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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: 25 Section Name: PUBLIC HEARING Account Number: 26-3111 File ID: 26-11297 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Community Development Department
MEETING DATE: June 15, 2026
SUBJECT:
New Multi-Family Residential Development (PA-2025-063) — Approval RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution to approve the Site Plan and Architectural Review (SPAR) and Site Development Planning Application (SDPA) for the construction of a new multi-family residential building with 232 units and associated improvements at 220 W. 20th Avenue, and find that the Project is Statutorily Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Assembly Bill 130, based on the findings for approval and subject to the conditions of approval.
BACKGROUND:
On April 9, 2025, Summerhill Apartment Communities (“the applicant”) submitted a Planning Application (PA2025-063) to demolish an existing 28,500 square-foot office building and construct of a new multi-family residential apartment building containing 232 units (“the Project”). The proposed residential building would be seven stories tall, with an enclosed three- story parking garage containing 277 spaces, and would be approximately 357,588 square feet in size. Of the 232 residential rental units proposed, 31 are Below Market Rate (BMR) affordable housing units; with 23 BMR units dedicated to Very Low- Income households and 8 BMR units dedicated to Moderate Income households. The proposed unit mix includes urban one- bedroom, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. This application follows the submittal of a Preliminary Application (PA-2024-028) made under the Housing Crisis Act (Senate Bill 330), which was submitted on April 9, 2025. A Neighborhood Informational Meeting was held by the applicant on May 15, 2025.
On May 26, 2026, the Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider the Project. Following public comments and deliberation, the Planning Commission voted unanimously (5-0) to recommend that the City Council approve the Project.
The Commission included a recommendation to provide flexibility from the City’s Street Tree Master Plan on final species of street trees to be installed to reduce maintenance issues and ensure that the trees work well with the Project design. The applicant has also requested flexibility from the City’s Street Tree Master Plan to allow for different street tree species to be planted.
This Project requires approval by the City Council in accordance with SMMC Section 27.06.050(d), as the Project exceeds the height limit in the General Plan. The Project site has a General Plan Land Use Designation of Residential Medium II, which allows buildings up to six stories. The proposed Project has a height of seven stories and is utilizing a State Density Bonus waiver to exceed this General Plan standard, discussed in further detail below.
Project Site
The Project site is located at 220 W. 20th Avenue, bounded by Elkhorn Court to the east, the existing Lark Apartments to the north and the existing Corte Bella residential development to the west. In addition, there is an existing, 23-foot wide, 6,118 square-foot common area, that contains a 20-foot wide Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) along the western property boundary that currently provides emergency access to the existing Lark residential development to the rear. The site is 1.54
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acres (67,082 square feet) in size, has a General Plan land use designation of Residential Medium II and is zoned E1-1/R4 (Executive Park/Multiple Family Dwellings/High Density). Surrounding uses include multi-family residences to the North and West, Asiya Shriners offices containing child and elder care uses to the East, and a one-story office building and the Elks Lodge to the South across 20 th Avenue. The site is within a half mile of the Hayward Park Caltrain Station to the east. A location map showing the Project site is included as Attachment 2.
Project Description
The Project includes a seven-story multi-family residential building with 232 residential units. Of the total 232 units, 31 units are provided as Below Market Rate (BMR) affordable units. Of the BMR units, 23 will be restricted to the Very Low- Income affordability level, and the other 8 will be restricted to the Moderate Income affordability level. The unit mix is shown in Table 1 below. The BMR units are distributed throughout each story of the building.
Table 1 – Proposed Units
Unit Type BMR Units
(Very-Low)
BMR Units
(Moderate)
Market Rate Units Total Units
Urban 1 bedroom1 2 0 11 13
1-bedroom 14 8 123 145
2-bedroom 6 0 57 63
3-bedroom 1 0 10 11
TOTAL: 23 8 201 232
The Project contains 277 off-street covered parking stalls in a three-level parking garage, with one level below grade. The main pedestrian and parking garage access to the building is located off Elkhorn Court. Eight of the spaces are dedicated for guests and are located on site, but outside the gated resident parking area within the garage, and 233 spaces will have access to Electric Vehicle charging stations. Additionally, of the total 277 parking spaces provided, 21 are proposed as mechanical horizontal slider spaces. Bicycle parking facilities include 254 long-term secured bicycle storage racks located within the parking areas and exterior bike racks along the Elkhorn Court frontage to accommodate the required 16 short-term bicycle parking spaces. The Project also provides a series of public infrastructure improvements, including a new rolled curb at the existing Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA), a new crosswalk with flashing lights at the intersection of W. 20 th Avenue and Elkhorn Court, and sidewalk improvements per the City’s Pedestrian Master Plan. The Project proposes to share emergency vehicle access with, as well as provide some minor improvements to, this EVA.
