Educators remain dissatisfied with Facebook expansion plan

The conversation comes in the wake of the social media giant exploring a development proposed to expand its Menlo Park headquarters by 1,500 housing units along with 1.75 million square feet of commercial feet.

The Willow Village project plans establish for educators financial, enrollment, safety and other concerns which Facebook representatives showed marginal desire to ameliorate in the last meeting, said Streshly.

“They didn’t want to be open to collaboratively working through the quality of life issues that will impact our community,” said Streshly, of the second meeting between the two sides.

During the discussion, Streshly said Facebook representatives interpreted the district’s concerns as a call for charity which cannot be addressed, due to company policy.

Streshly, meanwhile, contends the enrollment growth, demographic changes, infrastructure work and budget demands potentially generated by the project should be viewed as a central community concern.

“We don’t see mitigating the impact of their development as philanthropy,” she said.

A Facebook representative, meanwhile, said the company is committed to meeting with the variety of local organizations potentially affected by the project.

“Facebook cares about its neighbors and we view our relationship as a partnership based on listening and learning,” said spokesman Jamil Walker. “We understand that as we grow, our interaction with the people around us is very important and we want to be thoughtful and transparent about the next phase of our expansion.”

To illustrate the company’s dedication to supporting the local community, Facebook officials have pointed to the company’s variety of charitable ventures addressing issues such as affordable housing, educational support and more.

Streshly was quick to note she appreciated the construction of new housing in an area starved for such development, but said greater consideration must be paid to her district.

She said she expected more discussions to take place in the coming weeks between the two sides, with hope the school district’s needs can be met. She added members of the school community will also work alongside Menlo Park city officials to address the issue.

Public review for the sweeping proposal only a short distance from the company’s primary hub along the Bayshore Expressway is already underway. Menlo Park planning commissioners late last month initially discussed the project which, beyond the housing and commercial component, is slated to include a 200-room hotel, plus retail businesses and approximately 18 acres of open space.

A community forum addressing the project is set Thursday, March 22, at the Arrillaga community center in Menlo Park. Without an opportunity to discuss detailed components of the project, Streshly said the extent of the potential impact on the district is yet to be determined. But initial projections indicate as many as 300 new students could come from the development. Such sizable enrollment growth would require construction of a new campus, potentially costing the district as much as $60 million, said Streshly.

State law mandates builders pay school districts fees designed to offset the budget strains generated by their project, which Streshly said for the Facebook development would likely be in the realm of $2 million.

“It’s really a vast differential of how it would impact us on our end,” said Streshly, referring to the sizable gap between the district’s potential needs and the company’s mandated contribution.

Should the project move ahead without Facebook upping its contribution to the district, Streshly suggested it would likely be local residents left holding the bag.

“Without any mitigation, the community will have to address these issues in their own capacity, which doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Despite the rocky start, Streshly is optimistic the two sides can continue working together to address the district’s concerns.

“We need their support,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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