| EJ2.A |
Stationary Pollutant Generators. Work with any identified significant stationary pollutant generators to the extent it is within the City’s jurisdiction (e.g., gas stations, automobile repair, dry cleaners, and/or diesel generators) to minimize the generation of pollution through best available control technologies.
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This item has not yet begun and evaluation for implementation continues. |
| EJ2.B |
Climate Action Plan Implementation. Implement and periodically update the City’s Climate Action Plan to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. |
The Climate Action Plan is subject to annual progress reports and is scheduled for an update in 2028. The City Council adopted a 2025-2030 implementation scope of work with the 2024 progress report outlining priority actions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. In 2024, the City began implementation of a zero emission landscaping equipment rule to improve air quality and reduce emissions. The new ordinance requires use of zero emission (manual, electric or battery powered) landscaping equipment, starting with leaf blowers and string trimmers on July 1, 2024, and remaining equipment (chain saws, lawnmowers and hedge trimmers) in January 2029. A electric gardening voucher program was also implemented in 2024 to support the new regulations.
The Climate Action Plan implementation includes education and outreach which has prioritized bilingual outreach in Belle Haven and the Bayfront. The City co-hosted three events in 2024:
- Love Our Earth Festival at Bloomhouse in East Palo Alto for proximity to Belle Haven (April 13, 2024)
- Clean Air Day celebration at the TIDE Academy (October 24, 2024)
- Wetlands and Watts at Cooley Landing (November 17, 2024).
These community events provided resources including bike fix-it clinics, information about available incentives and programs, free food, and more.
On April 26, 2025, the City will co-host the Love Our Earth Festival at the Belle Haven Community Campus alongside 350 Silicon Valley, Acterra, City of East Palo Alto, Menlo Spark, and Peninsula Clean Energy.
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| EJ2.C |
Air Quality Education and Outreach. Conduct proactive education and outreach about indoor and outdoor air quality and protective actions that can be taken to both improve air quality inside one's home and to minimize exposure to poor air quality index days.
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In 2024, the City began providing no-cost whole home electrification to income qualified homeowners (<80% area median income) in Belle Haven with State grant funds. Community outreach focuses on the health impacts of natural gas and has been shared broadly through door-to-door canvassing, the Weekly Digest, social media, collaboration with community based organizations, presentations at public meetings, and posting of information at the Belle Haven Community Campus. As of December 2024, 33 home energy assessments were scheduled and installation of electric appliances began in seven homes.
In 2024/2025, the City adopted local amendments to the California Building Standards Code to ensure that homes will be ready for future installation of electric appliances. Property owners replacing main electrical panels will be required to install an outlet for a future electric water heater and reserve space on the panel for electrification (for stoves, dryers, and electric vehicle chargers).
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| EJ2.C.1 |
Action Item: Identify and implement methods and avenues for public education and outreach about air quality issues in the community.
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In 2024, the City supported Acterra's, community based organization, application to the California Air Resource Board to fund the installation of air quality monitoring devices in Belle Haven. Funding awards have not yet been determined.
City staff continuously provide information encouraging sign-up for Spare the Air alerts. City staff help educate the community on the impacts of using gas-powered landscaping equipment through methods including, but not limited to, citywide mailing, banners, Weekly Digest and social media posts, outreach to landscapers, and posting information at the Belle Haven Community Campus.
Sustainability staff attend Belle Haven Community Climate Change Team meetings to help identify community priorities and solutions for addressing air quality issues in Menlo Park.
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| EJ2.C.2 |
Action Item: Support the distribution of air purifiers and/or other air cleaning devices within underserved communities, especially for sensitive populations. |
City staff continuously explore grant opportunities to be able to fund the purchase of air filters to distribute. In 2024, filters were provided to two attendees of the Clean Air Day event at the TIDE Academy in partnership with 350 Silicon Valley.
In 2024, the City supported Peninsula Clean Energy's partnership with Climate Resilient Communities to conduct outreach for the Home Upgrade Program focused on income-eligible Belle Haven homeowners. The program helps residents transition to electric appliances by providing financial incentives like rebates and zero-percent loans to upgrade their homes, with a particular focus on offering free installations for low-income households to replace outdated gas appliances with cleaner electric options, aiming to electrify homes, reduce carbon emissions, and have cleaner air.
