers and residents.  However, the train tracks create a major physical barrier to east-west connectivity in the city. In 2003, the City conducted a railroad grade separation study of the four Caltrain crossings in Menlo Park at Ravenswood, Oak Grove, Glenwood, and Encinal Avenues. The study analyzed several potential grade separation alternatives, including raising the rail and/or the road at varying levels.[1] Should the city allow high speed rail construction, their plan suggests that the new rail service mitigate its local impacts by expanding east-west connectivity across the tracks for bicyclists and pedestrians.[2]

Although an El Camino Real/Downtown Vision Plan is still evolving, several new developments have been proposed or are already approved.  These include a number of mixed office and commercial spaces, a Safeway grocery store, a 32-unit residence, and a 56-unit residence. The city’s first mixed-use development, Derry Lane, will consist of 108 for-sale housing units and 24,925 square feet of commercial space, all on a 3.5 acre site off El Camino Real.  Allowing similar projects along El Camino Real would help the city meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation of nearly 1,000 units with minimal impact on the existing single-family residential neighborhoods.  The plan makes special mention of housing opportunities for senior and certain underserved sections of the city’s working population.

Development of a vibrant, mixed-use area will benefit the independent businesses in Menlo Park’s downtown.  Allowing more residents into the area will build the area’s consumer base.  In particular, new residents will support evening activities, such as restaurants, and public outdoor events that will strengthen the sense of community.  Locating new housing near the downtown, in close proximity to transit options, will also reduce the city’s per capita auto use and climate impact.

Community Involvement

Menlo Park is developing a long-term vision for the El Camino Real and Downtown areas. At the core of the visioning process is the need for broad public outreach and participation. In April 2005, a one-day “Imagine a Downtown” design charrette was held as the result of a cooperative effort between the American Institute of Architects San Mateo County Chapter, the City of Menlo Park, and the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce. The charrette involved 78 volunteer design professionals organized into four teams to create urban design concepts to transform the area around the train station into an inviting and vibrant extension of downtown. 

In 2007, a Phase I visioning process for the area consisted of extensive public outreach and participation, including events such as walking tours, educational forums, and community workshops. An advisory body, the Oversight and Outreach Committee, provided input into the process and has reached out to encourage participation by the broader community.  The City is currently creating a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the second phase of the process.  Meanwhile, City staff attended downtown Block Parties on August 6 and 20 with Vision Plan illustrations to engage the community.