Open space amenities include private patios for the residential units, as well as shared spaces for the residents that include a swimming pool and clubroom that opens to a podium courtyard on the third level. Four additional shared open spaces for residents on the sixth and seventh floors provide multiple outdoor activity areas; these include a work-from-home space and adjacent deck on the sixth floor, and a lounge, two outdoor patios, and a dog run on the seventh floor. The Project proposes a new public plaza at the street level near the corner of W. 20th Avenue and Elkhorn Court. The plaza would include public art, landscaping, and seating. Project plans showing the proposed site plan, floor plans, elevations, and architectural renderings are included as Attachment 3.
APPLICABLE CODE AND POLICY REVIEW:
General Plan and Zoning Code
The General Plan 2040 designates the site as Residential Medium II, which allows a base density of 99 dwelling units per acre or a base of 153 units for this 1.54-acre site. As noted above, the Project exceeds the otherwise allowable General Plan density through application of State Density Bonus Law (SDBL). A list of applicable General Plan policies and a discussion of the Project’s conformance to them is included in the Draft Resolution in Attachment 1.
The Project site is zoned E1-1/R4 (Executive Park/Multiple Family Dwellings/High Density), which establishes development 1 “ Urban 1-bedrooms” are designed to be a type of studio unit, with a partial wall separating the living and sleeping areas. Since the separation is not a full wall, this is not counted as a bedroom.
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standards for floor area ratio (FAR), setbacks, and open space. The Project conforms to various development standards, including floor area, most setbacks, landscaping, most parking, and loading requirements. The land use designation, which governs height limits, allows up to six stories on the site, while the Project proposes a seven-story building. Any deviation from a development standard for the proposed project is noted as a requested waiver through application of SDBL (a complete list of the Project waivers is included in Attachment 1, Exhibit B). With approval of the requested waivers, the Project will conform to all applicable development standards. A project Data Table listing the applicable zoning standards and the Project’s conformance to the standards is included as Attachment 4.
Parking Standards
The Project site is located within a half mile of the San Mateo Hayward Park Caltrain Station, which is a major transit stop.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 65863.2 (AB 2097), the Project is not subject to minimum parking requirements or parking in-lieu fees. Despite the fact that no parking is required, the proposed Project does include 277 off-street parking stalls for residents and visitors.
Transportation Analysis
The Project is exempt from Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) analysis pursuant to AB 130, which establishes a statutory exemption for qualifying infill projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Project’ s eligibility under this exemption is discussed further below. The project was reviewed by staff, consistent with the General Plan, for compliance with the City’s Local Transportation Analysis Guidelines to address potential impacts on traffic operations. Trip generation data was provided by the applicant and peer reviewed by staff. The trip generation analysis indicates that the Project would result in approximately 995 net new daily vehicle trips, with 60 trips (20 inbound and 40 outbound) during the AM peak hour and 48 trips (34 inbound and 14 outbound) during the PM peak hour. A Level of Service (LOS) analysis was conducted and demonstrates that, with the addition of the new project trips, all four of the intersections studied would operate at acceptable levels during both the AM and PM peak hours of traffic under existing and opening year conditions.
Under cumulative project conditions, the LOS analysis concludes that all intersections except for the Elkhorn Court/Project Driveway intersection would operate under an unacceptable level of service during one of the peak hours; however, the analysis further concludes that the project is not expected to create an adverse effect on either the Alameda de las Pulgas/W. 20th Avenue or the El Camino Real/W. 20 th Avenue during either peak hour as the project would not increase the average delay by 4 seconds or more. The Elkhorn Court/Pioneer Court and W. 20th Avenue intersection is expected to degrade under cumulative plus project conditions during the AM peak hour, but the intersection would not meet the signal warrant analysis.
Therefore, the Project would not have an adverse effect on the intersection.