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| EJ2.D |
Illegal Waste Dumping. Minimize and mitigate illegal solid waste dumping (as defined in 7.04.030 of the Municipal Code), potentially through minimizing fees for disposal at landfills in collaboration with South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA).
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The City has several ongoing partnerships to help minimize illegal dumping:
- Recology offers two free bulky item pick up services that residents can use to dispose of large items (e.g., mattresses and sofas).
- The City organizes free electronic waste and document shredding events with RethinkWaste.
- The City hosts free household hazardous waste collection events with the San Mateo County Health Department.
- Public Works staff receive illegal dumping reports from ACT Menlo Park and staff or Recology responds/collects the item(s) within the next business day.
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| EJ2.D.1 |
Action Item: Conduct proactive outreach in underserved communities to inform households of free trash pickup days and solid waste disposal opportunities and programs, including the ACT Menlo Park reporting app. Outreach can include signage about ACT Menlo Park along Pierce Road. |
The City creates quarterly Recology bill inserts to provide information about free sustainable community related-events (e.g., household hazardous waste collection, document shredding, electronic waste collection, bulky item pick-up services, and compost and mulch giveaways) and to encourage multifamily and commercial properties to contact Recology for free compost pails.
The bill inserts also include information about the City’s rate assistance program which provides eligible users discounts on their Recology and Menlo Park Municipal Water bills. Additionally, the bill inserts encourage use of the City’s online and mobile application called ACT Menlo Park, which makes it easy to report non-emergency issues from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. Public Works staff have QR codes on their business cards to encourage the public to utilize ACT Menlo Park.
The City partners with RethinkWaste to produce and distribute spring/summer and fall/winter Rethinker newsletters through direct mailing. The 2024 spring/summer newsletter was mailed to single-family homes and the 2024 fall/winter newsletter was distributed to multifamily households. Newsletters are also available electronically on the RethinkWaste website.
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| EJ2.D.2 |
Action item: Explore ways to subsidize or eliminate fees for disposal at landfills and implement for underserved communities. |
A solid waste fee study is planned for 2025; the study is anticipated to include an evaluation of potential subsidies for landfill disposal costs. The City implemented a rate assistance program beginning in 2021 for solid waste services. |
| EJ2.E |
Green Infrastructure Plan. Review the City's Green Infrastructure Plan and update, as necessary, to incorporate environmental justice. Focus on underserved communities and implement programs in this Element, in coordination with related regional efforts.
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The City adopted its Green Infrastructure Plan in 2019 to prioritize, track, and implement Green Infrastructure (GI) across municipal projects and policies. GI consists of stormwater treatment facilities designed to reduce pollutants from runoff while promoting sustainable infrastructure. The GI Plan is an ongoing requirement of the City’s Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit issued by the State Water Resources Control Board and aims to achieve pollutant reduction targets through 2040. As part of these efforts, the City has collaborated with developers to incorporate GI and complete streets elements in the Belle Haven and Bayfront areas. The Menlo Portal and Menlo Uptown projects were conditioned to install GI as part of its development agreement and both projects were completed in 2024. |
| EJ2.E.1 |
Action Item: Support efforts by other agencies to abate hazardous, polluted, or toxic sites. Align with community members and collaborate with regulatory and regional agencies to clean up hazardous, polluted, or toxic sites and incorporate sea-level rise and groundwater rise in remediation decisions. |
This item has not yet begun and evaluation for implementation continues. |
| EJ2.E.2 |
Action Item: Prioritize comprehensive undergrounding of utilities in underserved communities on private and public property to promote resilience. Consider the impact of shallow groundwater rise on underground utilities. |
The Menlo Park Municipal Code (Chapter 15.16) includes the undergrounding of electric and communication service connections on private property under certain circumstances. Some categories of private development in Office (O), Life Sciences (LS) and Residential Mixed Use (R-MU) zoning districts require undergrounding of overhead electric distribution lines of less than sixty (60) kilovolts and communication lines along the property frontage. The specified zoning districts are adjacent to and serve underserved communities. |
| EJ2.E.3 |
Action Item: Focus green stormwater improvements for areas at risk of flooding with an emphasis on underserved communities. |
City staff evaluate all applicable projects for stormwater retention and treatment per the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) and Green Infrastructure Plan. For example, development projects are required to capture any increase to pre-construction run-off onsite by routing stormwater to landscaped areas or wells. In addition, MRP regulated projects are required to install stormwater treatment facilities on-site to retain and clean run-off before it enters the public storm drain. The City also evaluates green infrastructure in the public right-of-way on large developments and qualifying resurfacing projects where feasible.
