BELMONT HARBOR INDUSTRIAL AREA
Belmont City Council – January 23, 2024
SPECIFIC PLAN
PROJECT UPDATE
PROJECT AREA & CONTEXT
PROPOSED PURPOSE & OUTCOMES
1 2
3 Provide update on project activities
Present draft plan goals, guiding principles and
policy framework
Confirm and comment on proposed guiding
principles, approach and land use considerations
PROJECT ENGAGEMENT
Virtual Workshop – 6/8/2023
Pop Up – 7/14/2023
Alpha Acid Brewing Company
City Council – 7/11/2023
Planning Commission – 10/3/2023
Stakeholder Interviews – 5/17-18/2023
Pop Up – 8/1/2023
National Night Out
Homeview, Downtown, Belmont Library
Pop Up – 9/22/2023
Movies in the Park at Alexander Park
Pop Up – 10/1 and 10/8/2023
Belmont Farmers Market
Online Surveys
- General Feedback (6/23-8/25/2023)
- Guiding Principles (9/19-11/27/2023)
VISIONING PRINCIPLES
Belmont Mobile Home Community –
10/03 and 11/28/2023
Harbor Industrial Association –
5/4/2023 and 12/7/2023
PLAN GOALS
- CREATE CONNECTIONS
- MAKE PLACES
- BE SENSITIVE
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
ENSURE SAFETY FOR ALL MODES
Create complete streets to ensure safe pedestrian and bike access throughout the district and between the district and adjacent residential and commercial neighborhoods.
LOCAL SERVING, COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOOD
Create a complete neighborhood with vibrant and welcoming destinations, amenities, and services for people to work, shop, gather, and live.
GREEN SPACE
Integrate publicly accessible usable green space to support the wellbeing of residents, employees, and visitors alike.
- MAKE PLACES
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
EMBRACE THE AREA’S HISTORY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Leverage the HIA’s history of industry and innovation by supporting existing small businesses that serve residents from all parts of the Peninsula, while encouraging new businesses to form.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Encourage affordability for any new housing development.
CONTEXT SENSITIVE STANDARDS
Generate design and development standards that are both sensitive to the existing neighborhood fabric and flexible to accommodate future growth. - BE SENSITIVE
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT
Engage the community and stakeholders in a continuous conversation that grows awareness at each stage of the project and helps inform long-term implementation of the plan.
DISTRICT CONNECTIONS
Coordinate development, including environmental and infrastructure improvements, with San Carlos and San Mateo County to create a cohesive and integrated district.
REVITALIZE BELMONT CREEK
Revitalize Belmont Creek and integrate ecological principles of regeneration and resilience into design and development standards to manage flooding and create a resilient district.
- CREATE CONNECTIONS
POLICY FRAMEWORK
LOCAL SERVING, COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOOD
Create a complete neighborhood with vibrant and welcoming destinations, amenities, and services for people to work, shop, gather, and live.
ISSUE APPROACH
Mobile Home Park Maintain County Mobile Home Park zoning. Revise General Plan for consistency, create equivalent Mobile Home Park zoning district, amend zoning map with new Mobile Home Park designation.
Legacy Industries Identify categories of businesses that have historically served the Belmont community, including, but not limited to, commercial recreation, auto repair, animal services, breweries/ wineries, and determine specialized building design and other operational requirements to accommodate them on the ground floor of new buildings.
Non-conforming uses Avoid creating non-conforming uses when developing new zoning regulations, except as needed to address health and safety.
Community Benefits Implement citywide measures tailored to the Belmont HIA.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ENSURE SAFETY FOR ALL MODES
Create complete streets to ensure safe pedestrian and bike access throughout the district and between the district and adjacent residential and commercial neighborhoods.
ISSUE APPROACH
Connections Facilitate connections through the development review process by requiring connections at the time of new development/redevelopment, including reconstruction of on-site circulation and parking areas.
On-street
Bike/Pedestrian
Access Design
Review and possibly update designs for streets within the Belmont HIA.
Utilize the adopted BVSP Streetscape Design Guidelines for context.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Privately Owned
Public Open Space
Develop design, access and use standards for private owned public open space to make sure the public is aware of them and understands how and when to use them.
Green Streets Identify applicable Green Infrastructure Measures from the San Mateo Countywide Pollution Prevention Program Green Infrastructure Design Guide (2020) and incorporate into site design and right-of-way improvement standards.
GREEN SPACE
Integrate publicly accessible usable green space to support the wellbeing of residents, employees, and visitors alike.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Incubator Space Explore mechanisms for creating and sustaining incubator space for small businesses across multiple industries, such as custom carpentry, breweries, and artists to support entrepreneurism and continued innovation.
Adaptive design Evaluate higher first floor ceiling heights and other building design elements to provide for the most flexible space that can adapt to a wide range of uses over time with a focus on uses that have served the Belmont community for decades that may not be available in other neighborhoods.
EMBRACE THE AREA’S HISTORY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Leverage the HIA’s history of industry and innovation by supporting existing small businesses that serve residents from all parts of the Peninsula, while encouraging new businesses to form.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Inclusionary
requirements
Support revisions to the Inclusionary/Below Market Rate Program consistent with the Housing Element.
Mobile Home Park Retain Mobile Home Park zoning to assist with the retention of naturally occurring affordable housing.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Encourage affordability for any new housing development.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Perimeter transitions Develop height and setback standards to create more sensitive transitions to lower scale uses at the perimeter of the Belmont HIA.
