Following the third phase of the presentation of the development for El Camino Real, the Menlo Park’s city council has approved an office development plan to be situated in an area formerly housing the Cadillac dealership. It is a “110,000-square-foot, 40-foot-high retail and office development on 3.5 acres” at El Camino, according to Almanac news.

The catch is, the council did not approve the inclusion of housing units. However, they “left the door open” for the eventual inclusion of housing units in the revised plan for which is expected to be released soon.

Apparently, reactions have been building up since the downtown planning process commenced. This was recently expressed through websites and during the workshops, but now we have an intriguing challenge at hand – a letter from a group called “Concerned Citizens of Menlo Park” which found its way to the City Hall, as if on cue, before the council meeting started.

The letter detailed concerns such as “ozone damage, greenhouse emissions, traffic concerns, and land use issues,” according to reports. The good thing is that citizens are continuously expressing their take on the matter, but the way this particular attempt at expression was done poses questions and creates an awkward situation. While the community workshops are ongoing, one may ask why a group of people would opt to send an essentially anonymous letter (hundreds of pages long) to air their concerns. This casts a shadow on the workshops which rely on open communication. If face to face communication cannot be successfully carried out through such venues, we could only wonder what this group’s next attempt at communication might be, and through what medium might it be delivered.

The city council is now facing pressure both from the citizens and the developer, who some think will not modify the plan to include housing. An area which could have been dedicated for multi-family housing is now going to be utilized for commercial purposes. Perhaps the council envisions a more vigorous economy pad where the housing project would be launched, but as of now, City Manager Glen Rojas has stated there are no current requirements for housing included in the project.

With any process of change, especially in cases such as these which involves massive transformations, there will always be resistance. The challenge now is maintaining transparency and fostering trust among the participants of change so that all parties may move in one direction. Through transparency, good communication is facilitated which tends to prevent the most recent attempt by a group to communicate via mystery or sensationalism.

The focus now should be only El Camino Real and the development plan being proposed, not special interest groups claiming issues with ozone depletion and greenhouse gasses. We can’t let groups like this steal the spotlight from the project and cloud the issues. Community-based workshops should continue maintaining a healthy exchange of opinion and insights and continue to serve their roll as data gathering venues. There may be lots of doubts and accusations right now about the recent developments, but the benefits of having a good housing project plan underway should be not be forgotten or compromised.

The recent meetings involving stakeholders of the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan drew mixed reactions and many challenges from residents. In this planning and consultation stage both sides are struggling for balance and credibility. It’s a good thing these intensive consultative meetings are community-based – it serves as a rich source of inputs and factors to consider. These results can help build the foundation of a flourishing plan for the downtown Menlo area. If done correctly, no one will complain of being left out since everyone was involved from the very beginning.

However, we cannot expect universal acceptance of the plan. Take for example the doubts and fears of residents expressed in preserveMPdowntown.org. They are looking at the consequences of high-density development, zeroing in on factors such as the loss of open space parking by the installation of multi-storied parking garages, congestion, and “over-development.” These factors, they say, will replace the “character of the downtown” with a big city feel, not to mention potentially slow down local businesses.

Perhaps this is an assumption, as development does not necessarily mean dampening the ambience or economy of a town. Enhancing the town’s potentials and highlighting its best features may be the best way to preserve its atmosphere while upgrading its facilities. Having community workshops at the heart of planning helps in shaping a customized plan which can accommodate various concerns of those involved. Instead of a careless, profit-centered development plan, El Camino Real and Menlo Park will enjoy a kind of development that would invite profit for the town and ultimately benefit its residents.

The emerging plan also stands up to the community’s worries. Congestion woes may be answered by the expanded public spaces and even wider sidewalks envisioned for the area. The loss of open space may not necessarily be a result of elevated parking lots; this may even facilitate the preservation of open spaces which may now be utilized for other functions instead of mere parking. The concept of “over-development” is hardest to qualify. In a span of 30 years, a town will surely move towards development. Planning for the town’s future development right now actually prevents unwanted or unexpected changes which the community may someday resent.