The City's capital improvement program includes upgrades to its stormwater facilities to mitigate flooding. The Chilco Streetscape Improvement project completed in 2022 is one local example of a capital project, built in partnership with Meta, that installed significant green infrastructure in the Bayfront and Belle Haven neighborhoods. Other examples in the Bayfront include the Chrysler Pump Station Project (currently under construction) and ongoing planning efforts to address sea level rise via the SAFER Bay Project. The SAFER Bay Project is a multi-benefit, multi-jurisdictional, public-private collaboration that will protect critical infrastructure, protect and restore critical habitat, provide community resilience to current tidal flooding and projected sea level rise, and improve recreational access, using both engineered structures and nature-based flood protection. Belle Haven and the City of East Palo Alto are vulnerable to flooding today from a 100-year tide event and will face greater flood risk in the future; protecting these communities is a priority of the SAFER Bay project.
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| EL2.E.4 |
Action Item: Support West Bay Sanitary District, the respective responsible agency, in their efforts to prevent sewage discharges during large stormwater events. In the event of occurrence, coordinate with the responsible agency in conducting proactive, extensive, and prolonged community outreach and education to inform underserved communities of protective actions and risks. The City can coordinate with agencies to promptly share their information with the City Council and community after storms. |
City staff host a monthly coordination meeting with West Bay Sanitary District (WBSD) to review upcoming projects including sewer main upgrades to address capacity and leakage isuses. Staff also reviews development projects with WBSD to condition upgrades to the sewer main as a condition of the project's frontage improvement where applicable. The City issues notices to impacted residents, prior to resurfacing any given street, for owners to repair their sanitary sewer lateral in advance. In the event that emergency repairs are required due to large storm events, Public Works coordinates with WBSD to expedite corrective measures. For example, staff will issue an emergency encroachment permit, and assist with public outreach and traffic control as required.
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| EJ2.E.5 |
Action Item: Collaborate with landowners to decrease the risk of flooding by advancing watershed management projects that reduce and/or store runoff during rainfall events, including the installation of green infrastructure and Low Impact Development (LID) practices, and improve the condition in the floodplain, for example through floodplain restoration or improvement. |
City staff evaluate all applicable projects for inclusion of stormwater detention and treatment devices, where feasible, per the Municpal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) and Green Infrastructure Plan. For example, development projects are required to capture any increase to pre-construction run-off onsite by routing stormwater to landscaped areas or wells. These required measures are captured in the City's grading and drainage guidelines.
MRP regulated projects are required to install stormwater treatment facilities on-site to retain and clean run-off before it enters the public storm drains. The City also evaluates green infrastructure in the public right-of-way on large developments and qualifying resurfacing projects where feasible.
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| EJ2.E.6 |
Action Item: Encourage green infrastructure in future developments, including using green infrastructure as preferred alternative. |
City staff refer to the City's Green Infrastructure Plan, and the latest MRP, as a guide to plan, implement, and track the development of green infrastructure (GI) and ensure "no missed oppoturnities." Consequently, development projects are evaluated for GI in the public right-of-way as part of frontage imrpovement conditions where feasible.
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| EJ2.E.7 |
Action Item: Establish requirements for major development and redevelopment projects to construct and maintain urban greening projects in the adjacent public right of way. Community benefits for such projects could include shade trees for pedestrian and biking routes. |
The existing heritage tree and street tree ordinances have requirements for tree preservation during development and re-planting on private property and in the public right-of-way, with a focus on diversity and large canopy species where site conditions allow. The City is currently updating administrative guidelines to increase the amount of mitigation required for development-related tree removals.