Performance
standards
Develop performance standards to address potential light, odor, noise, air quality, and vibration impacts.
Activate ground floor Locate publicly accessible uses on the ground floor, such as convenience store, food service, day care, commercial recreation, and other legacy industries.
Incorporate design features to enhance views into ground floors and locate doors to generate activity along the street frontage.
CONTEXT SENSITIVE STANDARDS
Generate design and development standards that are both sensitive to the existing neighborhood fabric and flexible to accommodate future growth.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Public Access Establish public access easement dedication requirements to allow for publicly assessable creek trail.
Establish public access hours consistent with city of Belmont Park System (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset).
Design Develop design standards for Belmont Creek improvements, including pathway width, surface materials, planting requirement, and bank stabilization.
Maintenance Research options for coordinated maintenance, ranging from an informal property owner association to a property-based improvement district.
REVITALIZE BELMONT CREEK
Revitalize Belmont Creek and integrate ecological principles of regeneration and resilience into design and development standards to manage flooding and create a resilient district.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Easy access to project
information
Provide written project information in English and Spanish, including website and handouts.
Provide an implementation overview that describes key milestones and outcomes over different time frames, such as 0-5 years, 5-10 years, and more than 10 years.
Clear and easily
understood
information
Follow Plain Language guidelines when writing project updates, zoning regulations, design guidelines, and process descriptions to improve understanding and remove barriers to participation.
Broad and inclusive
engagement
Continue to explore new opportunities to engage the broader Belmont community in the creation and implementation of the Belmont HIA Specific Plan.
MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT
Engage the community and stakeholders in a continuous conversation that grows awareness at each stage of the project and helps inform long-term implementation of the plan.
POLICY FRAMEWORK
ISSUE APPROACH
Bike/pedestrian
connections
Extend street designs from Belmont Village Specific Plan and pursue funding for Caltrain bicycle/pedestrian underpass at O’Neill Avenue.
Transit connections Coordinate with Caltrain, Samtrans, and Commute.Org to optimize the timing of various transit service providers.
Transportation
Demand
Management
Review existing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) policies and regulations and identify opportunities to strengthen and support regional Transportation Management Associations.
DISTRICT CONNECTIONS
Coordinate development, including environmental and infrastructure improvements, with San Carlos and San Mateo County to create a cohesive and integrated district.
LAND USE CONSIDERATIONS
Preserve Mobile Home Park
KAREN RD.
DAIRY LN. KAREN RD.
Activated Ground Floor
• Preserve Mobile Home Community.
• Consider existing land uses and
development standards when
revising zoning regulations.
• Facilitate the diversification of
employment opportunities.
• Activate ground floors along Harbor
Boulevard with design standards and
uses that generate activity along the
building frontages.
CURRENT ZONING
LAND USE ALTERNATIVE
Reflects existing land
uses and development
standards and
preservation of Mobile
Home Park
- Industrial/Commercial
- Mobile Home Park
- Mixed Use/Residential
KAREN RD.
DAIRY LN. KAREN RD.
COMMON ELEMENTS
CONNECTIONS
Create new bike/pedestrian
connections:
- at least two north-south
connections from O’Neill Avenue to
Harbor Blvd. between Elmer St. and
Karen Rd.
- at least one east-west connection
roughly midway between O’Neill
Avenue and Harbor Blvd.
*No prescribed routes or new streets are
required, but a continuous connection must be
achieved.
KAREN RD.
KAREN RD. DAIRY LN.
COMMON ELEMENTS
HEIGHT
Height limits would remain at
65 feet with additional height
possible up to the limits
imposed by the San Carlos
Airport (maximum of
approximately 135 feet) and as
authorized by CCAG/FAA, and
subject to a discretionary
review process under
development. 130’
ESTIMATED PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TIMEFRAMES
- Specific Plan and Rezoning
Approved
- Annexation Approved
- Pending Development Applications
Reviewed
- Infrastructure improvements
Designed while funding is explored
- Residents Eligible to Vote in City
Elections
- Residents Eligible for Parks/Rec
programs and other City services
0 TO 5 YEARS 5 TO 10 YEARS MORE THAN 10 YEARS
- Construction Begins on
Approved Development Projects
- Construction Begins on Funded
Infrastructure
- Caltrain adds more stops for
Belmont
- HIA attracts innovation
businesses, restaurants, and
new employees
- Privately Owned Public Spaces
are open to the public
- O’Neill Ave bike/ped
underpass opens
- Belmont Creek Trail is
complete between Old
County Road and Hwy 101
- New Stormwater
Infrastructure reduces
impacts of severe storms
- HIA is connected to the rest
of Belmont with active
streets and thriving
businesses
PROJECT SCHEDULE
Project Initiation &
Existing Conditions
Draft & Review
Preferred Plan
Environmental
Review & Adoption
SPRING-SUMMER 2023 FALL 2023-SPRING 2024 SPRING-SUMMER 2024 FALL-WINTER 2024 Engagement Opportunities
Status: Complete In progress Not started
Stakeholder
Meetings
Virtual
Workshops
In Person
Open House
Pop-Ups Planning
Commission
Hearing
City
Council
Hearing
Policies, Strategies &
Plan Development - Alternatives Development
- Policy Framework
PROJECT QUESTIONS
Carol Johnson
Good City Company
(650) 204-1269
[email protected]
https://www.belmonthiaplan.com/