The Carey School Early Childhood Center Project Description 2033 La Salle Drive, San Mateo, CA 94403 APN: 039-040-080 Updated: July 22, 2025 The Carey School is excited to submit this project description and associated plans with our development
application
to
construct
a
new
early
childhood
center
in
San
Mateo,
CA
(“City”).
The
Carey
School
(“TCS”)
is
a
Preschool
through
5th
grade
private
school
located
in
San
Mateo.
The
K-5
school
is
located
off
of
La
Salle
Drive
on
the
TCS
campus,
while
the
Preschool
is
currently
located
in
a
leased
building
located
at
3900
Alameda
de
Las
Pulgas
at
the
Transfiguration
Church.
Over
the
last
several
years,
TCS
has
been
providing
quality
child
care
in
the
City
and
“…recognizes
the
importance
of
quality
child
care
and
the
role
child
care
and
preschool
programs
play
in
the
development
of
our
families’
children
while
also
supporting
the
economic
well-being
of
our
community.”
(City
of
San
Mateo
Website,
https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/4670/Child-Care-Facilities-Fund). As a result of this commitment for quality care, TCS has entered into an option to purchase the property adjacent to the TCS campus
with
the
intention
of
redeveloping
the
site
into
a
new
early
childhood
center
that
will
expand
the
capacity
of
the
preschool
program
to
accommodate
up
to
75 children
(an
increase
of
35 students
from
the
current
40)
immediately
adjacent
to
the
existing
campus.
In the recently adopted 2040 General Plan, the City reaffirmed its commitment to prioritizing innovative
approaches
to
increase
the
supply
of
child
care
spaces
within
the
City.
TCS’
Early
Childhood
Center
aspires
to
meet
the
goals
and
policies
outlined
in
the
General
Plan
and
TCS
looks
forward
to
partnering
with
the
City
to
achieve
this
vision
(2040
General
Plan,
Chapter
7 Public
Services
and
Facilities
Element,
Pages
169-172).
GOAL PSF-6 Foster the healthy development and education of children of all abilities, incomes,
and
backgrounds.
● Policy PSF 6.2 Child Care Needs. Support the provision of child-care programs and facilities
to
meet
the
needs
of
children
of
all
abilities,
incomes,
and
backgrounds
through
2040.
● Policy PSF 6.3 Provision of Child Care. Encourage public and private agencies and employers
to
provide
child-care
services
and
facilities.
● Policy PSF 6.5 Child Care Centers in Residential and Employment Areas. Encourage child
care
centers
in
residential
neighborhoods
where
they
meet
City
standards
and
at
employment
centers.
Site and Project Description TCS is seeking to obtain approvals to construct a new Early Childhood Center. TCS is located at
1 Carey
School
Lane
in
San
Mateo
(“Project”).
On
August
9,
2024,
TCS
entered
into
an
option
agreement
with
the
owners
of
2033
La
Salle
Drive,
San
Mateo,
CA
(“Project
Site”)
to
the
North
of
the
existing
school
in
order
to
purchase
the
existing
single
family
home
and
convert
it
into
a
new
early
childhood
(preschool)
center.
This
option
agreement
expires
on
December
31,
2025.
Even
though
the
Project
would
be
owned
and
operated
by
TCS,
it
is
requesting
approval
as
a
stand
alone
project
that
will
not
affect
the
current
operations
or
its
current
K-5
enrollment.
The Project Site is currently occupied by a 2,427-square-foot, one-story, single-family residence with
an
approximately
640
square
foot
accessory
dwelling
unit
and
891
square
feet
of
multiple
accessory
structures,
on
a
26,380-square-foot
parcel.
There
are
residential
neighbors
immediately
to
the
north,
residential
neighbors
across
La
Salle
Drive
to
the
west,
Serra
High
School
to
the
east,
and
the
main
Carey
School
campus
to
the
south,
directly
across
an
unnamed
creek.
The Project would demolish the existing residence and accessory structures to replace them with
an
Early
Childhood
Center,
consisting
of
an
1-story,
approximately
5,908-square-foot
building,
and
an
approximately
126-square-foot
trash
enclosure,
consistent
with
the
proposed
Q8
overlay.
The
new
building,
designed
for
up
to
75 preschool-aged
children,
ages
2-5
years
old,
will
have
six
classrooms
and
a
total
of
16 teachers.