Although not specifically recommended or required in the traffic study, the applicant worked with the City and mutually agreed to install a High Visibility Crosswalk with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons across W. 20 th Avenue to improve pedestrian safety and provide traffic calming as a result of feedback received during their community outreach. This improvement has been added as a Project condition, included in Attachment 1, Exhibit A.
While not required by the City, the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) of San Mateo County requires a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Checklist for new developments and projects involving a change of use within the County, and are required to achieve a minimum 25 percent trip reduction. The Project as proposed is expected to reduce trips by 26 percent with the required and recommended TDM measures, thus satisfying the C/CAG trip reduction requirements. The draft Conditions of Approval requiring implementation of these TDM measures are detailed in Attachment 1 Exhibit A. The complete Hexagon Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) is included as Attachment 6.
APPLICABLE HOUSING LAWS:
State Density Bonus Law
The Project utilizes the provisions of State Density Bonus Law (SDBL) in accordance with Government Code Section 65915 and as locally adopted in SMMC Chapter 27.15 Density Bonus. To comply with Density Bonus regulations, the City must allow for increased residential density, reduced parking standards, and “concessions” and “waivers” from development standards for residential projects that provide a certain percentage of units as units as affordable to Very Low, Low, or Moderate-
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Income households.
The applicant proposes to designate 15 percent of the 153 unit base density for Very Low-income households, which qualifies the project for an additional 50 percent density bonus. Additionally, the applicant proposes to designate five percent of the 153-unit base density for Moderate income households, which qualifies for an additional 20 percent density bonus. As such, through application of SDBL, the applicant is entitled to up to a 70 percent density bonus. This would have resulted in up to 261 allowable units; however, the applicant proposes only a 51 percent density bonus (for 232 total units, at 151 units/acre).
Concession and Waiver Requests
SDBL also allows the applicant to request up to three incentives or concessions and unlimited waivers from development standards. Generally speaking, a concession (or incentive) is a reduction or modification of a development standard that results in identifiable or actual cost reductions to provide for affordable housing costs, helping to make the Project financially feasible. (A concession also includes a reduction in site development standards or a modification of zoning code requirements that exceed minimum building standards, as specified.) A waiver is a modification of a standard that would otherwise physically preclude the construction of the Project at the allowed density. The Project application does not identify any incentive or concession requests under SDBL. However, the Project is seeking several waivers for aspects of the proposed development that do not meet various City standards. The applicant has included a summary of the Project waivers in a density bonus request letter (Attachment 5). A complete list of the Project waivers is included in Attachment 1, Exhibit B.
Other Applicable State Laws
In addition to State Density Bonus Law, there are several other State Laws that regulate housing development projects. For this Project, the applicable laws include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
The Housing Crisis Act (Senate Bill 330)
Under Senate Bill 330 (SB 330), the Project vests the ordinances, policies, and standards adopted and in effect when a preliminary application was submitted to the City. This Project submitted a Preliminary Application under SB 330 on April 9, 2025, and is therefore vested to the ordinances, policies, and standards in place as of this date.
The Housing Accountability Act (HAA)
The HAA limits a local agency’s ability to deny, reduce the density of, or render housing development projects infeasible if objective standards are met. As proposed, this Project meets all applicable objective standards in the General Plan, Zoning Code, and other local policy documents that were in effect at the time the preliminary application was submitted under SB330.
Assembly Bill 130
Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) allows a statutory exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for housing development projects on sites under 20 acres that meet specific qualifying criteria. In addition to the CEQA exemption, AB130 requires the Project to be processed on an expedited timeline. This Project meets the qualifying criteria for AB 130.
Below Market Rate (Inclusionary) Program
The City’s Below Market Rate (BMR) Program requires rental projects of 11 or more units to dedicate a minimum of 15 percent of the proposed units to at least the Moderate-Income category. The applicant proposes to designate 31 units as BMR units, 23 of which are dedicated to Very-Low Income households and eight to Moderate-Income households, which meets the City’s Inclusionary Program. These affordable units are required to be distributed throughout the development, have access to all on-site amenities, generally be of comparable size to similar market rate units, and have an exterior design and appearance compatible with similar market rate units.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS:
Site Plan and Architectural Review (SPAR)
The Project requires a Site Plan and Architectural Review (SPAR) approval for construction of a new building in accordance with SMMC Section 27.08.030. Staff have reviewed the Project for compliance with the Objective Design Standards and
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worked with the applicant to revise portions of the design for greater compatibility with these standards and the surrounding neighborhood context. Detailed findings for approval of the SPAR are included in the Resolution (Attachment 1).
