Long Range Planning Update
Laura Russell, Deputy Community Development Director
August 26, 2025
Agenda
2 Ever evolving State laws
Harbor Industrial Area (HIA) Specific Plan
Regional Commercial Zoning District
Corridor Mixed Use Zoning District
General Plan Safety Element
Climate Action and Adaptation Plan Update
Housing Element Implementation
MTC’s Transit Oriented Communities
Legal Context
• Ever changing State laws related to housing in
last 5-6 years
• Very challenging for cities to implement
• Interconnected and complex
• Limit City’s ability to implement local planning
policies
• Most recent include AB 130 and SB 131
• Significant changes to CEQA and application
processing timelines
• Staff is analyzing and will return to Council with
more information
3 4
Harbor Industrial Area
Harbor Industrial Area Specific Plan
Belmont Development Update 5
• Long Range Plan/Vision for 62-acre
Unincorporated County Lands in
Belmont’s Sphere of Influence
• Prior to wholesale annexation of HIA into
Belmont
• Intended to be an employment center
• Mobile home park to remain and
multifamily housing anticipated along
North Old County Road and Elmer Street
• Plan adoption anticipated in early 2026
• Redevelopment of area anticipated to
occur over 20 to 30-year horizon
Belmont Development Update 6
• Community meeting on May 12, 2025
• Meeting with Mobile Home Park residents
August 2, 2025
• Feedback received on proposed development
standards, including height and transitions to
residential neighborhoods
• Next steps:
• Staff preparing alternatives in response to
community feedback
• September 23rd - tentative date for City
Council discussion
Harbor Industrial Area Specific Plan
7 Regional Commercial
Zoning District
Regional Commercial (RC) Zoning District
• Work initiated in 2023 with Council direction to pursue tiered development standards with community benefits
• As market shifted, staff slowed the work
• April 22, 2025 – Council direction:
• Preliminary development standards, including height
• Revised approach to environmental review including a City-initiated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to streamline future
development
8 Regional Commercial (RC) Zoning District - Approach
Key aspects of zoning amendments:
• Reorganize and modernize
• Increase height and floor area ratio
(FAR) with community benefits
• Keep land uses substantially the
same, except make it clear that
R&D facilities are permitted
• Next steps
• Issuance of Request for Proposals from qualified firms (next few weeks) • Return to Council for approval of the contract this fall 10 Corridor Mixed Use
Zoning District
11 • Initiative to adjust height and floor area in El Camino Real corridor to encourage the types of development the City wants to see • Modernize and simplify parking requirements citywide
• Key changes:
• Increase development potential for hotel uses
• Increase base height by 5’ to encourage active ground floors • Combine all parking requirements into one chapter
• July 2024 City Council feedback
• Next steps:
• Planning Commission public hearing anticipated in September • City Council review anticipated in October
Corridor Mixed Use (CMU) District & Parking
12 • Required part of a Belmont’s
General Plan
• Identifies hazards of concern and
establishes policies to protect
people and property
• Updated to meet new state
requirements and address climate
resilience
• Must be updated upon revision of
the housing element
General Plan Safety Element
Natural
Hazards
Climate
Change
Hazards
Public
Safety
13 General Plan Safety Element
• April 2023: Council adopted resolution to join
the Multi-Jurisdictional Safety Element Project
• September 2023: kickoff at City Council
• March 2024: Virtual Community Meeting
• April 2024: Virtual Community Meeting
• June 2024: Service Provider Meetings
• May 2025 Virtual Community Meeting
14 General Plan Safety Element
• Background Report and
Vulnerability Assessment
• Community engagement
(draft policies and
implementation
measures)
Past: Completed
Spring 2025
• Public review of
Safety Elements
and
Environmental
Review
Current: Draft in
Staff Review
• PC and CC study
sessions,
community open
house, adoption
hearings
Next Steps: Fall
2025/Winter 2026
Housing Element Implementation
15 The City’s Housing Element was certified by the State in October 2024 Program Implementation underway:
• Update to Inclusionary Housing requirements (percentage of affordable units with each housing project)
• Countywide nexus and feasibility study – contract/agreements this fall • Zoning Code Updates – definitions and small amendments required by the State, packaged with CMU and Parking for review by Planning Commission and Council this fall
• Outreach and communication with housing partners
• Countywide ADU Resource Center – direct assistance to homeowners Upcoming work includes Ordinance Amendments related to compliance with State law for ADUs and SB9 projects
• In 2017, the City of Belmont adopted its first Climate Action Plan • The City is now updating the plan with new data and current best practices and including a climate resiliency component
• Goal to reach the State’s 2030 target of 40% below 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels (SB32)
• Community engagement is currently underway:
• Online survey (now live) at www.Belmont.gov/ClimateAction • Planning Commission presentation – September 2nd
• City Council presentation – September 9th
• First community workshop (virtual) – September 11th
• Final Plan Adoption anticipated Fall 2026
Climate Action and Adaptation Plan- Preview
Transit Oriented Communities – Preview
17 • Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) program to support the region’s transit investments by ensuring communities around transit that support transit ridership • Future One Bay Area (OBAG) funding cycles will consider TOC compliance when MTC prioritizes funding – future OBAG funds likely linked to level of TOC compliance • Staff is analyzing current levels of compliance; Belmont is already compliant with some aspects
• Key policy areas:
• Residential density and commercial intensity around station areas • Programs to support the production, preservation, and protection of affordable housing resources
• Parking and transportation policies
• Station access and circulation policies
• Staff is working with MTC and their technical assistance partners to develop a work program; more information to come
Thank you!
belmont.gov
Proposed Amendments – Development Standards
19 Existing
RC District
New RC-1 District New RC-2 District
(with community
benefits)
Floor Area
Ratio (FAR)
1.8 1.8
(higher for hotels and
automotive dealerships)
3.0 Height 55’ 55’
(taller for hotels and
automotive dealerships)
225’
20 RC Zoning Next Steps
• Staff solicit a proposal for a Program EIR from a qualified consultant • Staff return to City Council for approval of the contracts for CEQA services and consultant services to complete the amendments
• Preparation of the EIR (12-18 months)
• Preparation of formal amendments
• Community outreach
• Public Hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council on amendments and EIR