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CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
LINDENVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
Final Draft
City Council
Flor Nicolas, Mayor
Mark Nagales, Vice Mayor
Mark Addiego, Councilmember
James Coleman, Councilmember
Eddie Flores, Councilmember
Planning Commission
Alex Tzang, Chair
Norm Faria, Vice-Chair
John Baker
Michelle Evans
Sarah Funes-Ozturk
Aysha Pamukcu
Sam Shihadeh
City Staff
Tony Rozzi, Economic & Community Development Deputy
Director
Billy Gross, Principal Planner
Lisa Costa Sanders, Project Administrator
Sharon Ranals, City Manager
Christina Fernandez, Chief Sustainability Officer
Nell Selander, Economic & Community Development
Director
Jess Magallanes, Fire Chief
Valerie Sommer, Library Director
Greg Mediati, Parks & Recreation Director
Scott Campbell, Police Chief
Eunejune Kim, Public Works Director
Technical Working Group
Dave Bockhaus
Angela Duldulao
Jason Hallare
Ian Hardage
Eli Kaplan
Eunejune Kim
Greg Mediati
Ethan Mizzi
Erin O’Brien
Audrey Park
Matthew Ruble
Brian Schumacker
Nell Selander
Nicholas Talbot
Susan Tam
Millie Tolleson
Mike Toscano
Makena Wong
Consultant Team
RAIMI + ASSOCIATES
SERA ARCHITECTS
FEHR & PEERS
SHERWOOD DESIGN ENGINEERS
STRATEGIC ECONOMICS
DAVID J POWERS & ASSOCIATES
LOTUS WATER
PLAN TO PLACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
iv
CHAPTER 1 1
Introduction
CHAPTER 2 15
Vision for Lindenville and How
We Will Achieve It
CHAPTER 3 27
Land Use and Housing
CHAPTER 4 65
Development Standards
CHAPTER 5 87
Parks and Open Space
CHAPTER 6 127
Mobility
CHAPTER 7 145
Infrastructure
CHAPTER 8 163
Implementation
GLOSSARY A-1 TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION v
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vi
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The regional setting and history of Lindenville help tell the story of the plan area today and set the stage for the future.
1.1 ABOUT LINDENVILLE
1.2 SPECIFIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT
1.3 PLAN OVERVIEW
1.4 PLAN STRUCTURE
2 CHAPTER 1
1.1 ABOUT LINDENVILLE
Plan Area and Regional Location
The Lindenville Specific Plan Area is an approximately 400-acre area located in the southern portion of the City of South San Francisco. As shown in Figure 2, Lindenville is bounded by U.S. Highway 101 (US-101) to the east, the City of San Bruno and Centennial Way Trail to the south, Fir Avenue and Magnolia Avenue to the west, and Railroad Avenue to the north. Colma Creek runs through the northern portion of the Plan Area en route from San Bruno Mountain to the San Francisco Bay.
Lindenville has historically served as the industrial heart of South San Francisco, supporting light industrial, manufacturing, and service and repair businesses, all of which contribute to the city’s legacy as “The Industrial City.”
Lindenville is south of the Downtown neighborhood, which is home to many of the City’s administrative offices, locally-owned shops and businesses, and cultural institutions. Lindenville is west of the East of 101 neighborhood, which is home to a biotech and research & development (R&D) employment hub with over 200 biotech companies in its northern section and the other industrial hub of the city in its southern section. South Spruce Avenue and South Linden Avenue are the primary street corridors that connect Lindenville to Downtown and to the City of San Bruno to the south. Centennial Way Trail follows the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) path, connecting the South San Francisco and San Bruno Stations (both adjacent to the specific plan area) to create a pedestrian and bicyclist connection between the southwestern portion of Lindenville to the western neighborhoods of the city. Bus service is provided by San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), connecting Lindenville to the rest of the city and County, and to the San Bruno and South San Francisco BART stations located outside of the Plan Area. The Caltrain commuter rail services further connect the city to the San Francisco Peninsula to the north and Santa Clara County to the south. In addition to US-101, Lindenville is in close proximity to California State Route 82 (SR- 82 or El Camino Real), Interstate 380 (I-380), and Interstate 280 (I-280). These multi-modal connections also extend to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which lies four miles south of the city and is accessible by driving and public transportation. South San Francisco’s regional context is shown in Figure 1.
The South San Francisco 2040 General Plan identifies Lindenville as a sub-area of the city and includes policies and actions for the development of the sub-area.
Figure 1: Lindenville Regional Context
INTRODUCTION 3
Figure 2: Lindenville Plan Area
4 CHAPTER 1
Historical Context
The land now known as South San Francisco was inhabited by the Ramaytush Ohlone people, specifically the Urebure Tribe who lived at the base of San Bruno Mountain until the late eighteenth century, when Spanish settlers moved into their land.
