Willow Village

Signature Development Group and Peninsula Innovation Partners, on behalf of Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook) proposes to redevelop an industrial, office, warehouse, and research and development site with a mixed-use master plan. The proposal requests an increase in height, density, and floor area ratio under the bonus level development allowance in exchange for community amenities. The proposal would demolish existing on-site buildings and landscaping and construct new buildings within three sub districts: 

• A town square district
• A residential/shopping district
• A campus district

Key proposal components

• Campus district including 1.6 million square feet of office and accessory uses, including meeting/collaboration space (a maximum of up to 1.25 million square feet of offices with balance for accessory uses)
• Up to 200,000 square feet of retail/non-office commercial uses, including a grocery store, pharmacy services, entertainment and restaurant uses
• Up to 1,730 multifamily housing units, including 312 below market rate units (260 inclusionary units or 15%, plus 52 units per the city’s commercial linkage fee/unit equivalency requirement) of which 119 would be age-restricted senior housing units
• Up to a 193 room hotel and associated retail/dining
• Publicly accessible open space including an approximately 3.5-acre park, 1.5-acre town square, a dog park, 2-acre elevated linear park, and additional public open space
• The elevated park would extend over Willow Road providing access at the Hamilton Avenue Parcel North (Belle Haven Shopping Center)
• A potential publicly-accessible, below grade tunnel for Meta intercampus trams, bicyclists and pedestrians connecting the project with the West and East campuses

The proposed master plan focuses on redevelopment of the former Menlo Science and Technology Park (addressed 1350-1390 Willow Road, 925-1098 Hamilton Ave. and 1005-1275 Hamilton Court). 

Hamilton Avenue would be realigned using Hamilton Avenue Parcels North and South. Hamilton Avenue Parcel North includes the Belle Haven Shopping Center (1401 Willow Road and 871-883 Hamilton Ave.) and Hamilton Avenue Parcel South includes the existing Chevron service station (1399 Willow Road) that would be reconstructed.

The main project site currently contains approximately 1 million square feet of nonresidential uses. The proposed project would result in a net increase of approximately 800,000 square feet of nonresidential uses (not including the hotel and ancillary park buildings/improvements), for approximately 1,800,000 square feet of nonresidential commercial uses at the main project site. The proposed project would be developed in two main phases outlined in the project plans.

City actions required on proposed project

The following City actions would be required to enable the proposed masterplan development:

• Certification of the environmental impact report
• General plan and zoning map amendments to modify public rights of way and include a new street connection to O’Brien Drive for the proposed project
• Rezoning to incorporate the “X” Conditional Development overlay district
• Conditional development permit to set development regulations for the project, incorporate modifications to the City’s design standards, BMR guidelines, signage requirements, outdoor seating, on-site and off-site sales of beer, wine and alcohol, application of its transportation demand management (TDM) requirements, allows for a master plan to comprehensively redevelop the project site, and sets up future architectural reviews for building and site design 
• Vesting tentative maps for parcel management including right of way and easement abandonments, dedication of new rights of way and easements, and realignment of Hamilton Avenue west of Willow Road
• Below market rate housing agreement for the provision of 312 BMR units at mixed-income levels, including 119 senior BMR units
• Development agreement for the provision of community amenities, development controls and vested rights
• Heritage tree removal permits for the removal of development related heritage trees on the main project site, the Hamilton Avenue parcels, and along O’Brien Drive.

If the City Council certifies the EIR and approves all required City actions for the proposed project, the build out would include the following future reviews by the Planning Commission to carry out the proposed master plan.

• Architectural control/future design review
• Use permits (for the Hamilton Avenue parcels)

Current status 

The Final EIR for the proposed project is now available for review. At its meeting Oct. 24, 2022, the Planning Commission will consider the proposed project and make a recommendation on the EIR and City actions to the City Council. The Planning Commission is a recommending body to the City Council on the EIR and all City actions. 

Location

1350, 1399 and 1401 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025  View map

37.4786563,-122.1507438

1350, 1399 and 1401 Willow Road , Menlo Park, CA 94025

1350, 1399 and 1401 Willow Road , Menlo Park, CA 94025