The
building
will
also
include
ancillary
and
support
spaces,
including
a
reception
area,
office,
and
a
teacher
workroom.
An
outdoor
play
area,
in
compliance
with
State
Daycare
Licensing
requirements
and
a
teaching
garden
will
be
included.
Approximately 10 trees will be removed to redevelop the site. These will be replaced with 29 new
trees,
including
seventeen
24-inch
box
trees
and
twelve
36-inch
box
trees.
The
larger
trees
will
be
planted
along
the
perimeter
of
the
site,
providing
a
green
buffer
and
a
filtered
view
to
the
Project
Site.
The
proposed
landscape
plan
will
fully
comply
with
C3
stormwater
management
requirements,
and
the
Model
Water
Efficient
Landscape
Ordinance
(MWELO)
requirements,
including
drought-tolerant
materials
and
plants
appropriate
for
the
Project’s
climate
zone.
Site improvements will also include new 7-foot-height perimeter fencing (with the top 1-foot portion
being
50 percent
open)
and
a
new,
at-grade,
onsite
parking
lot
with
one-way
access
and
an
integrated
pick-up/drop-off
passenger
loading
zone
to
allow
for
streamlined
access
to
the
site
and
a
safer
pick-up/drop-off
process.
The Project complies with R1-B setbacks including 15-foot front-, side-, and rear-yard setbacks; a
20-foot
watercourse
setback
measured
from
the
top
of
creek
bank;
and
the
maximum
allowable
floor
area
for
a
parcel
of
this
size
in
the
Q8
overlay
zone.
The design approach of the Project is to provide a design that best supports the school’s unique early
childhood
programmatic
needs,
while
also
respecting
the
context
of
the
neighborhood.
The U-shaped building allows for the three sides of the building to provide a protected area for the
play
yard
to
the
south,
with
the
building
rotated
so
that
it
provides
visual
and
acoustic
separation
of
the
play
yard
from
the
residential
neighbors
to
the
north
and
west.
The
low-slung
massing
of
the
1-story
building,
with
gently
sloping
roofs
that
slope
away
from
the
street
and
neighbors,
minimizes
the
scale
of
the
building
at
the
street
and
the
property
lines
shared
with
residential
neighbors.
The
stucco
building,
which
is
11’-6”
tall
at
its
lowest
point
near
neighbors,
and
15’-0”
tall
at
its
highest
point
at
the
center
of
the
parcel,
is
consistent
with
the
scale
and
materiality
of
its
residential
neighbors.
An unnamed creek exists to the south of the Project Site. TCS engaged HT Harvey and Associates,
qualified
biologists,
to
study
the
site,
conduct
a
site
visit,
document
an
appropriate
riparian
setback
and
advise
the
project
team
to
ensure
that
the
Project
is
sufficiently
setback
and
designed
to
avoid
the
creek.
A
copy
of
their
memo
is
included
as
Attachment
1. This
is
consistent
with
the
2040
General
Plan,
GOAL
COS-3
which
states
”Protect
and
improve
San
Mateo’s
creeks
as
valuable
habitat
and
components
of
human
and
environmental
health.”
(2040
General
Plan,
Chapter
6,
Conservation,
Open
Space
and
Recreation
Element,
Page
138).
TCS agrees to provide maintenance access to the track rack that will allow the City’s annual maintenance.
TCS
does
not
believe
that
a
dedicated
public
utility
easement
is
warranted
for
this
minimal
access
and
proposes
a
maintenance
agreement
be
executed
by
the
parties
prior
to
issuance
of
the
Building
Permits
that
will
delineate
where
access
is
required.
Traffic and Parking TCS engaged Kimley Horn to prepare a traffic memo including a parking assessment. The traffic
and
parking
memo
also
includes
an
analysis
of
the
ECC
operations
and
staggered
drop
off
pick
up
schedule
to
minimize
any
neighborhood
concerns
related
to
traffic.
At
the
DRB
meeting
on
July
1,
2025,
Kimley
Horn,
on
behalf
of
TCS,
discussed
the
proposed
approach
and
findings
of
the
traffic
and
parking
study.
The
Traffic
and
Parking
Evaluation
Memorandum
for
2033
La
Salle
Drive
dated
July
22,
2025
including
all
findings
is
included
as
Attachment
19. The
Parking
License
Lease
Agreements
with
1900-2000
Alameda
are
attached
as
Attachments
20 and
21. Neighborhood Meeting On January 9, 2025, TCS hosted a neighborhood meeting by Zoom following the City’s Planning Application
Guide
requirements.