1,2 During the 1800s, the area was owned by the Mexican government, then divided into ranches mostly used for cattle grazing, dairy operations, stockyards, and packing plants. In 1890, the South San Francisco Land and Improvement
Company acquired land in the area to develop a town next to the packing plants.
With the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad between San Francisco and San Jose in 1907, South San Francisco’s convenient transportation access made it a prime location for industrial uses, including steel manufacturing. The City of South San Francisco incorporated in 1908, with industrial uses located to the east of the Southern Pacific Railroad and residences to the west in a grid pattern in the Downtown area.
Around this time, Colma Creek still supported wildlife, recreational uses, and movement through South San
Francisco.
1 "History of South San Francisco,” City of South San Francisco, 2019, http://www.ssf.net/home/showdocument?id=128.
2 “The Ramaytush Ohlone,” The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, 2021, https://www.ramaytush.org/ramaytush-ohlone.html. 3 The Making of ‘The Industrial City,’” Historical Society of South San Francisco, https://ssfhistory.org/city-history.
During the first half of the twentieth century, steel
manufacturers, shipbuilders, lumber companies, and other industries began to call South San Francisco home. Most factories and industrial buildings during this time were located in the area east of San Bruno Road (now US-101), with some companies establishing manufacturing buildings in
Lindenville, such as Morrill Ink and South City Lumber. 3 Population boomed during the first and second World Wars.
During World War II, Bethlehem Steel and other military contractors had nearly 10,000 workers at their plants and factories in South San Francisco. The U.S. Government
constructed emergency housing for Federal wartime defense workers in Lindenville in 1942, specifically on the land between what is now Victory Avenue and Railroad Avenue. At its peak, this site had 720 units housing over 4,000 people. 4 These homes were constructed so cheaply and poorly that they were abandoned in 1957 and later demolished.
5 These
parcels were replaced with industrial uses in the 1960s, and no residential uses have been allowed or developed in Lindenville since.
4 “Lindenville,” City of South San Francisco,
https://www.ssf.net/home/showpublisheddocument/5462/63646615 2034700000.
5 “Lindenville Ends in a Burst of Profit,” San Francisco Chronicle, 1957,
https://sfchronicle.newsbank.com/search?text=lindenville&content_ added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%5B0%5D=142051F45F422A02.
INTRODUCTION 5
Trends and Challenges
The San Francisco Bay Area region has undergone significant change in the last few decades, with many cities like South San Francisco seeing shifting demands for industrial space, increased demand for affordable and transit-oriented housing, and recognizing the need to prepare for environmental
challenges.
Fluctuations in the Bay Area’s traditional industrial sector have resulted from a multitude of factors, such as a reduction in available industrial land, shifts in production processes, aging infrastructure, and the repurposing of industrial sites for other uses. South San Francisco’s economy is anchored by a thriving biotech community, and employment growth in the city has been primarily driven by jobs in biotechnology and logistics businesses, mostly located in the East of US-101 subarea. Lindenville is primarily made up of industrial space, representing 40% of the citywide industrial inventory and 15% of all industrial space in San Mateo County. There is a strong demand for industrial space throughout San Mateo County, but businesses are competing for a shrinking supply of space as industrial properties are redeveloped for office, life science, and residential uses.
Housing demand and population demographics have also
shifted, as the extraordinary demand across the region for housing has been exacerbated by rising costs in new home construction, higher land prices, steep escalations in housing cost in the rental and buyers’ market alike, and population growth. South San Francisco has historically provided
relatively affordable housing and a diverse mix of housing for its residents. Although housing costs in South San Francisco are lower than San Mateo County overall, apartment rents and home sales prices are rapidly increasing in the city and County. The City is considering a broad range of possible solutions to address the issues of housing production and affordability, in addition to identifying areas that are appropriate for future housing development. The General Plan identifies Lindenville as an opportunity area to introduce new residential uses that can help meet local and regional housing goals. Likewise, there is a regional push to locate higherdensity housing near public transportation and in walkable, mixed use neighborhoods. These transit-orientated
communities (TOCs) bring high-quality transit together with development, affordable housing, open space, and mobility choices. Development of housing in Lindenville is a great opportunity, but also presents significant challenges,
including connectivity to existing and future mobility
networks; resident access to open spaces, everyday needs, and public services; and land use compatibility with industrial uses.
Climate change, including sea level rise and extreme heat are being felt in the Bay Area. Sea level rise and storm flooding through the Navigable Slough and Colma Creek are potential threats to all types of existing and future uses in these areas.
