Menlo Portal

The applicant, Greystar, is redeveloping the project site with 335 multi-family dwelling units, approximately 34,499 square feet of commercial office space, including approximately 1,600 square feet of non-office commercial space. The project is commonly referred to as the Menlo Portal Project and is located at 104 Constitution Drive, 110 Constitution Drive, and 115 Independence Drive.

The project includes two buildings: a seven-story multi-family residential building and a three-story commercial building with office use on the upper levels and a neighborhood serving commercial space on the ground level. A publicly accessible plaza open space will be located between the two buildings. The applicant utilized the density bonus provisions of the Zoning Ordinance and Below Market Rate (BMR) Guidelines to incorporate 15 additional market-rate units (included in the total 335 units), which allows density and floor area ratio bonuses above the maximums permitted by the Zoning Ordinance, when BMR units are incorporated into the project. The project includes the following key components:

• Residential: 335 units (326,816 square feet)
• Commercial: 34,499 square feet generally for office uses, with an approximately 1,600 square foot non-office commercial component
• Average height: 60.7 feet
• Public open space: 9,574 square feet
• Common and private open space: 32,543 square feet
• Parking: 414 spaces

The project approvals included:

• Certification of an environmental impact report assessing the potential project-specific environmental effects;
• Use permit for bonus level development for increases in height, density, and intensity in exchange for community amenities, modifications to Zoning Ordinance design standards, and an emergency diesel generator;
• Architectural control permit for building and site design;
• BMR housing agreement for the provision of 48 BMR housing units affordable to a mix of very-low, low-, and moderate- income households;
• Lot line adjustment, lot merger, and public utility easement abandonment; and
• Heritage tree removal permits.

The community amenity agreement for the approved project included a child-care center in the ground floor commercial space and an option for the applicant to pay the in-lieu payment. The applicant elected to pay the in-lieu payment of $9.4 million and the City received payment in December 2021.

Current status

On August 9, 2021, the Planning Commission certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR), adopted findings pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), adopted the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), and approved the use permit, architectural control permit, BMR housing agreements, and community amenities operating covenant for the project. Additionally, the Planning Commission also forwarded a recommendation of approval of the public utility easement abandonment to the City Council. An appeal to the Planning Commission’s decision was received on August 24, 2021. On September 14, 2021 the City Council considered the appeal and recommendation on the easement abandonment and adopted resolutions that:

• Denied the appeal,
• Certified the Final EIR, adopted findings pursuant to CEQA, adopted the MMRP;
• Approved the use permit, architectural control permit, BMR housing agreement, and community amenities operating covenant; and
• Abandoned the public utility easement.

These actions completed the land use entitlements and environmental process for the project. The residential building is currently under construction and anticipated to be completed in spring 2024. Construction has not started on the office building.

Location

104-110 Constitution Drive and 115 Independence Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025  View map

37.48470097435081, -122.17821114929926

104-110 Constitution Drive and 115 Independence Drive , Menlo Park, CA 94025

104-110 Constitution Drive and 115 Independence Drive , Menlo Park, CA 94025

Menlo Portal