City staff review qualifying development projects for frontage Improvements which can include the addition of street trees, landscaping, planters, and green infrastructure, within the public right-of-way where feasible.
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| EJ2.E.8 |
Action Item: Restore and enhance parks, natural lands and large open spaces and explore expansion of the City’s natural areas preservation system through land transfers and acquisitions of undeveloped/unprotected private and public lands. |
This item has not yet begun and evaluation for implementation continues.
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| EJ2.F |
National Flood Insurance Program. Increase community outreach and awareness of the City’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, including the Community Rating System, and the potential benefits to homeowners (e.g., reduced insurance premiums). |
This item has not yet begun and evaluation for implementation continues. |
| EJ2.G |
Transportation to City Events. Develop incentives to encourage shared commute programs and alternative methods of travel for city events, meetings, and official business. |
In April 2024, the City coordinated an electric shuttle for public attendees to participate in the Love Our Earth Festival in East Palo Alto.
In May 2024, the City coordinated a shuttle to bring City employees to an all-hands event at the Belle Haven Community Campus.
The City has provided transportation to City Council meetings from the Belle Haven neighborhood for the annual priority setting workshop, the EJ Element adoption meeting in September 2024, and will be exploring opportunities for additional services in 2025.
The City's ongoing free shuttle program includes two community shuttles (M1-Crosstown and Shoppers’ shuttles) and two commuter shuttles (M3-Marsh Road and M4-Willow Road shuttles) that encourage individuals to take transit instead of driving. The shuttle service complements existing transit services in San Mateo County provided by SamTrans, Caltrain, and the Dumbarton Express. A Comprehensive Shuttle Study was conducted to analyze how to improve the shuttle service to connect the community to transit, jobs, shopping, and other destinations while maximizing ridership and cost-efficiencies. The study was accepted by the City Council on December 17, 2024 and changes to the system are planned for summer 2025.
SamTrans began piloting the RidePlus microtransit (public transit, on demand) service in the Belle Haven neighborhood in 2024. Caltrain offers the Pass Forward program, where local community-serving organizations partner with Caltrain to provide unused transit passes to residents in underserved communities. The Community Transportation Benefits Program offered by the US 101 Express Lanes provides a $200 toll or transit credit to qualifying individuals.
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| EJ2.H |
Collaboration for Electrification. Collaborate with SamTrans and Ravenswood City School District, as well as Meta and other large employers to leverage transportation electrification initiatives to prioritize bus electrification in underserved communities.
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SamTrans anticipates being fully electric by 2034, in compliance with State law requiring transit fleets be all electric by 2040. |
| EJ2.I |
Regulations Revisions. Consider revisions to applicable City regulations that will reduce pollution exposure, eliminate environmental inequities, and improve quality of life in underserved communities.
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On July 11, 2023, the City Council adopted a zero emission landscape equipment (ZELE) requirement that prohibits using gas powered landscaping equipment due to its negative impacts on health, and noise and air pollution. Remaining equipment (chain saws, lawnmowers and hedge trimmers) will be banned in January 2029.
On July 1, 2024, the City began to enforce the ordinance requiring the use of zero emission (manual, electric or battery powered) landscaping equipment, starting with leaf blowers and string trimmers. Operating a gas powered leaf blower for one hour is equal to inhaling 15 hours of emissions from driving. It can also contribute to hearing loss. To support this transition, the City distributed vouchers to income-qualified residents and residents living in pollution burdened neighborhoods as defined by CalEnviroScreen 4.0. A total of 18 vouchers were distributed to residents in Belle Haven and six were distributed to residents with incomes below 80% area median income. Outreach for the program was focused on Belle Haven and was bilingual (English/Spanish). The California Air Resources Board is requiring manufacturers to sell only zero emission landscaping equipment in California starting in 2024.
Menlo Park Municipal Code Chapter 7.30 (Smoking Regulated or Prohibited) codifies smoking prohibitions, requires reasonable separation distance between building openings, and more to help reduce pollution exposure.
