Menlo Park residents will decide whether future development of three downtown parking lots into affordable housing must receive voter approval after the City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to place a citizens’ initiative on the November 2026 ballot.

The decision follows more than a year of debate over a proposal to build 345 affordable units on 556 publicly owned parking spaces downtown.

Opponents of the housing plans gathered signatures from more than 10% of registered voters in Menlo Park, submitted to the council in October, triggering a requirement to either adopt the measure, call a special election, or place it on the next general ballot. The council chose the Nov. 3, 2026, election.

Critics argue that removing parking would hurt longtime businesses and deter patrons from visit

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