Silicon Valley’s booming tech industry is helping to drive up housing demand, but constant debates over where and how to build, not a lack of resources, are slowing down long-overdue solutions.

on Tuesday, despite significant opposition, unanimously approved the first step of a controversial downtown housing plan, inviting builders to propose plans for over 480 affordable units on land that is currently occupied by city parking lots.

The Menlo Park City Council

During the meeting, more than 100 community members voiced their opinions, which were almost evenly split between support and opposition.

Proponents emphasized the urgent need for affordable housing, while critics argued that converting downtown parking lots into housing would harm small businesses, increase traffic and make shopping less convenient due to a reduction in available spaces.

The proposed sites, identified in the city’s housing element, are located at parking lots 1, 2 and 3, off Santa Cruz Avenue at Maloney Lane, Chestnut Street, and Crane Street.

City officials are concerned about possible sanctions by California regulators, who have intensified enforcement of housing laws in recent years amid the overall crisis in the state.

“These are real decisions still to be made, and it’s unclear what proposals we’ll receive,” Mayor Drew Combs said, emphasizing that the vote only invites project proposals and does not approve any specific project. “We might see densities that don’t align with the community’s needs.”

faced repercussions last year when state regulators decertified its housing plan due to delays.