City Council directed staff to move forward with options for electrification as part of the building code local amendments ahead of the 2025 code cycle. Electrification eliminates the combustion of fuel gases and improves community air quality and indoor air quality for residents.
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| EJ2.I.1 |
Action Item: Review truck routes and/or identify and pursue measures for reductions to diesel emissions in underserved communities. |
This item is planned for action in 2026.
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| EJ2.I.2 |
Action Item: Identify, evaluate and implement potential mitigation measures that support Caltrans mitigation efforts to reduce noise and air quality impacts from adjacent freeways and highways, particularly those impacting underserved communities. |
Coordination with Caltrans on noise mitigation efforts is ongoing. For local streets, the City incorporates rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC) as a bid alternate on street resurfacing projects impacting arterials and collectors. RAC is composed of recycled tires and is a considered a more environmentally friendly material compared to traditional asphalt. RAC can also reduce vehicular noise for speeds at 45 miles per hour or greater. |
| EJ2.I.3 |
Action Item: Install improved vegetative buffers between freeways and highways and adjacent land uses to reduce noise and air quality impacts, upon identification of the roadway segments for such installations. |
In 2024, the City planted new trees, African Fern Pines, along both sides of the US-101 sound walls along Pierce Road and Van Buren Road and at the intersection of Van Buren Road and Bay Road. Progress has also continued on the Willow Road/US-101 interchange landscaping work. In 2024, the City entered into agreements with Caltrans and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority to complete the landscaping design work and a design contract was awarded to complete the work. As of early 2025, the plans are 95% complete and final plans are expected in the spring. The project would then be bid for construction, and installation is expected to begin in late 2025. |
| EJ2.I.4 |
Action Item: Review and update the Transportation Toolkit (Appendix I to the Transportation Master Plan) and the City's standard design details to incorporate Universal Design principles to enhance access for all people. |
This item has not yet begun and evaluation for implementation continues. |
| EJ2.I.5 |
Action Item: Support roadway design that integrates green stormwater infrastructure into traffic calming (where appropriate) and includes trees, landscape buffer areas, public art, public space, and other visual enhancement. |
The City has a Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan to guide the implementation of GI and ensure "no missed opportunities" across projects. Staff evaluates all qualifying development and street resurfacing projects for implementation of complete streets and GI features. Contingent upon factors such as right-of-way width and funding, traffic calming, landscaping, and GI are assessed when planning roadway projects or leveraged as part of frontage improvements for development projects.
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| EJ2.I.6 |
Action Item: Consider rezoning and limiting the intensity and usage of industrially zoned properties and/or other means such as landscaping to ensure a healthier and safer separation between residential and industrial uses. |
This item has not yet begun and evaluation for implementation continues. |
| EJ2.I.7 |
Action Item: Explore reductions to parking requirements with the intent to encourage balanced live, work, and play environments. |
In November and December 2023, the City approved a variety of zoning amendments to provide residential development opportunities throughout the community in the spirit of affirmatively furthering fair housing, promoting a range of housing options at all affordability levels through new residential and mixed use developments (which allow for shared parking), enhancing vibrancy and promoting activity in the downtown and along major corridors through the city, and implementing the zoning programs in the Housing Element. Reduction/elimination of parking requirements were applied to sites around the downtown as well. |
| EJ2.I.8 |
Action Item: Inform residents and organizations in underserved communities of the permit application process for temporary street closures for temporary events such as farmers’ markets, arts and craft fairs, bicycle and pedestrian events, and other public events. Consider easing the permitting process for temporary street closures in the city. |
An update to the special event permitting process was made in 2022. In 2024, there were two temporary street closures in Belle Haven at the 1400 block of Plumas Avenue and the 1200 block of Windermere Avenue. There were also four major events at Bedwell Bayfront Park with only parking spaces impacted and not full, temporary street closures.
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| EJ2.J |
Urban Forest Management Plan. Develop Urban Forest: Developing the Management Plan for Menlo Park within four years of the adoption of the Environmental Justice Element. |
On May 30, 2024, the City applied for a CalFire Urban and Community Forestry Grant for $514,375 for the creation of an Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP). The goal was to supplement $250,000 in capital improvement (CIP) funds to develop a plan titled “Urban Forest Equity: Developing the Management Plan for Menlo Park” to increase urban canopy coverage to provide long-term benefits to the community, enhance the community’s understanding and value of urban forest management and tree maintenance, and address existing inequity in urban canopy coverage. Unfortunately, the CalFire grant application was not approved.
