City of Menlo Park seeks comments on draft Environmental Justice and Safety Elements

On Feb. 9 and 10, 2023, the City of Menlo Park held community meetings at the Belle Haven Branch Library to present the draft Environmental Justice and Safety Elements (published Dec. 12, 2022). The community meetings were conducted in English and Spanish and summarized each element; revisited findings from community input to date; reviewed and discussed goals, policies and programs; and provided a forum for sharing and receiving feedback on the draft elements.

Please see below for links to the presentation, meeting video and information handouts.

• Feb. 9, 2023 – Presentation (English)
• Feb. 9, 2023 – Information packet (English)
• Feb. 9, 2023 – Video (English)
• Feb. 10, 2023 – Presentation (Spanish)
• Feb. 10, 2023 – Information packet (Spanish)
• Feb. 10, 2023 – Video (Spanish)

You are encouraged to review and provide feedback on the draft Environmental Justice Element and the draft Safety Element.

Please send feedback by Friday, March 10, 2023, to Senior Planner Calvin Chan. The City will begin work on the next draft of the elements.

The Environmental Justice Element is to identify and address public health risks and environmental justice concerns, as well as foster the well-being of Menlo Park residents living in Underserved Communities.

The Safety Element is to identify and appraise risks in the community and provide high-level strategies for mitigating risks and ensuring the wellness of the community, city services and infrastructure. Since the previous Safety Element was adopted in 2013, State law now requires safety elements to include climate change vulnerability and adaptation, and increased attention to wildfire and evacuation routes. The update to the Safety Element focuses on these topics.