Five-Story Condo Plan Could Reshape Downtown

Luxuriant Investments has filed plans to replace three apartment buildings at 1300 and 1308 Hoover Street in Menlo Park with a five-story condominium project, according to city planning documents posted this month. The proposal covers a 0.68-acre site between Valparaiso Avenue and Oak Grove Avenue, one block west of El Camino Real. City materials say the project would demolish three existing one- and two-story multifamily buildings and construct 34 for-sale units. The application has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing, the city says. ### Where exactly would the project go? The site at 1300 and 1308 Hoover Street sits in an R-3 apartment zoning district near the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan Area, according to Menlo Park’s project page. The property is currently occupied by three multifamily apartment buildings with driveways, surface parking and landscaping, city documents say. A project description dated April 3, 2026 says the parcel totals about 29,708 square feet, or 0.682 acres. The same filing says nearby buildings range from about 22 feet to 45 feet tall, including a multifamily building behind the site on El Camino Real. ### How big is the proposed building? Menlo Park’s project page says the proposed building would be 63 feet tall and contain five stories. The city lists 34 for-sale condominium units, 44 vehicle parking spaces, 51 long-term bicycle spaces and six short-term bicycle spaces. City documents say the project would have 93,088 square feet of gross floor area and a floor-area ratio of 3.13. The proposal also includes 8,294 square feet of ground-floor common open space and 7,053 square feet of publicly accessible open space, according to the city. The applicant’s project description says the building would place parking on the ground floor, with four residential levels above it. The filing says the developer chose above-grade parking rather than underground parking to avoid excavation that, in the applicant’s words, could damage mature perimeter trees. ### Why can a five-story project be proposed there? Menlo Park says the application is using California’s State Density Bonus Law. The city’s project page says the site’s base density would allow 20 units, but the applicant is seeking a 70% density bonus to reach 34 units. The city says the bonus is tied to below-market-rate housing. Of the 34 units, four would be designated below market rate: three for very low-income households and one for a moderate-income household, according to the project page. (menlopark.gov) Menlo Park also says the applicant is seeking concessions and waivers from city zoning standards under the state law. The city has not yet posted a staff recommendation on those requests. ### What happens to the existing apartments? City documents say the redevelopment would demolish three existing single- and two-story multifamily apartment buildings on the site. The public materials reviewed do not state in the summary page how many current rental units would be removed. The applicant’s filing describes the replacement project as a 34-unit condominium development with a mix of two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes. (menlopark.gov) The city page identifies the homes as for-sale units rather than apartments. ### Who decides whether it moves forward? Menlo Park says the application will require Planning Commission review and action at a public meeting. A separate city notice says the hearing date has not yet been determined and that a second notice will be posted once the item is scheduled. The Planning Commission page says the commission reviews proposals requiring architectural control, subdivision and environmental review, and serves as the recommending body to the City Council on major subdivisions and below-market-rate housing agreements. (menlopark.gov) The Hoover Street proposal includes both a major subdivision and a below-market-rate housing agreement, according to the city’s project page. ### When will residents be able to weigh in? Menlo Park says a second public notice will be mailed 15 days before the hearing date once the project is scheduled. The city’s Planning Commission page says regular agendas are posted at least 72 hours in advance and meetings are generally held twice a month on Mondays at 7 p.m. at 751 Laurel St. As of May 16, 2026, the city’s Hoover Street notice says staff review of the submitted plans had not been completed when the notice was posted. (menlopark.gov) Project plans, renderings and the application materials are available through Menlo Park’s online project page for 1300 and 1308 Hoover Street.