The potential threats of rising tides and stormwater runoff are further exacerbated by the conditions of existing
infrastructure and the large areas of impervious surfaces in this area. There are opportunities to plan for a resilient Lindenville. Implementing strategies such as stormwater infrastructure improvements, natural habitat restoration along Colma Creek, and an expanded urban tree canopy are key to mitigating the impacts of climate change and improving the area’s resilience to the variety of extreme and hazardous weather conditions expected to impact South San Francisco. 6 CHAPTER 1
1.2 SPECIFIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT
The impetus behind the Lindenville Specific Plan began with the 2040 General Plan Update. The General Plan Update envisioned significant change in Lindenville, including introducing residential, mixed use, and high-density employment land uses in the Plan Area. As a part of the General Plan Update community engagement process, City staff heard the desire from the community to preserve small businesses and industrial uses but also to provide opportunities for arts and the creative economy to grow in South San Francisco.
In 2022, the City received a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Association of Bay Area Governments (MTC / ABAG) and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to evaluate expanding the successful Downtown Station Area Specific Plan Priority Development Area (south of the existing downtown area) into Lindenville and provide opportunities for new housing development. This empowered the City of South San Francisco to embark on developing a Specific Plan for Lindenville following the adoption of the General Plan in late 2022. The Specific Plan will implement the vision of the General Plan by creating specific directives, strategies, and standards that aim to develop Lindenville into a resilient and walkable mixed use district.
Planning Process
The development of the Lindenville Specific Plan occurred in four stages that began in 2022. • Project Initiation. In this initial phase, the planning team analyzed the existing conditions of Lindenville to understand the key issues, opportunities, and emerging trends of the Plan Area. This phase included a series of community outreach events where the team shared background information and gathered feedback on community priorities related to Lindenville.
• Land Use Alternatives. To compare distinct approaches for accommodating new residential and mixed uses while still supporting Lindenville’s current uses, different land use, mobility, open space, and urban design alternatives were prepared. Public feedback on the alternatives was gathered through workshops and a series of City Council, committee, and commission meetings, and this led to the development of a preferred land use plan in Winter 2023. • Development of Preferred Plan, Technical Analysis, and Policies. The technical analysis of the preferred plan covered a range of study areas, such as sea level rise, traffic, health, and economic impacts in Lindenville.
Likewise, the goals, policies, and development standards in the Draft Specific Plan built off of the community input heard throughout the planning process and the technical analysis.
• Plan Release and Adoption. The last phase of the planning process includes the release of the Public Review Draft of the Specific Plan for City Council, Planning Commission, and community review. The Plan will be presented at commission meetings and community workshops before the final plan goes before City Council for adoption.
INTRODUCTION 7
Community Engagement
Throughout the Specific Plan process, the planning team conducted a variety of engagement activities that included public workshops, pop-up events, stakeholder interviews, and Council, committee, and commission meetings. In order to hear from community members, stakeholders, and businesses of different backgrounds, the planning team used a variety of engagement platforms throughout the planning process. Both in-person and virtual events and meetings were organized, and interactive surveys and features of the project website were used. Whenever possible, meetings and materials were available in a bilingual (Spanish/ English) format.
PROJECT WEBSITE
The ShapeSSF website houses the interactive and digital version of the recently adopted South San Francisco General Plan and was used to support the development of the Lindenville Specific Plan. Used throughout the engagement process, the project website connected community members to project updates, upcoming events, project documents and media, and online surveys.
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND POP-UPS
Interactive workshops and events were held in-person and virtually, and they were planned around key phases of the planning process. In Fall 2022, the first virtual workshop provided a reintroduction of the vision for Lindenville developed through the General Plan Update, in addition to inviting participants to share their priorities and ideas for the area. In-person workshops were held in 2023 and provided opportunities for the public to respond to the land use alternatives and the public draft plan. Throughout the process, “pop-up” workshops were held at popular locations and well-attended events in Lindenville in order to meet with community members at convenient times and locations.
Lindenville Specific Plan on ShapeSSF.com
Pop-up at the South San Francisco Concert in the Park
8 CHAPTER 1
ONLINE SURVEYS
Community surveys were conducted in most phases of the planning process, either as live polling questions in workshops or through the project website. The initial online survey (available on the website from September to October 2022 and in English and Spanish) gathered community feedback on the guiding priorities for the plan, where they desire change and improvement, and what type of changes they would like to see. The land use alternatives survey (available on the website from December 2022 to February 2023 and in English and Spanish) asked the public to review and provide feedback on three land use alternatives and the various “kit of parts” elements that make up each alternative.
TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP
The City formed a Technical Working Group (TWG) to receive high-level feedback on the Plan’s key topics. The Technical Working Group was made up of representatives from various City departments, other local agencies, such as San Mateo County Flood & Sea Level Rise Resiliency District (One Shoreline), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments (MTC/ABAG), and SamTrans. The planning team met with the TWG six times to receive feedback on plan concepts related to land use, mobility, open space, utilities and infrastructure, and economic development.
STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND OFFICE HOURS
Meetings were held with various property owners, business leaders, developers, and community members to identify key issues, opportunities, and constraints in Lindenville. The listening sessions also inform the project direction and engagement strategies to strengthen relationships with stakeholders and community members. Listening sessions were held in July 2022, December 2022, and May 2023 with local stakeholders. In addition, City staff hosted open office hours in December 2022 to meet with community members and provide information about the project.
BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETINGS
The planning team attended City board and commission meetings to provide updates on the project and gather input. The planning team presented the Draft Land Use Alternatives and/or the Specific Plan Public Review Draft to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Cultural Arts Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Youth Commission, Commission on Racial and Social Equity, and the Colma Creek Citizens Advisory Committee.
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION UPDATES
The planning team presented to City Council and Planning Commission and received direction on key phases of the project. The planning team presented the Draft Land Use Alternatives to Planning Commission and City Council, with City Council providing input as to their preferred land use direction. The Draft Preferred Plan and the Specific Plan Public Review Draft were also presented to City Council and Planning Commission.
INTRODUCTION 9
1.3 PLAN OVERVIEW
Regulatory Compliance and Authority
The Lindenville Specific Plan has been prepared in compliance with the South San Francisco General Plan, City ordinances, and regulations, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Specific Plan guides land use and development decision-making processes for the area. The Specific Plan does not replace or augment building safety codes or other non-planning related codes. All applications for new construction, substantial modifications or improvements to existing buildings, and changes in land use shall be reviewed for conformance with this Specific Plan.
This Specific Plan is further authorized through California Government Code Sections 65450 through 65457, which allows the City of South San Francisco to prepare a specific plan for the purpose of implementing the city-wide general plan within a defined area. An Addendum to the City of South San Francisco’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the updated General Plan and Zoning Code was prepared that includes updates based on the Lindenville Specific Plan.
Existing and previously entitled developments may have their own approvals and requirements, which may supersede the requirements in this plan, unless additional approvals are required or entitlements have expired.
Relationship to General Plan
Lindenville was identified as a sub-area in the General Plan’s Sub-Areas Element, which details a vision, goals, and a range of policies and implementation actions related to housing, employment, connectivity, and open space for Lindenville (see Figure 3). The Lindenville Specific Plan will be the guiding document to help realize the General Plan's vision for the area as a mixed use neighborhood, employment hub, and cultural center of South San Francisco. The General Plan will be updated as a result of some of the changes proposed in this Specific Plan, so that all City plans are consistent with one another and work together to further City goals.
Figure 3: General Plan Lindenville Sub-Area
10 CHAPTER 1
Relationship to Other City Plans
SOUTHLINE SPECIFIC PLAN
The Southline development in southern Lindenville is guided by the Southline Specific Plan, which sets standards and requirements for the development of office space, open space, and a new street connection within the Southline Plan Area. Though Southline is physically located within the Lindenville sub-area, the standards of the Lindenville Specific Plan will not apply to the Southline Specific Plan.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
The City’s Climate Action Plan, updated in 2022, contains strategies and actions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 by increasing waste diversion, reducing energy and water use, and increasing resiliency across multiple sectors. It also sets out to create a more sustainable community, to equitably mitigate and address the impacts of climate change, and to realize the co-benefits of climate mitigation actions.
PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN
The City’s Public Art Master Plan (Master Plan) will guide the development of new cultural arts programming, the future of art in public places, and creation of an arts district in Lindenville. The Master Plan identifies a vision, goals, and recommendations for the City to enhance and support the artists working in, and the creative endeavors happening in, South San Francisco. The team provided feedback on the creative community’s needs from a future arts district in Lindenville such as: affordable live/workspaces for creative entrepreneurs; activated ground floors that allow exhibition venues, performance spaces, workshops, and classrooms; partnerships between the City, developers, and arts groups to encourage public art.
Source: Lane Partners
INTRODUCTION 11
PARKS & RECREATION MASTER PLAN
Adopted in 2015, the South San Francisco Parks & Recreation Master Plan has a long-term vision, goals & recommendations, and an implementation framework for improving and maintaining the City’s park system. The proposed park and open space network identifies a potential linear park in Lindenville, a rails-totrails conversion spanning from South Maple Avenue to South Canal Street. The Parks and Open Space Chapter of the Specific Plan expands on the park typologies and recommendations presented in the Master Plan.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN
Adopted in 2020, the Urban Forest Master Plan guides the management, enhancement, and growth of South San Francisco’s urban forest and the community tree resource. The plan includes short-term actions and long-term goals that aim to recognize the best management practices that promote tree health and community safety, increase the health and resiliency of the urban forest, and expand the capacity of City departments that manage the urban forest.
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) for the South San Francisco District was published by the California Water Service in 2021. The UWMP is a foundational document and source of information about the City’s water supply and reliability, projected water demands, potential vulnerabilities, and demand management programs.