A
neighborhood
meeting
notice
was
mailed
to
residents
within
1000
feet
of
the
Project
Site
on
December
6,
2024.
Meeting Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tn5pZRsB2MfY54Y9OWm6n8sXUUXQDcMc/view?usp=sharing Please see Attachment 2 to access the Meeting Notes, Attachment 3 to access the attendees and
contact
information,
and
Attachment
4 to
review
the
follow
up
letters
sent
to
the
meeting
attendees. Additionally, Attachment 16 includes an updated list of contact information for the neighborhood
meeting
participants
requested
by
the
City.
Entitlements The project site is located in a Residential Low land use category of the General Plan. The site is
currently
zoned
R1-B
and
“public
and
private
educational
facilities”
are
a
compatible
use
in
the R1-B zoning designation with a Special Use Permit (SUP) (Section 27.18.030 Special Uses of the San Mateo Zoning Code). The Project is a private early childhood center that provides educational and developmental services
to
preschool
age
children
to
prepare
them
to
enter
elementary
school.
The
foundation
of
the
program
includes
a
robust
educational
curriculum.
TCS
is
the
operator
of
the
Center,
and
is
a
private
school,
not
under
any
public
administration
(Section
27.04.400,
Private
School).
See
Attachment
5 for
more
information
on
TCS
previously
circulated.
A
sample
curriculum
and
daily
school
schedule
was
previously
included
as
Attachment
6. The following approvals are being requested to entitle and construct the proposed Early Childhood
Center:
● Reclassification to add the Q8 Overlay to allow for the development pursuant to standards
and
regulations
reflecting
the
unique
characteristics
of
the
site,
SMMC
Section
27.08.020;
27.60.100,
180
● Special Use Permit for the substantial removal of the existing single family residence- SMMC
Section
27.18.035(b)
● Special Use Permit for the proposed Early Childhood Center “private educational facility” on
the
project
site
● Site Plan Architectural Review (SPAR) for the design of the new building on the project site.
● Site Development Planning Application (SDPA) for grading SMMC Section 23.40.040 We look forward to continuing to work with the City of San Mateo to bring additional child care services
to
the
City,
including
spots
for
subsidized
care.
If
you
have
any
questions
or
concerns,
please don’t hesitate to contact Neely Norris at (650) 345-2044 / [email protected] or Kohar Kojayan at (925) 785-6053 / [email protected]. Attachments Previously Transmitted Attachment 1 - HT Harvey Memo (provided to City February 14, 2025) Attachment 2 - Neighborhood Meeting Notes (provided to City February 14, 2025) Attachment 3 - Neighborhood Meeting Attendees (provided to City February 14, 2025) Attachment 4 - Neighbor Follow Up Letters (provided to City February 14, 2025) Attachment 5 - The Carey School Brochure (provided to City February 14, 2025) Attachment 6 - ECC Curriculum and Daily Schedule (provided to City February 14, 2025) Attachment 7 - Incompleteness Letter Response Matrix dated May 12, 2025 Attachment 8 - Redline Section 27.60/180 (h) - Q8 Overlay Zoning Text Modifications Attachment 9 - Housing Crisis Act Memo dated April 22, 2025 Attachment 10 - Sewer Analysis dated May 12, 2025 Attachment 11 - Storm Water Checklist dated May 12, 2025 Attachment 12 - Geotechnical Report dated February 11, 2025 Attachment 13 - CEQA Exemption Memo dated May 12, 2025 Attachment 14 - Recology Approval Letter dated May 13, 2025 Currently Transmitted Attachment 15 - 2nd Incompleteness Letter Response Matrix dated July 22, 2025 Attachment 16 - Updated Neighborhood Meeting Attendees Contact Information Attachment 17 - CEQA Exemption Memo dated July 14, 2025 (updated from previous submittal -
no
city
response
received
on
previously
transmitted
version)
Attachment 18 - Housing Crisis Act Memo revised July 17, 2025 Attachment 19 - Traffic and Parking Evaluation Memorandum for 2033 La Salle Drive prepared by
Kimley
Horn
dated
July
22,
2025
Attachment 20 - Parking License Agreement dated July 25, 2018 Attachment 21 - Amended Parking License Agreement dated February 6, 2025