John R. Johnson

John R. Johnson (b. Oct. 20, 1923; died Sep. 17, 2012)

Johnson was Assistant City Manager 1952-1958, City Manager 1958-1964. He was interviewed in 1974. The transcript of this interview--abouit 40 type-written single-spaced pages--is in the Menlo Park Oral History Interviews: vol. 3.

Below are notes by J. Clendenin taken when reading the transcript.

The Menlo Park Master Plan of 1952 was one of the first that was comprehensive.

The City took over the Willow Road Water District since 90-95% of it lay within the City.

Installing storm drains was a big project.

Menlo Park opposed building SLAC since that property had been designated for housing that would be annexed to the City. [Similar to Stanford Hills]

Lots of controversy about building churches in the City--one issue, they don't pay property taxes.

Johnson appointed City Manager on 7/1/1958.

Competition with Redwood City to annex the bay lands east of 101.

Not happy with the high-rise on University; it happened after Johnson's tenure.

City luck to get land from Stanford to build Civic Center. First built gym, theatre and swimming pool--all highly popular.

A bond issue approved to build library.

A second bond issue to build police station.

A third bond issue to build Rec Center.

Finally another bond issue to expand the library.

So to build the Admin Building and Council Chamber, a non-profit corporation was create to borrow the needed funds. City paid rent to the corporation.

The land originally acquired by the City for the Civic Center did not include the Gatehouse, which was owned by SRI, actually the Director of SRI lived there. The City managed to acquire the Gatehouse; in the process the road extending SE from Ravenswood Ave was realigned to go between the Gatehouse and SRI.