RESILIENT SOUTH CITY
Resilient South City is a community-based proposal to create more public green space and continuous public access along Colma Creek. It strives to reduce the impacts of flooding, mitigate against sea-level rise vulnerability, restore native flora and fauna, and create more amenities and healthy lifestyle opportunities by connecting a public corridor from Orange Memorial Park to a new public park at the shoreline. Lindenville is situated between these destinations, with interventions such as new shared trails, expanded marshland, and reconfigured streets proposed at Colma Creek intersections in Lindenville.
COLMA CREEK RESTORATION & ADAPTATION PROJECT
The Colma Creek Restoration & Adaptation Project builds on the Resilient South City visioning work by proposing engineering and design plans to reshape the banks of Colma Creek to restore and expand tidal marshes and habitats.
Additionally, the restoration project will provide flood mitigation benefits and expanded recreational opportunities along the Lindenville portions of Colma Creek. The restoration concepts detailed in this project have been carried forth and expanded upon in the Parks and Open Space chapter of the Specific Plan.
Source: Hassell Studio
12 CHAPTER 1
ACTIVE SOUTH CITY
Active South City is an update to the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
The plan lays out project and program recommendations meant to increase the safety and comfort of people bicycling and walking in South San Francisco. Within Lindenville (see Figure 4), Active South City proposes the addition of dedicated bike lanes and a shared-use path to improve the connectivity of the neighborhood to Downtown and San Bruno BART. The plan’s goals, policies, and proposed improvements are carried forth in the Mobility chapter of the Specific Plan.
Regional Plans and Policies
PLAN BAY AREA 2050
Adopted in 2021, Plan Bay Area 2050 is a regional plan that aims to integrate sustainable land use, housing, and transportation strategies within the ninecounties of the San Francisco Bay Area. South San Francisco was identified as a Priority Development Area (PDA), defined as: places near public transit planned for new homes, jobs, and community amenities. Key benefits available to PDA areas are CEQA streamlining and access to a variety of federal, State, and regional funding sources.
MTC TRANSIT-ORIENTED COMMUNITIES (TOC)
MTC’s regional TOC Policy seeks to support transit investments by creating communities around transit stations and along transit corridors that not only support transit ridership, but that are places where Bay Area residents of all abilities, income levels, and racial and ethnic backgrounds can live, work and access services, such as education, childcare, and healthcare. The Policy applies to areas within one half-mile of the South San Francisco and San Bruno BART and Caltrain stations and consists of four elements: 1) minimum required densities; 2) housing policies; 3) parking management; and 4) transit station access and circulation.
AIRPORT LAND USE COMPATIBILITY PLAN
SFO’s ALUCP was prepared by the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), the airport land use commission for SFO, and adopted in 2012. State law requires airport land use commissions to prepare and adopt an ALUCP for each public use and military use within their jurisdiction. The SFO ALUCP provides standards, criteria, and policies on which the compatibility of proposed local agency land use policy actions are determined. It also establishes boundaries for SFO that define safety, airspace protection, and noise areas for policy implementation.
Source: Active South City Plan
Figure 4: Recommended Bikeways, Active South City Plan
INTRODUCTION 13
1.4 PLAN STRUCTURE
The Lindenville Specific Plan is divided into the following chapters.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
This Chapter provides an overview of Lindenville,
its existing conditions, and the development of the
Specific Plan.
CHAPTER 2: VISION FOR LINDENVILLE
AND HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE IT
This Chapter lays out the Specific Plan’s framework
and strategies to realize the General Plan’s Vision
for Lindenville.
CHAPTER 3: LAND USE AND HOUSING
This Chapter defines the land use districts within
Lindenville, in addition to the land use standards,
the transfer of development rights, and the housing
program.
CHAPTER 4: DEVELOPMENT
STANDARDS
This Chapter includes standards to regulate site
and building design and development. It
establishes block standards, site design and lot
standards, height, massing, building frontage
design, building placement, and other aspects of
architecture. Standards are requirements that must
be adhered to for all development.
CHAPTER 5: PARKS AND OPEN SPACE
The Parks and Open Space Chapter describes the
goals, policies, standards, and guidelines to create
an inclusive open space network in Lindenville that
provides more recreational opportunities for
residents, workers, and visitors while contributing
to the area’s blue-green infrastructure system.
CHAPTER 6: MOBILITY
The Mobility Chapter establishes multimodal
strategies and areawide policy to redesign
Lindenville around a layered transportation
network. The Chapter defines a complete streets
typology and network, and contains standards for
designing new streets, parking, and Transportation
Demand Management strategies.
CHAPTER 7: INFRASTRUCTURE
The Infrastructure Chapter guides future
investment in stormwater, water, sanitary sewer,
and other infrastructure projects.
