Willow Village

Signature Development Group and Peninsula Innovation Partners, on behalf of Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook) plan to redevelop an industrial, office, warehouse, and research and development site with a mixed-use master plan. The project includes an increase in height, density, and floor area ratio under the bonus level development allowance in exchange for community amenities. The project will 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 project 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 Rd., 925-1098 Hamilton Ave. and 1005-1275 Hamilton Ct). 

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

The main project site currently contains approximately 1 million square feet of nonresidential uses. The project will 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 project will be developed in two main phases outlined in the project plans.

City Council actions on the project

The City Council adopted resolutions and ordinances associated with the following entitlements and city actions at its Dec. 6 and 13, 2022, meetings:

• Certified the environmental impact report
• Approved 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.
• Rezoned the main project site to incorporate the “X” Conditional Development overlay district.
• Approved the conditional development permit to set development regulations for the project, incorporate modifications to the City’s design standards, below market rate (BMR) guidelines, signage requirements, outdoor seating, on-site and off-site sales of beer, wine and alcohol, application of its transportation demand management requirements, allows for a master plan to comprehensively redevelop the project site, and sets up future architectural reviews for building and site design.
• Approved the 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.
• Approved the BMR housing agreement for the provision of 312 BMR units at mixed-income levels, including 119 senior BMR units.
• Approved the development agreement for the provision of community amenities, development controls and vested rights.

Before the City Council actions, the city arborist conditionally approved the associated 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. The conditional development permit includes specific conditions related to the timing and requirements for the heritage tree removals.

The following future reviews by the Planning Commission are required to carry out the proposed master plan.

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

Current status 

On Dec. 1, 2022, the applicant submitted architectural control plans (ACPs) for the detailed design review for the first phase of the residential/mixed use buildings, campus district buildings (including the meeting and collaboration/event space buildings, office buildings and parking structures), the hotel and publicly accessible open spaces (publicly accessible park, town square, dog park and elevated park).

The ACPs were reviewed for conformance with the masterplan plan set, entitlement documents, agreements, mitigation monitoring and reporting program from the environmental impact report, and the R-MU (residential mixed use) and O (Office) zoning districts. The Planning Commission approved the ACPs at three separate hearings between June and September 2023. The approved ACP plans can be viewed below.

On August 27, 2024, the City Council approved the use permit and architectural control to redevelop the Chevron station at 1399 Willow Road (corner of Willow Road and Hamilton Avenue). The existing station would be demolished and reconstructed to accommodate the future realignment of Hamilton Avenue. This action and the future demolition is required prior to the applicant being able to realign Hamilton Avenue.

Next steps and future milestones

The Planning Division reviews the applicant’s good faith compliance with the terms of the project development agreement annually. The City anticipates bringing the year 2024 annual review of the development agreement to the Planning Commission in Spring 2025.

Future project milestones:

Implementation of the Master Plan requires additional permits and actions prior to commencing construction. The Applicant has submitted applications, including plans and related documents, for the following actions which are currently under review:

• Final Subdivision Map (main Project site). This action would re-subdivide the project site into large parcels of land that would accommodate the onsite improvements, including dedication of public right-of-way and creation of public access easements on private roadways. The parcels created by the Final Map would be subject to future parcel map subdivisions to accommodate the vertical improvements. The Final Map requires City Council approval to determine the map is consistent with the approved Vesting Tentative Map. All existing buildings would be required to be demolished prior to recordation of the Final Map.
• Encroachment Permit for onsite improvement plans. This consists of the “backbone” infrastructure and improvements to the project site necessary to ready the site for future development, including utilities, grading and drainage improvements, and surface improvements such as roads and sidewalks. The Final Map must be recorded prior to approval of the onsite improvement plans. 
• Final Parcel Map (Hamilton Avenue realignment). This action would adjust property lines and redistribute land between the Hamilton Avenue Parcels (Belle Haven Shopping Center and Chevron sites) and public right-of-way (Hamilton Avenue) to accommodate the realignment of Hamilton Avenue with Main Street on the main Project site. The final parcel map would need to be approved prior to constructing the Hamilton Avenue realignment and accompanying improvements on Willow Road. 
• CalTrans Encroachment Permit. In March 2023, the City and applicant submitted an application to CalTrans for an encroachment permit to construct the Willow Road improvements. The encroachment permit would accommodate the Hamilton Avenue realignment, and would consist of new lane configurations and bike and pedestrian infrastructure.  

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

Willow Village