Site Development Permit and Tree Removal (SDPA)
The project requires a Site Development Planning Application (SDPA) approval for removal of major vegetation and grading of the site. The SMMC defines “major vegetation,” as live vegetation consisting of tree growth with a trunk diameter of six inches or greater measured at 54 inches above natural grade. The SMMC also defines a Protected Tree as any heritage tree or street tree. Heritage trees include any oak tree with a minimum diameter of 10 inches measured at 54 inches above natural grade as well as any other species with a diameter of 15 inches measured at 54 inches above natural grade.
The Project proposes the removal of a total of 27 trees, nine of which qualify as protected trees. All trees proposed for removal are located within the proposed building footprint or other site improvement areas. The equivalent landscape unit (LU) value of the removed trees will be replaced, as conditioned, through a combination of the planting of new trees and payment of an in-lieu fee in accordance with Municipal Code Section 27.71. While the Project proposes the removal of 27 trees, the applicant also proposes to plant 62new trees. The Project will pay an in-lieu fee to the City’s Tree Planting Fund to account for the remaining LU value loss, as required by code. Details regarding the SDPA findings for approval are provided in the Resolution (Attachment 1).
For the street trees, the Project proposes a species consistent with that required by the City’s Street Tree Master Plan but would be interested in using an alternative tree that requires less significant maintenance. A Planning Commissioner expressed concern that the street tree species required for 20th Avenue and Elkhorn Court could cause damage and require significant maintenance. To address this, the Commission recommended that City Council allow flexibility in street tree selection to allow for a different approved street tree species to be planted along the two street frontages. If the Council supports this recommendation, it could add a condition of approval that allows this flexibility so long as the tree species is approved by the City Arborist and Community Development Department.
Design Review – Objective Design Standards
The Project was reviewed for consistency with the City’s Multi-Family and Residential Mixed-Use Objective Design Standards (ODS). The proposed architectural style is best characterized as contemporary, expressed through a combination of cement plaster, wood grain metal siding, smooth plaster, a two-story brick base and other complementary materials that articulate building volumes and emphasize projections and step-backs. Traditional design elements are also incorporated through material selections including brick veneer accent, vinyl windows with foam trim, with smooth plaster finish. Two primary color schemes are provided throughout the building, incorporating neutral tones such as earthen taupe shaded plaster and stucco and wood grain siding, along with other darker brown based accent colors including metal trims and awnings. Overall, the building maintains a relative consistent height, unit width, and massing throughout the development.
The proposed building is classified as mid-rise structure pursuant to the City’s ODS, with roof peaks staggering between approximately 60 feet to 81 feet. While the overall proposed building is up to seven stories in height, it staggers in appearance of a five and six story building in front of W. 20 th Avenue. The architectural aesthetic uses a gridded window pattern and a strong base, middle and top articulation. Architectural articulation is emphasized along the side and front façades through step-backs, projections, and façade modulation at intervals of approximately ten to fifteen feet. The building proposes recessed windows, a differentiation of its base and upper levels through use of different materials, stepbacks at upper levels, staggered roof heights through varying building stories, and ground floor pedestrian entries with direct sidewalk access. The Project, through application of SDBL, requests several waivers from some of the ODS, specifically related to minimum top stepback distance, massing breaks, residential entry heights above adjacent sidewalk, variation in roof height, and a slight excess of maximum landscaping hardscape. A complete list of the requested ODS waivers is provided in Attachment 1, Exhibit B.
NOTICE PROVIDED AND PUBLIC COMMENTS:
The applicant held a formal Neighborhood Informational Meeting on May 15, 2025, which was attended by approximately 35 participants. Subsequent to this initial community meeting, the applicant held an additional 11 outreach and engagement
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events with surrounding neighbors. A summary of the applicant’s community outreach efforts is provided in Attachment 8.
In response to the various community feedback received throughout these efforts, the applicant made a series of project revisions as summarized below:
Added a crosswalk at W. 20 th and Elkhorn Court (in consultation with the City). Added and enlarged a loading zone along Elkhorn Court. Revised some previously proposed tandem parking spaces to mechanical parking lifts. Added and enlarged the proposed on-site dog run.