CHAPTER 8: IMPLEMENTATION
The Implementation Chapter includes capital
improvement projects, funding and financing
strategies, and a list of implementation actions to
realize the Specific Plan vision. It assigns a timeline, responsible department, and funding source to
each implementation action.
14 CHAPTER 1
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4. The purpose of the landscape design standards and guidelines is to create ecologically beneficial and resilient landscapes. Plant selection shall focus on native and climateadapted species that require minimal water use and maintenance. Other factors that may influence plant selection include aesthetics, cultural significance, and habitat value.
The standards and guidelines below apply to new construction and landscape renovations of both public and private developments.
2. be prioritized..
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GLOSSARY
A-2 GLOSSARY
#
100-year storm: A "100-year storm" is used to
define a rainfall event that statistically has this
same 1-percent chance of occurring.
500-year storm: A "500-year storm" is used to
define a rainfall event that has a 0.2-percent chance
(or 1 in 500 chance) of occurring in a given year
A
Active transportation: This is a non-motorized form
of transportation, primarily made up of walking and
bicycling.
Adaptation: Adaptation is an adjustment in natural
or human systems to a new or changing
environment
Adaptive reuse: The process of reusing and
renovating an existing building for a use different
from the original use it was built for.
Affordability: Affordability refers to a household’s
ability to pay for housing costs, where housing is
commonly understood to be affordable if
households are paying less than 30% of their
income towards housing costs
Albedo: A measure of a surface’s reflectivity of solar
radiation, where a lower albedo reflects less light
and absorbs more heat, and a higher albedo
reflects more light and absorbs less heat. It is
usually measured as a three-year aged solar
reflectance (SR) value or as a solar reflectance
index (SRI) value.
Anti-displacement: Strategies to reduce and stop
the number of low-income residents who are forced
to move out of rental housing units or cannot move
into certain neighborhoods due to economic or
physical barriers.
Aquifer: A saturated area below the water table that
stores water underground.
B
Best Management Practices (BMP): Methods used
to prevent or reduce non-point source pollution
that may affect water quality.
Biodiversity: The biological variety of life in an
ecosystem.
Bioswales: Channels designed to receive rainwater
runoff and has vegetation to capture water and
remove pollutants before releasing to a storm
sewer. Bioswales can also be designed for water to
infiltrate and recharge groundwater.
Bird safe design: Design choices that minimize the
adverse effects of new development & construction
on native and migratory birds.
GLOSSARY A-3
C
Carbon neutrality: The balance between carbon
emissions and carbon absorption from the
atmosphere.
Climate change: Climate change refers to changes
in the average and/or the variability of
temperature, rainfall, and extreme weather that
persist for an extended period.
Commercial linkage fees: Fees charged by the City
to the developers of new commercial properties
and used to develop affordable housing.
Community benefits: Programs or activities
developers contribute to the City that furthers
community goals and amenities, such as parks and
public spaces, affordable housing, and other
community-serving amenities.
Community resilience: The ability of a group to
prepare for, withstand, adapt, and recover from
disruptions or harmful situations.
Complete neighborhoods: Neighborhoods where
residents can reach community amenities (e.g.,
grocery stores and retail), transit, public facilities
(e.g., parks and community centers) and services
(e.g., health care and affordable childcare) within a
20-minute walk.
Complete streets: A transportation strategy where
streets are designed and operated to be safe and
accessible to all people. This involves infrastructure
improvements to public transportation networks,
sidewalks and trails, and bicycle networks, while
also prioritizing historically disadvantaged
communities.
Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL): The
average sound level in a 24-hour period derived
from a variety of single-noise events, with
weighting factors of 5 and 10 dBA applied to the
evening (7 PM to 10 PM) and nighttime (10 PM to 7
AM) periods, respectively, to allow for the greater
sensitivity to noise during these hours.
Creative economy: "An economic sector that
involves careers and activities at the intersection of
arts, culture, and technology. The creative
economy is made up of the businesses and
individuals involved in producing cultural, artistic,
and design goods and services, as well as
supportive organizations that provide artistic
venues, education, and funding."
D
Dark sky best practices: Outdoor lighting strategies
that reduce light pollution by minimizing glare,
light trespass, and skyglow into the night sky.
Decarbonized buildings: New or existing buildings
that reduce the amount of greenhouse gas
emissions produced through the implementation of
efficiency upgrades. This includes eliminating the
use of fossil fuels within the building and can go as
far as eliminating fossil fuels from the energy used
to electrify the building.
Decibel (dB): A unit used to express the relative
intensity of a sound as it is heard by the human ear.
The lowest volume a normal ear can detect under
laboratory conditions is 0 dB, the threshold of
human hearing. Since the decibel scale is
logarithmic, 10 decibels are ten times more intense,
and 20 decibels are a hundred times more intense,
than 1 dB.