The project goals remain and include the creation of a City Council-adopted UFMP and the successful implementation of an Early Action Tree Planting component. The UFMP would serve as a principal guiding policy document and strategic roadmap for sustainably growing the City’s urban canopy and advancing equitable tree coverage. The UFMP would provide an analysis of public and private trees; canopy coverage mapping; changes in canopy over time; clearly delineate best management practices; provide recommendations for promoting a diverse, climate-resilient urban forest; inform the City’s General Plan; and support the identified actions in the Environmental Justice Element.
The Early Action Tree Planting Program remains an opportunity for funding that could be pursued now while additional funds for development of the UFMP are sought. The Early Action Tree Planting Program would benefit the historically underserved neighborhood of Belle Haven with efforts to address inequity in urban canopy coverage, including robust community outreach and tree planting events and raffles. The Program seeks to increase local participation in environmental education mentoring and training opportunities and foster greater stewardship in urban forestry with a focus on outreach, education, and tree planting in Belle Haven.
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| EJ2.J.1
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Action Item: Urban canopy expansion prioritizing underserved communities and areas vulnerable to urban heat effects, using tools such as the Tree Equity Score and Bay Area Greenprint. |
The City is updating administrative guidelines, adding more City-approved consulting arborists to the list, and working on initial steps to develop an Urban Forest Management Plan for Menlo Park. |
| EJ2.J.2 |
Action Item: Implement equitable canopy expansion procedures and promote and maintain healthy and vibrant trees that may require dedicating additional resources within the City Arborist Division, Public Works. |
The City replaces each street tree and park tree that is removed, as long as there is space. In 2025, staff plans to plant new trees in Belle Haven as part of community events (e.g., Love Our Earth Festival, Arbor Day, Mayor's tree planting, etc.). |
| EJ2.J.3 |
Action Item: Include trees, landscape buffer areas, public art, public space, and other visual enhancements in roadway projects, emphasizing tree planting and landscaping along all streets. |
Contingent upon factors such as right-of-way width and funding, traffic calming, and landscaping, green infrastructure is assessed when planning roadway projects and leveraged as part of frontage improvements for development projects. Routine maintenance is conducted every five years for street and park trees. Residents may request evaluation of work needs outside of routine maintenance and request new tree planting as needed. All removed public trees are replaced as long as there is space.
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| EJ2.J.4 |
Action Item: Use Urban Forest: Developing the Management Plan for Menlo Park to prioritize the retention of mature street trees in public rights of way or City-owned parcels during infrastructure modifications. (e.g., using solutions such as bulb-outs, basin expansion, and sidewalk re-routing). |
The City has preservation requirements for heritage and street trees. Staff is currently evaluating initiation of specific projects such as urban forest canopy mapping to support and set priorities for outreach and planting.
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| EJ2.J.5 |
Action Item: Coordinate with property owners to help preserve mature trees by replacing any that require removal in any redevelopment process. Explore opportunities to transplant trees and vegetation that require removal during construction to other places within underserved communities. Consider requiring multiple new trees be planted for each mature tree removed. |
The City is updating administrative guidelines to require increased mitigation for development-related removals. The City Arborist reviews each proposed heritage and street tree removal and ensures there is "good cause" for removal after exhausting all other alternatives. The City Arborist also ensures sufficient mitigation (e.g., multiple replacement trees or a large tree replacement) is provided for each approved heritage tree removal.
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| EJ2.K |
Extreme Heat Relief. Prioritize relief from extreme heat (Safety Element Program S1.T) in underserved communities. Information on these resources shall be provided at community facilities (e.g., BHCC). |
The City operates three cooling centers at the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, Belle Haven Community Campus, and the Menlo Park Library. The facilities are air-conditioned and open to the public everyday. Signage improvements for facilities are being considered (e.g., branded, informational/directional signage for A-frames).
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