Council member Drew Combs provides update on 80 Willow development

In his weekly newsletter, Menlo Park City Council member Drew Combs provides an overview of the most recent development regarding 80 Willow Road:

On July 29, the City received a letter from the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressing the State’s view that the City’s current approach to processing the 80 Willow development application is inconsistent with AB 2011 and the Housing Accountability Act.

Background on the 80 Willow Project

By way of background, the 80 Willow project seeks to rely on the State’s Builder’s Remedy provisions to develop more than 1.5 million square feet of office, hotel, retail, and residential space across four primary buildings, including a tower reaching approximately 450 feet. If constructed as proposed, it would likely become the 85th tallest building in California, with every taller building located in Los Angeles County, San Francisco, or downtown San Diego.

Why This Matters

The Attorney General’s letter marks a new phase in a process that had largely stalled because of the developer’s refusal to fund an environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In addition, despite State law prohibiting hotels as part of a Builder’s Remedy project, the developer had not updated its application in recent months to bring the proposal into compliance.

It is also worth noting that the project is proposed for an environmentally sensitive site along San Francisquito Creek and would require the demolition of the historically significant former Sunset Magazine headquarters.

Engagement with State Representatives

In recent days, both Mayor Betsy Nash and I have spoken with our local legislative representatives to express our concerns about the Attorney General’s letter and to better understand their perspectives. I appreciate the engagement we’ve received from State Senator Josh Becker and Assemblymember Marc Berman, and their continued involvement will be important in the weeks and months ahead.

What the Letter Does and Does Not Do

It is also important to understand what this letter does and does not mean for the City. The Attorney General’s letter is not a binding legal ruling. It does not compel the City to follow a particular course of action in processing this application.

In fact, the letter does not clearly identify what specific process or outcome the Attorney General believes the City should pursue. Is the State actually suggesting that the City approve a project of this scale without any additional analysis? That is an important question, and one that deserves greater clarity. Even with that clarity, however, the Attorney General’s opinion does not dictate the ultimate outcome or eliminate the City’s ability to pursue any legal or procedural remedies that are available.

More Information

You can learn more about this project and the City’s review of the development application on the City’s 80 Willow project webpage.

Footnote: There’s also a good article in the San Francisco Chronicle (may need  subscription).