While fears of aggressive big businesses defeating small town enterprises have surfaced, we should also consider the fact that more business attracts investments, which would in turn stir the economy. This would create a draft carrying small and medium businesses into a more visible arena. If anything, this may result in a complementary boosting of small and large, local and non-local, and old and new enterprises.

Now that the third community workshop is finished, we must wait for the refining of the plan. It is an exciting thing to wait for its unfolding, and along with it, the future of Menlo Park and El Camino Real. Development goes hand in hand with envisioning the future, and at this stage there is certainly no need for worries as the workshops continue to accept comments and seek alternatives. After all, the challenge is creating a point of agreement between the community and the stakeholders.

Mark your calendars! Menlo-Atherton High School’s performing arts center is making its debut this October.

Performing arts enthusiasts and residents of Menlo-Atherton community now have something new to be proud of and look forward to as Menlo-Atherton High School’s performing arts center is a few short months away from its debut.

Standing proudly at the corner of Ravenswood Avenue &  Middlefield Road, the 490-seater theater is slated for opening in the second week of October. Landscaping has begun and furniture will be fitted inside soon after. The Center already has three events lined up to celebrate the theater’s debut, including a public concert by the local chamber music ensemble Music@Menlo on October 11.

Not only is the school excited for the opening of the $32 million-theater. The Menlo-Atherton community is enthusiastic it as well!  Finally, local artists and performers will have a home to turn to. With the opening of the new arts center, we are expecting an outpour of artistic outputs that will hopefully place Menlo-Atherton in the art map.

What makes the unveiling even more exciting is the theater’s top-of-the-line acoustics, whose mastermind is the top acoustical design professional Paul Scarbrough, head designer of Cleveland Orchestra’s Severance Hall, Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall and Broadway’s New Amsterdam and New Victory theatres among many others.

Aside from 490-seater space, the new performing arts center has a multi-purpose hall that can sit up to 250 persons, rehearsal rooms and storage area for musical instruments.

Experts say that cultural development serves as a catalyst in community development, and Menlo-Atherton is no exception. Equipped with advanced lighting and audio equipment, the new performing arts center can now host the community’s and possibly the state’s biggest events — may it be drama, music and dance performances, meetings, conventions or social affairs — which will later help boost economy in Menlo-Atherton. It won’t be far until Menlo-Atherton experiences a surge in the arts and business as more people pour in to participate in conventions and attend performance, thus making Menlo-Atherton an even more ideal community to live in.

So mark your calendars, because this October, Menlo-Atherton High School’s new performing arts center will open and don’t you miss it.

Here are some pre-construction renderings as well as an up to date photo of the actually construction status.

While the rest of the city council is eager to see Menlo Park’s new gymnasium erected, Councilman Andy Cohen stands firm that the council’s decision overlooked key concerns and chose the gym over library users.

In Menlo Park, the only person that stands between the new Burgess Park Gymnasium and the residents’ better well-being is Councilman Andy Cohen.

During a July 21 meeting, Mr. Cohen abstained to vote for the construction of the 50-foot-tall, 25,700-square-foot new gym. But instead of explaining his stand, he chose to give a closing statement, turned off his microphone and kept mum during the rest of the meeting.

The $18-million new gym will have two basketball and volleyball courts, five office areas, a meeting room, lockers and a storage area. Planning and approval of the project alone has taken two years, beginning in March 2007, based on a council report.  In April 2009, billionaire John Arrillaga volunteered to shoulder the rest of the gym’s construction costs beyond the city’s $6 million contribution .And recently, the city council has voted for the project’s approval amidst concerns about the resulting traffic and congestion problems. The gym is proposed to stand on the library’s parking area along Alma Street.

