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Menlo Park Faces Backlash Over Steep Park Fees for Lot Splits
State housing officials warn city that fees may violate new law intended to boost housing
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
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Menlo Park is charging a homeowner who's adding a housing unit to his property about $127,000 in park fees, even after state housing officials warned the city that it may not be allowed to do so when it comes to certain types of small developments. The dispute centers on Senate Bill 9, a 2022 law intended to boost housing by allowing homeowners to split single-family lots and build up to four units without discretionary review. The California Department of Housing and Community Development informed Menlo Park in 2024 that the city cannot apply so-called Quimby Act park fees to these lot splits because they fund off-site improvements, which SB 9 generally prohibits as a condition of approval.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing tension between cities' desire to collect fees for parks and infrastructure and the state's push to streamline housing development. Menlo Park's high fees could price out small developers and homeowners looking to add housing units, undermining the intent of SB 9. The dispute also raises questions about the limits of local control over land use decisions.
The details
Menlo Park is requiring Palo Alto developer Mircea Voskerician to pay a $127,400 park fee before finalizing his project to split a single-family lot at 12 Maywood Lane into two parcels. Voskerician has filed a complaint with the state housing department and warned the city of possible legal action, arguing that Menlo Park is improperly applying Quimby Act fees to projects meant to be streamlined under SB 9. The city has maintained that the Quimby Act fees are still allowed under state law, despite the state housing department's warning that they violate the new law.
- In 2022, Senate Bill 9 was passed to allow homeowners to split single-family lots and build up to four units without discretionary review.
- In 2024, the California Department of Housing and Community Development informed Menlo Park that it cannot apply Quimby Act park fees to these SB 9 lot splits.
The players
Mircea Voskerician
A Palo Alto developer who applied to split a single-family lot at 12 Maywood Lane in Menlo Park into two parcels.
Menlo Park
A city in California that is charging a $127,400 park fee to Voskerician's lot split project, despite state warnings that such fees may violate SB 9.
California Department of Housing and Community Development
The state agency that informed Menlo Park in 2024 that it cannot apply Quimby Act park fees to SB 9 lot splits, as those fees fund off-site improvements which the new law generally prohibits.
What they’re saying
“It was never the intent of SB 9. They are playing games with me. They are playing games with the state. And they are taking advantage because the state will not go after them.”
— Mircea Voskerician, Developer (Almanac News)
“This is not how a city operates. A city is dedicated to its people. It's dedicated to the residents. It's dedicated to the law. And they must answer the question to the public.”
— Mircea Voskerician, Developer (Almanac News)
“Lot splits are an important strategy to create new family-friendly housing opportunities in neighborhoods that have historically restricted it. A $127,000 fee per home is a perverse penalty against the future families who will one day live there.”
— Jeremy Levine, Housing Leadership Coalition of San Mateo County (Almanac News)
What’s next
The state housing department did not respond to requests for comment, so it's unclear whether the state's 2024 letter to Menlo Park would trigger potential legal penalties under Assembly Bill 712 if the city continues to enforce the Quimby Act fees on SB 9 lot splits.
The takeaway
This case highlights the ongoing tension between cities' desire to collect fees for parks and infrastructure and the state's push to streamline housing development. Menlo Park's high fees could price out small developers and homeowners looking to add housing units, undermining the intent of SB 9. The dispute also raises questions about the limits of local control over land use decisions and the state's ability to enforce new housing laws.
