Menlo Park Council Orders Smaller Downtown Plaza in Six-to-12-Month Pilot

After another long round on the 600 block of Santa Cruz Avenue, the Menlo Park City Council chose neither to keep the plaza nor to tear it out. Instead, members reached consensus to reopen the eastbound lane and test a smaller community space for six months to a year. The same meeting deferred license plate reader questions and a Coleman Avenue bike safety request to later timelines, leaving several pressing decisions to the next council.

• Downtown plaza pilot: Council backs a 6-to-12-month trial of Option 2, a smaller space with the traffic lane reopened.
• Coleman Avenue bollards stall: Parents' 12-month pilot request lacks the three council votes needed to agendize it.
• Sand Hill Circle residents deliver a 155-signature petition demanding a deadline on the tunnel dispute.
• ALPR grand jury response passes on consent over residents' objections; Flock agreement expires in February.

The basics: Staff presented three paths for the 600 block. Option 1 would build out the current plaza. Option 2 would create a smaller community space and reopen the travel lane. Option 3 would fully reopen the street, repeal Resolution 6860 and restore seven to nine parking spaces.