Decibels A (dBA): The “A-weighted” scale for
measuring sound in decibels, which weighs or
reduces the effects of low and high frequencies in
order to simulate human hearing. Every increase of
10 dBA doubles the perceived loudness even
though the noise is actually ten times more intense.
Deed-restricted affordable housing: Housing units
that have a restriction in the building deed that
limits the rent or purchase price of the unit and
requires the unit to be occupied by low income
households for a certain period of time.
A-4 GLOSSARY
Density bonus incentive: This incentive-tool allows
qualifying developers to increase their
development in allowed dwelling units per acre,
floor area ratio, or height, typically in exchange for
community benefits in the form of funding or inkind support.
Development standards: Conditions for
development that regulate site and building design
and development, such as block standards, site
design and lot standards, height, massing, building
frontage design, building placement, and other
aspects of architecture.
Disadvantaged Communities: A disadvantaged
community is defined as “a low-income area that is
disproportionately affected by environmental
pollution and other hazards that can lead to
negative health effects, exposure, or environmental
degradation.”
Disaster: A natural, technological, or human-caused
event that results in deaths, injuries, property
damage/loss, and/ or destruction resulting in
serious disruptions and that exceeds the ability of
local authorities to cope without outside
assistance.
Displacement: Displacement is the process through
which households and businesses are forced to
leave their residence and/ or place of business in
response to the economic and social pressures of
gentrification.
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs): These
resources are small, modular energy generation
and storage systems that provide electricity or
energy and can be connected or independent from
the larger electrical power grid.
Distributional equity: Strategies to fairly distribute
resources, benefits, and burdens. Prioritize
resources for communities that experience the
greatest inequities, disproportionate impacts, and
have the greatest unmet needs.
Dwelling units per acre (du/ac): The number of
dwelling units allowed on one acre of land. Often
used by cities to regulate allowed residential
density.
E
Ecosystem: The collection of organisms and the
natural elements with which they interact.
Environmental Justice: Environmental justice is
defined in California’s Government Code (Section
65040.12(e)) as “the fair treatment of people of all
races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the
development, adoption, implementation, and
enforcement of environmental laws, regulations,
and policies.”
Existing Building Electrification Plan: A strategy to
electrify and eliminate natural gas use from existing
buildings.
GLOSSARY A-5
F
Façade articulation: A design technique used to
show how various pieces of a building’s facade
come together and are divided into different
sections.
First-last mile connections: The beginning or end of
an individual’s trip made with public transportation
that requires the individual to travel between their
origin and first public transportation mode, and
between the last public transportation mode and
their final destination. The gap between public
transit and the final destination can be bridged by
private shuttles, walking, biking, or other methods.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR): The development intensity
of buildings can be measured through floor area
ratio (FAR), which divides gross building area by lot
area. A higher FAR indicates greater development
intensity, or greater building height and/or lot
coverage.
Form-based zoning: A type of zoning code that
establishes standards for the physical form of
buildings instead of solely regulating land use and
development through the separation of uses. Formbased codes can regulate the façade, form, and mass of buildings and their relation to each other
and to the public realm.
G
Gentrification: Gentrification is the process of
change that neighborhoods experience when they
begin to attract new private and public
investments.
Graywater: The water generated from buildings
that is not contaminated (e.g., sinks, dishwashers).
Graywater systems This system collects domestic,
uncontaminated wastewater and reuses it for
irrigation or toilet flushing. Sources of graywater
include sinks, showers, washing machines, and
dishwashers.
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI): This type of
infrastructure uses permeable surfaces, vegetation,
stormwater harvest systems, and landscaping to
capture and filter urban stormwater runoff before it
infiltrates into the ground or is released to the
sewer system or surface water sources.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: These are gases
within the atmosphere that accelerate the warming
of the Earth and are released from human activities
that burn fossil fuels or from historic carbon sinks,
such as melting permafrost.
H
Hazard: It is something that is potentially
dangerous or harmful. Hazard mitigation Any
action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term
risk to human life and property from hazards
Health in All Policies: “Health in All Policies (HiAP) is a collaborative approach to improving the health of
all people by incorporating health, equity, and
sustainability considerations into decision-making
across sectors and policy areas.” HiAP recognizes
that health is influenced by many factors beyond
healthcare and, in many cases, beyond the scope of
traditional public health activities.
Healthy Communities: Healthy communities are
places that foster positive health outcomes for all
who live, work, and play in them. Good nutrition,
physical activity, and access to healthcare all
influence health. However, health is also influenced
by many other factors, including access to
economic opportunities, safe and sanitary housing,
high-quality education, and low exposure to
pollution.
A-6 GLOSSARY
I
Impact Fee: A fee charged to a developer by the City
according to the proposed development project,
typically by number of units, square footage or
acreage. The fee is often used for City services and
infrastructure development such as schools, roads,
police and fire services, and parks.
