Inspired by outcry against a proposed downtown Los Altos park, a local group known as ForLosAltos is trying to get the use of downtown Los Altos parking plazas on the November ballot.
According to ForLosAltos volunteer Cindy Andrews, the group started informally in August 2025 after city-contracted consultants presented plans for a downtown park.
“The audience was asked what we would want to see in a downtown park, not would we want a downtown park,” Andrews said in an email. “Not one person spoke in favor of the plan. There were no needs’ assessments presented, nor environmental or economic analyses shared. The Los Altos Parks Commission had not even been apprised of this proposed new park and use of the Park In Lieu funds.”
The Town Crier has requested the names of those who founded the group, but “… The group quickly grew to numbers that are too many to name,” Andrews said.
“The group is focused on the parking plazas because these are on public lands that are critical to how our downtown feels and functions,” Andrews said. “This is not about a specific project. The parking plazas’ ordinance simply gives the community a vote on any major changes to what is public land.”
In an email to the community, the group wrote that the measure would require voter approval before parking plazas are sold, repurposed or reduced; prioritize the city’s “village charm” and walkability; safeguards downtown’s tree canopy and open space; prevents third-party development deals on public parking plazas; protects public parking and allows for affordable housing on two parking plazas per the city’s current plans.
More specifically, the measure as it would appear on the ballot would prohibit the city from taking the following actions without a majority vote by residents:
• Trade, lease, donate, sell, dispose or convey any parking plaza, or parking plaza portion, for any reason
• Change or designate a parking plaza in any way that would affect parking or diminish the availability, access or convenience of public parking
• Declare parking plazas as surplus land or exempt surplus land under the California Surplus Land Act
• Change or build capital projects or other changes on any parking plaza which would permanently diminish the availability, access or convenience of public parking
• Change any Parking Plaza by adding additional levels or floors
• Change any Parking Plaza in a way which would be a detriment to protected trees or the downtown tree canopy
The city would be allowed to, without a vote by the people, repair and maintain the parking plazas even if there is temporary disruption. The city would also be allowed to host community events – like the farmers market – despite the use of parking plazas, as they’re only held on a short-term or temporary basis. Parking plazas seven and eight are also allowed to be developed for affordable housing without a city-wide vote.
The measure comes as discontentment as to how the downtown park process has been conducted mounts among many residents.
More than 20 residents made public comments, the majority of which were against a downtown park, during a Feb. 24 special meeting of the Los Altos City Council. Many residents provided alternatives to the downtown park, including Andrews, who said park impact funds (formally park-in-lieu funds) should be used for bettering existing parks.
“I was told by a council member that the park in-lieu fees must be spent downtown. This is not the case – the fund allows for other park improvement projects that still serve our community,” said Andrews. “Think park land north in Los Altos, where none exists. Think rehabbing our historic dilapidated Halsey house in Redwood Grove that’s been waiting since 2008 – do not think downtown, where five parks exist within a five-minute walk.”
ForLosAltos needs 3,000 in-person (must be in ink – not submitted online or electronically) registered voter signatures in order to place the measure on the November 2026 ballot.
The group will have petition signing tables across the city.
Members of the Los Altos City Council approved in a February 2025 4-1 vote a roughly $2.3 million contract with San Jose-based Watry Design, Inc. toward building a downtown park with underground parking. Watry’s expertise is in building parking structures, based on previous Town Crier reporting.
For more information, visit forlosaltos-now.com.