Critics also question the gym’s two basketball court-design, when the extra space can be used for parking by library users. Based on the plan six parking lots will be available for gym and library users once the gym opens. The city reports exploring the use of SRI International Inc.’s parking lot to accommodate parking overflow during nights and weekends.

Beyond the use of space debate, the new gym must push through because the community has been waiting for years for a decent and well-equipped facility, and there shouldn’t be another reason to make us wait any longer. To see a councilman who cannot overlook traffic problems for the various benefits a new gym offers is disappointing. More so is his lack of ability to rationalize his position.

Mr. Cohen’s courage to stand by his belief despite an overwhelming opposition deserves to be applauded, but choosing to keep silent takes away what leaves to be admired in his action. Wouldn’t those whom he represents opted to let their reasons be heard rather than sulk during the meeting? He wasted the opportunity to enlighten the council of his position.

But he did try to make up for the lost opportunity by explaining to the media in an interview that though he was grateful for Arrillaga’s donation, he felt the council overlooked the people’s welfare after being “blinded” by the million-dollar donation, thereby ignoring the project’s resulting problems. Mr. Cohen also believed that the council’s stand on the proposed gym chooses athletes over library users, a view that echoes the outcry of library patrons.

However, Mr. Cohen also fails to see the multitude of benefits that comes with a new and topnotch gym.  Residents will have better facilities and better options to stay fit and healthy. More kids can engage in sports. Overall, a new gym gives Menlo Park residents a chance to improve their wellbeing, while an open parking space gives us just that — open space for vehicles — when there are other nearby available parking space.

Despite Mr. Cohen’s hyped solo opposition, at the end of the day the council approved the proposal to build the new gym. What a relief this is because Menlo Park residents deserve a well-equipped gymnasium and no one man should stand in the way destiny.

Here are links some links of interest:

Architectural Plans & Renderings

City Council Report

Local governments are also pitching in on rescue plans for the economy, particularly in real estate. If we have the first time homebuyer tax credit on a national scale, Menlo Park has its own contingency measures to boost the city’s economy.

Andy Cohen, councilman in Menlo Park City, has submitted a proposal that focuses on foreclosed homes. He proposed allotting a $2 million budget for buying foreclosed homes, renovating them, and then selling the improved homes at prices below their current market values.

The budget will be taken from below-market rate housing funds. The limitations to the proposal are only three foreclosed homes could be bought at a time and the newly renovated homes could be bought only by qualified families.

The area that is seen to most likely benefit from this proposal is Belle Haven, with its teeming foreclosures and below average median income.

Cohen has also proposed that the renovation and rebuilding of the foreclosed homes be done on a voluntary basis patterned after that of Habitat for Humanity, to cut on costs, but he knows this worthy cause would be a tough task to carry out. He needs to first gain the support of the city’s officials and the interest of the citizens to make this happen. Aside from the volunteer labor, some private donations would still be needed to get this project on its feet.

Sticking out like a sore thumb in the posh residential area, the long stretch of vacant lot in El Camino, Menlo Park has been a problem for nearby residents ever since it had been abandoned by a Cadillac dealer.

Recently, there have been a few proposals for the vacant commercial space that the residents, and even the Menlo Park Planning Commission, may not be too happy to know about.

One developer had submitted four proposals -- none of them including residential projects.   Sand Hill Property is considering either a supermarket, office space, or a commercial complex with a mix of restaurants, retail establishments, and a fitness center.

If given an option, the Menlo Park planning department would prefer housing projects on the vacant lot, which is a perfect spot for residents due to its proximity to the downtown area and CalTrain station.

 The other proposal for the vacant El Camino lot is a rather more unusual and controversial one – a county jail.

 San Mateo County has laid out plans for building a new county jail by 2011 and Menlo Park is one of the cities being considered to house this new project. Other sites under consideration are East Palo Alto, San Carlos, Burlingame, and Redwood City. These cities have been shortlisted out of 24 initial sites.