Made various architectural design revisions to materials and exterior treatments. Improved the Recology pick up location and trash plan. Offered to repaint existing red curb at neighboring Corte Bella development and assist in finding a replacement light fixture.
Offered to repaint and install formal City signage at the neighboring Asiya Shriners building loading zone.
For the May 26 Planning Commission Meeting, five written comments were received (Attachment 9) and 14 speakers provided verbal comments at the meeting. Comments in support of the project emphasized the need for more housing; while other comments raised concerns about potential impacts from not enough parking and traffic circulation – specifically related to safety of the children and adult users of the Shriners facility during drop and pick off times on Elkhorn Court, and other longer term impacts as a result of more vehicles into and out of a narrow cul-de-sac street. Following the May 26, 2026 Planning Commission meeting, the applicant and City staff coordinated to meet with Shriners to further discuss their stated concerns.
All meeting noticing requirements for this hearing were met. The Project was noticed per Government Code Section 65091 and Section 27.08.050 of the Zoning Code, with mailed notices sent to owners and residents within 1,000 feet of the Project site, and City placards posted on the Project site 10 days prior to the public hearing. In addition to the required noticing, public hearing information for the Project was sent to the City’s Planning “Notify Me” email list.
As of the date of this publication, no public comment has been received. Any public comments received after the publication of this report will be forwarded to the City Council for review and consideration and posted to this item on the City’s Agendas & Minutes Public Meeting Portal as “Post Packet Public Comments.” BUDGET IMPACT:
As a new housing project filed under SB 330, the Project would be subject to several impact and in-lieu fees in effect at the time of the application filing date, including the ones listed below, which are assessed and collected prior to the issuance of building permits or occupancy. These estimates are exclusive of any credits that the Project may receive due to the existing building on site:
●Child Care Development Fee, assessed on commercial and office floor area, to offset the impact on the need for future childcare space needs by new development. The fee is estimated at $782.643. ●Parkland Impact Fee, to mitigate impact to parkland and open space recreational areas as a result of residential development. The fee is estimated at $1,519,970.
●Transportation Improvement Fee, to offset the cost of transportation improvements to serve new development.
The fee is estimated at $598,449.
●School Impact Fees, charged at $4.94 per sq. ft. of residential area, to offset the increased demands on school facilities caused by new development based on new residential and commercial floor area. The School Impact fees are calculated by the School District.
●Landscape Unit In-Lieu Fee, to compensate for removed street trees, on-site trees and for every 400 square feet of required landscaping area in accordance with the City’s Comprehensive Fee Schedule. The fee is estimated at $21,222.
●Wastewater Capacity Charge, for net increase of wastewater generation based on net increase of average daily flow for all uses. The fee is estimated at $1,669,652.
●Public Art Fee in the amount of 1.19% of the total building valuation (excluding land acquisition and off-site improvement cost) in-lieu of providing on-site public art, which can be paid or waived with the installation of public art.
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ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Project meets the criteria to be statutorily exempt from further environmental review pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.66. This exemption was enacted as a part of Assembly Bill 130 (AB130), effective as of June 30, 2025. The applicant has provided a memo detailing the Project’s qualification under AB130, included as Attachment 7. Staff have reviewed the eligibility criteria and determined that the Project meets the qualifying criteria under AB 130.
In accordance with Public Resources Code Section 21080.66(b)(1)(A), the City formally notified Native American tribes and invited consultation regarding the Project and its potential impacts on tribal cultural resources. One tribe responded to the City’s notice and requested consultation. The Project Conditions of Approval (Attachment 1, Exhibit A) include conditions required to satisfy requirements of AB130 to avoid impacts to tribal cultural resources. In addition, consistent with Public Resources Code 21080.66(c), the Project Conditions of Approval include a requirement for the applicant to complete a phase I environmental assessment, and to mitigate any hazards as required per the statute.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Resolution with Findings
Exhibit A - Conditions of Approval
Exhibit B – Density Bonus Waivers
Att 2 – Location and Zoning Maps
Att 3 – Project Plans
Att 4 – Project Data Table
Att 5 – Density Bonus Request Letter
Att 6 – Transportation Impact Analysis
Att 7 – CEQA AB 130 Exemption Memo
Att 8 – Applicant’s Community Outreach Summary
Att 9 – Public Comments
STAFF CONTACTS
Joanna Winter, Planning Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7211
Stephanie Davis, Contract Planner
[email protected]
(650) 522-7232