City of Menlo Park provides update about Willow Park development

The City of Menlo Park continues to process the Willow Park development application at 80 Willow Road. This message provides an overview of the applicant’s (N17 Development representing Willow Park LLC) proposed project and the status of the City’s review in five sections: 1) The Proposed Project, 2) Development Review Process, 3) Environmental Review, 4) Challenged Conduct (most recent activity from Feb. 10, 2026), and 5) Next Steps.

Please visit the project webpage (menlopark.gov/80willow) to view the latest available information.

1. The Proposed Project
The proposed project is located on a 6.7-acre site at 80 Willow Road in the Linfield Oaks neighborhood (Location Map). The project proposes demolition of all existing structures to construct a new mixed-use development with approximately 665 residential units, 301,000 square feet of office, 17,000 square feet of retail, and 171,000 square feet of hotel (130 rooms). The proposed preschool building (approximately 3,000 square feet) would be 22 feet tall and the other three proposed buildings would range from 301-458 feet tall. The existing site was the former headquarters of Sunset Magazine and was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and is listed in the California Register of Historical Resources.

View the Site Plan and Massing Diagram. Application materials, including architectural drawings, may be reviewed in person at City Hall. Appointments can be made online at menlopark.gov/appointment.

2. Development Review Process
The applicant is pursuing the proposed project through multiple avenues, including, but not limited to, the so-called “Builder’s Remedy,” Senate Bill 330 (SB 330), and streamlined processing under Assembly Bill 2011 (AB 2011), briefly described below:

• Builder’s Remedy: California’s Housing Accountability Act includes a provision commonly referred to as the “Builder’s Remedy” that limits the ability of cities/counties to disapprove a housing development project for very low-, low-, or moderate-income households based on the project’s inconsistency with zoning and General Plan standards, if the city/county had not timely adopted a “substantially compliant” General Plan Housing Element. The applicant submitted a SB 330 preliminary application (discussed below) in Dec. 2023, prior to Housing Element certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in March 2024. The applicant submitted a formal development application in May 2024.
• Senate Bill 330 (SB 330): SB 330 established the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 and is a California law designed to increase housing production, protect existing housing, and expedite development permits. SB 330 allows a preliminary application process for developers to “lock in” local standards and streamlined review for eligible housing development projects. There are two main phases of SB 330 development review—completeness review and consistency review—briefly described below:
  • Completeness review: The first review phase evaluates whether all required items in established City and SB 330 guidelines have been submitted. Following three rounds of application submission and City review (June 22, 2024; Oct. 11, 2024; Nov. 14, 2024), the City deemed the application complete and began the next phase of consistency review.
  • Consistency review: The second review phase evaluates the project for consistency with applicable objective development standards. The City has conducted four rounds of consistency review (Jan. 13, 2025; May 6, 2025; Nov. 7, 2025, Feb. 12, 2026) and found the application to be inconsistent with multiple standards. A determination of inconsistency does not amount to a denial of the project.
• Assembly Bill 2011 (AB 2011): AB 2011 streamlines housing development in certain commercial zones in California and requires ministerial approval (non-discretionary, administrative process) of qualifying housing development projects if the project meets prescriptive project, site, affordability, density, and labor standards. Projects subject to AB 2011 are exempt from environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City has issued four determinations (June 22, 2024; Nov. 7, 2025; Dec. 18, 2025; Jan. 22, 2026) identifying the application as ineligible for streamlined processing under AB 2011.

Please refer to the “Timeline” and “Frequently asked questions” sections of the project webpage for additional information.

3. Environmental Review
The project is subject to environmental review pursuant to CEQA unless exempt through other processes (such as AB 2011). In May 2025, the City approved a professional services contract for LSA Associates to perform the required environmental analysis. The environmental review work has not begun and is pending the applicant’s deposit of funds for the consultant to begin the work.

Please refer to the “Frequently asked questions” section of the project webpage for additional information, attention to the “What is the environmental review (CEQA) process” subsection.

4. Challenged Conduct
On Nov. 19, 2025, the applicant submitted a letter challenging the City’s conduct related to the City’s prior determinations that the project is ineligible for AB 2011. Pursuant to State law, the City must respond to the applicant’s challenged-conduct correspondence between Jan. 18, 2026 and Feb. 17, 2026.

On Feb. 10, 2026, the City issued a challenged conduct response letter to detail how the City’s actions have not “disapproved a housing development project.”

Please refer to the “Notice of challenged conduct” section of the project webpage for additional information.

5. Next Steps
The applicant has the opportunity to respond to the City’s determinations.

The City will continue to: 1) process the development application and respond to the applicant’s assertions, 2) follow CEQA environmental review requirements unless the application demonstrates it is exempt, and 3) keep the community informed of project updates through the project webpage and email updates.

Note: This information was provided by the City of Menlo Park.