Menlo Park residents will most definitely not be happy about a county jail sitting smack in the middle of their executive neighborhoods since it would affect not just their image, but also the values and selling prices of their homes.

The Palo Alto Sanitation Company has issued a notice that: “Beginning July 1, 2009, standard garbage collection service will be curbside. Back/side yard garbage collection service will be available for an additional monthly subscription fee.”

Many Palo Altans are irked about the situation, since it would mean either additional expenses for what used to be a complimentary service or curbsides strewn with garbage every morning.

On top of the garbage collection service, Palo Altans have one more thing to worry about. The Palo Alto City government has come up with a proposal to turn over the ownership of some of the city’s sewer pipes to its residents.

The main objective of handing over the responsibility to residents is so the city can save up on claims and lawsuits that are related to sewer spills and backups. According to the Palo Alto Daily News, the city has spent a total of $11,688 in 2008 to settle 7 out of 21 sewage-related lawsuits. Passing the buck to its residents seems to be the most sensible option for this city with a $10M deficit.

So aside from paying extra for garbage collection, residents would possibly also need to worry about settling sewage-related lawsuits. Indeed, Palo Altans are starting to feel the nasty effects of the economic crisis not just in the real estate market, but in sanitation as well.

First-Time homebuyers in Menlo Park can avail of an affordable subordinate loan program that helps middle- income families purchase their own home in Menlo Park through the Purchase Assistance Loan Program (PAL).

To qualify, the homebuyer should have lived or worked in Menlo Park for at least one year. The benefits of PAL include:

1. Loans of up to 20% of a home’s selling price or $75,000, whichever amount is lower.

2. No maximum restriction on the selling price.

3. Maximum loan term of 35 years with 0% loan interest and no payments for the first 5 years and a fixed rate 5% annual interest after the first 5 years.

4. Loans are applicable for purchasing single-family homes, attached or detached units, condos, and town homes in Menlo Park.

5. PAL loans may be used in tandem with other loans from the FHA, CalHFA, and the County of San Mateo’s Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program.

The PAL is funded by the Menlo Park City government and is available to first-time homebuyers only.

Right now is a great time to sell your current home if you are also ready and willing to move up to that bigger and better home you have been wanting. The reason I say this is that the market is very slow right now and properties stay on the market longer and receive fewer offers. Surely you are asking yourself "How can this be good for me if I am selling my home?" Let me explain. Right now prices are flat or declining. This will surely result in a sales price much lower than you could have gotten a few months ago. It will also take much longer to sell your home. But on the other side of the transaction you will be buying your new home for a corresponding percentage less and perhaps more if you play your cards right. Assuming you will be buying a more expensive home, you will be saving more money on the buy side than you will be losing on the sell side. Let's look at a possible scenario: your current home would have sold for $1.2 just a few months ago but today you might only be able to get $1.0. On paper it is quite clear you just lost $200,000. Let's also assume you are planning to upgrade to a home in the $2.0m range. That same home would have sold for perhaps $2.4 just a few months ago so you are picking up $200k in net equity on the pair of transactions.

There are two more huge advantages to moving up in a down or sideways market. 1) The available inventory of homes is generally higher so you will have many more choices and perhaps find a bargain. The other biggie is the fact you will not get into a bidding war and emotionally pay too much for a home. In the end, the whole process will take longer than in a hot market but both transactions will be more orderly and well thought out. This is why I like this type of market best for moving up.


Strategies for moving up in today's market.
Ideally you would be able to buy now and sell later. Right now we are at a market high as far as fear goes. You may see average prices move lower but your ability to pick up a great deal will not be any better than it is right now. With each passing day we distance ourselves mentally from the financial turmoil which has gripped the world. At some point buyers and sellers will resume their normal buying and selling patterns which completely preclude the possibility of picking up a smoking deal.

How many of you have recently sold your home? What are your thoughts on this?

Find out more about Menlo Atherton Realty and our commission rebate program here.