80 Willow Rd. (Willow Park)

The City continues to process the Willow Park development application at 80 Willow Road. The Applicant (N17 Development representing Willow Park LLC) is pursuing the Willow Park project through multiple avenues, including, but not limited to SB 330, the "Builder's Remedy," and AB 2011. View a Feb. 13, 2026 summary overview of the applicant’s proposed project and the City’s review.

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, 332,000 square feet of office, 17,000 square feet of retail, and 164,000 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.

Attorney General’s notice of violation

On July 29, 2026, the California Attorney General’s (“AG”) office sent the City written notice pursuant to AB 712 (Government Code section 65914.2) regarding the 80 Willow project. The AG notice states the City has violated AB 2011 and the Housing Accountability Act in its processing of the project. AB 712 requires courts to penalize cities that fail to follow state housing laws if the AG warns the city that it violated such laws.

City response to Attorney General's notice of violation

On Oct. 1, 2026, the City sent a response to the Attorney General's letter to the City from July 29. The City asserts it has processed the development application for 80 Willow Road in accordance with all applicable state laws.

Closed session report out - Sept. 29, 2026

Report out by City Attorney Nira Doherty
The City Council has authorized me to provide this report out of closed session:

After extensive deliberation, the City Council has carefully considered the Attorney General’s July 29, 2026, notice regarding the 80 Willow Rd. project. The Attorney General has concluded that the project is consistent with the requirements of AB 2011 (the Affordable Housing and High Roads Jobs Act of 2022) and, as currently proposed, satisfies the definition of a builder’s remedy project. This would mean that the City would be required to approve the project as proposed without any environmental review. The Attorney General has further reached conclusions regarding the City’s application processing fees, though without any factual basis to support them. 

The City Council respectfully disagrees with the Attorney General’s analysis. It believes the Attorney General’s conclusions are incorrectly reasoned and contrary to law. Prior to and since receiving the Attorney General’s notice, the City, with the assistance of legal counsel, has carefully and exhaustively analyzed all of the issues set forth in the Attorney General’s letter. The City has taken thorough, good faith positions on each of the issues raised by the Attorney General; further, each of the City’s positions is amply supported by applicable law. For that reason, the Council simply does not agree that State law requires approval of the 80 Willow Rd. project under the terms set forth in the AG’s letter. 

The Council recognizes that the financial penalties the Attorney General and Applicant have threatened could impose severe consequences on the City. The City Council considers the threat of those penalties as deeply unfair and extremely punitive. Even so, the Council maintains that the Attorney General’s position is inconsistent with the Legislature’s intent, and that the Attorney General is wielding the threat of those extraordinary penalties to coerce the City into action the City, in the utmost good faith, believes the law does not require.

Report out by Mayor Betsy Nash
The City Council is united in its position that the Attorney General has incorrectly directed the City to approve the 80 Willow Rd. project under the terms of AB 2011. The AG issued its opinion without having the benefit of the City’s extensive knowledge of the property and the history of the development application, and without once inquiring with the City about the background of the application.

The Council strongly opposes approval of the project under the terms in the AG’s letter. This massive commercial development would severely compound infrastructure challenges in Menlo Park, endanger emergency services response times, and exacerbate the existing jobs/housing imbalance. The project does not deliver the housing that Menlo Park needs, contrary to the very purpose of the builder’s remedy law. In addition, questions have been raised of potential illegality, corruption, and national security around the property owner – as outlined in Representative Liccardo’s September 23, 2026, letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent. Finally, we need to be clear with residents that the City Council does not take this position lightly, but rather it does so because we feel Menlo Park is being ill-served by the State’s inappropriate position on various laws. The City Council believes it is important to get this right even if there are financial consequences and service impacts for the city that may be triggered by our effort to vindicate our rights and protect the Menlo Park community.

Applicant’s lawsuit

On Oct. 2, 2026, N17 Development filed a complaint and petition for writ of mandate (lawsuit) alleging the City violated State housing laws by not processing its project pursuant to AB 2011 and did not afford it certain protections under the builder’s remedy law.  The lawsuit invokes the penalties set forth in the Attorney General’s July 29 notice.

The following statutory deadlines apply to the lawsuit’s timing pursuant to new laws which expedite writ proceedings alleging violations of State housing laws.  The dates are subject to change.

What are the next steps?

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

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 below for additional information, attention to the “What is the environmental review (CEQA) process” subsection.

Are the project plans available for review?

View site plan and massing diagrams(PDF, 1MB)

Pursuant to State law, the City is limited in its availability to publicly post architectural drawings without architect permission. Members of the public may view the application materials, including architectural drawings, in person at City Hall. Appointments are encouraged to view the materials in person. Appointments with the Planning Division can be made online at menlopark.gov/appointment.

To receive updates about the project, please subscribe below.

Location

80 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025  View map

37.4537549,-122.1641151

80 Willow Rd. , Menlo Park, CA 94025

80 Willow Rd. , Menlo Park, CA 94025

80 Willow Rd. (Willow Park)