CITY OF SAN MATEO
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 1 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 25-3112 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Community Development Department
MEETING DATE: November 13, 2023
SUBJECT:
Draft General Plan 2040 – Land Use Element – Supplemental Information RECOMMENDATION:
Continue deliberation from the October 30, 2023 Special Meeting and provide direction on the Land Use Element.
BACKGROUND:
The information provided in this report is supplemental to the Agenda Report that was published for the October 30, 2023, City Council meeting. Please refer to that report for background and other information related to this item.
On October 30, 2023, the City Council held a special meeting to receive an overview of Draft General Plan 2040’s Land Use Element, Introduction and Glossary, receive public comments and provide direction to staff on these sections. During the meeting, the Council discussed and provided direction on updates and revisions to the Introduction, Glossary, Land Use Element and Land Use Map. The final part of the discussion focused on if the High II land use designation, with a height range of 6-10 stories and density range of 100-200 units per acre, should stay in the Land Use Element, or if it should be removed, with all sites receiving a High I designation (5-8 stories and 100-130 du/ac). Following robust deliberation and discussion, a majority of Council appeared interested in setting High I as the maximum for heights and densities, but were open to potentially allowing High II heights and densities in exchange for meaningful community benefits. Given the late hour and an interest in getting additional information on this topic, Council voted to adjourn the meeting to November 13, 2023 before final direction was provided. Council requested additional information on parcels within ¼-mile of a Caltrain station, the Measure Y community benefits framework, and what could be allowed under the recently enacted state legislation AB 1287.
To provide additional information related to parcels in close proximity to a Caltrain station, three maps have been prepared (Attachments 1-3) and include the following information:
•Map A – Shows all parcels with a High I or High II land use designation and a 0.25-mile radius around each Caltrain station.
•Map B – Shows parcels over 0.5 acre that are within ¼ mile radius of a Caltrain station; these parcels are shown with their Draft GP designation.
•Map C – Shows all parcels over 0.5 acre that are within a Study Area; these parcels are shown with their Draft GP designation.
These maps provide a visual representation of some parameters that could be used to define what sites could be eligible to provide community benefits in exchange for additional height /density. These parameters include proximity to a Caltrain station, minimum lot size (1/2-acre), within a study area, and adjacency to low density residential neighborhoods.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
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With regard to the framework to allow for additional height and density in Measure Y, and Measures P and H before, it notes that “densities up to 75 units per acre, heights up to 75 feet and appropriate FARs may be allowed in the following areas ... for projects which provide public benefits or amenities substantially greater than code requirements.” The specified areas where projects could seek additional height and density include portions of the El Camino Real corridor, certain areas within Downtown, an area around the HWY 101/HWY 92 interchange and Mariners Island. Staff was unable to locate any documentation that elaborated on why those specific areas were selected.
Since the original Measure H was approved by the voters in 1990, various Community Benefit policies have been adopted by Council, with an updated interim community benefits framework adopted in 2021 being the most recent version (Attachment 4). However, only two projects have been built that have been granted additional height in exchange for community benefits. Both projects, with the community benefits provided, are outlined in the table below.
Project Year Built Community Benefits
Bridgepointe Office
Building
No address on record
1996 Ongoing general fund revenue (TOT), assumed responsibility of farmers market, shoreline park improvements, mariners island improvements, purchase of tidelands park, skateboard and roller hockey facility, library equipment, and contributed to library business/investment center
San Mateo Marriott
1770 S. Amphlett Ave
1997 Concar Park Improvements, Street and sidewalk frontage improvements, crosswalk improvements, and landscape and irrigation improvements More recently, projects have utilized State Density Bonus laws to achieve density bonuses and height concessions in exchange for providing affordable housing units. Thus, the community benefits framework, as well as earlier versions that were adopted to implement Measures H and P, have not been utilized by any projects in more than 20 years.
Turning to the Density Bonus Law, AB 1287 (2023) amended these rules and goes into effect on January 1, 2024. Under AB 1287, a development project would first have to maximize the production of Very Low, Low, or Moderate-Income units under current Density Bonus Law rules, which would yield a maximum 50 percent density bonus. Only then must a city or county grant a housing development an additional density bonus when an applicant proposes to provide additional deed- restricted units at the Moderate-Income level (which now could be rental units) or at the Very-Low income level. This could result in an additional density bonus of up to 38.75 percent in return for providing additional Very-Low Income units, or an additional density bonus of up to 50 percent in return for providing additional Moderate-Income units. A fact sheet on AB 1287 is included as Attachment 5. Density bonuses, waivers, and concessions that result from the application of State Law are allowed to exceed the local limits set by Measure Y.
With this additional information to help guide the decision-making process, staff seeks clarification on two key questions:
1. Should there be a focused framework to allow for projects in specified areas to request heights up to 10 stories and/or densities up to 200 units/acre (High II)?
2. Should eight stories and 130 units/acre (High I) be the maximum limits established in the Land Use Element?
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Map A – High I and High II Land Use Designations Att 2 – Map B – Parcels Over ½-Acre Within ¼-Mile Caltrain Station Radius Att 3 – Map C – Parcels Over ½-Acre within a Study Area Att 4 – Interim Community Benefits Framework Handout
Att 5 – AB 1287 Fact Sheet (distributed by Assemblymember David Alvarez)
STAFF CONTACT
Zachary Dahl, Interim Director Community Development
[email protected]
(650) 522-7207