Impervious: An impervious surface does not allow
for the infiltration of liquids. Impervious materials
include concrete, brick, and stone.
Inclusionary housing: Policies that require
developers to include affordable housing in new
developments.
Infill: A pattern of construction that builds on
unused or underutilized parcels within an area that
has preexisting development.
Invasive plants: These plants are non-native to the
ecosystem being examined, can spread quickly,
and are likely to cause harm to the ecosystem's
native plant species.
L
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) green building rating system is used
to evaluate the sustainable design strategies of new
construction and retrofitted projects.
Low Impact Development (LID): A stormwater
management practice that uses design strategies to
store, detain, filter, and infiltrate a site’s
stormwater. Strategies can include the installation
of cisterns, rain gardens, permeable pavements,
and more.
M
Maximum Residential Density: Maximum density
(dwelling units per acres and FAR) for new
residential development without the State Density
Bonus.
Minimum Residential Density: Minimum density
(dwelling units per acres and FAR) for new
residential development.
Mixed use: Mixed use is used to describe both an
area with varying uses adjacent to one another
(horizontal mixed use) and a parcel that has a
diversity of uses (vertical mixed use).
Mobility: The movement from one place to another
through one or more modes of transportation.
Mobility hubs: Places where different travel
networks (including walking, biking, transit, and
shared mobility) meet and provide convenient
connections to destinations.
Multimodal: Having different types of travel options
within a transportation network.
GLOSSARY A-7
N
Native plants: These plants have adapted to their
ecosystem or region over hundreds of years and
have a symbiotic relationship with other native
wildlife.
Naturally-Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH):
Existing residential units that have maintained
affordable costs for middle to lower income
households.
Noise contour: A line connecting points of equal
noise level as measured on the same scale. Noise
levels greater than the 60 Ldn contour (measured in
dBA) require noise attenuation in residential
development.
P
Passive solar shading: Exterior window shading
that is designed to mitigate sunlight before
entering a building. This design method uses
sunshades and vertical fins to reduce the amount of
heat and light entering through a window at certain
times during the year.
Potable water: Drinking water that is safe to drink
or use in the preparation of food.
R
Reach code: A local building energy code that sets
targets beyond the state requirements for energy
use or energy efficiency.
Regional Housing Need Allocations (RHNA): A
projection of the total amount of housing units
needed over time to accommodate households at
different income levels within a city, county, or
region.
Research and Development (R&D): Innovative
activities that work towards the development of
new - and improvement of existing - products,
processes, and services.
Resilience: Resilience is the ability of an individual, a community, an organization, or a natural system
to prepare for disruptions, to adapt to changing
conditions, withstand and rapidly recover from
shocks and stresses, and to adapt and grow from a
disruptive experience.
Risk: The potential for an adverse outcome
assessed as a function of hazards/threats, assets
and their vulnerabilities, and consequences.
S
Safety countermeasures: Actions meant to prevent
collisions and injuries on transportation networks.
Sea level rise: The increase in the level of the ocean
due to the effects of global warming, such as the
melting of glaciers and ice sheets.
Sensitive receptors: Locations where occupants are
more sensitive to noise such as residential areas,
hospitals, convalescent homes and facilities, and
schools.
A-8 GLOSSARY
T
The Cortese List: The Hazardous Waste and
Substances Sites (Cortese) List is a planning
document used by the State, local agencies, and
developers to comply with the California
Environmental Quality Act requirements in
providing information about the location of
hazardous materials release sites.
Total FAR Maximum: Maximum density for a parcel
inclusive of office and R+D floor area, commercial
and retail areas, residential floor area, and TDR
floor area from sending parcels.
Transfer of development rights (TDR): A program
through which developers can purchase the
development rights, such as allowed square
footage, of specific parcels, “sending parcels,” and
transfer the rights to a “receiving parcel.” TDR
programs can establish guidelines for the type of
land uses and buildings that can be developed with
the transferred development rights, such as
preserving open space or developing public
facilities on sending parcels.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM):
Strategies and policies implemented to reduce the
amount of traffic and improve the efficiency and
use of transportation services and options.
U
Understory planting: A landscaping technique
where vegetation that is small and shade tolerant is
placed under the canopies of taller trees.
Universal design: Deisgn techniques that make
buildings and spaces accessible to people of all
ages and abilities.
Urban ecology: The study of humans in cities, of
wildlife & nature in cities, and the relationship
between humans & wildlife in an urban context.
Urban forest: The collection of trees and vegetation
within a city, town, or suburb.
V
Vulnerability: A qualitative or quantitative
expression of the level to which an entity is
susceptible to harm when it experiences a hazard.
W
Walkability: The ability of a built environment -
including sidewalks, spaces between buildings, and
crosswalks - to encourage pedestrian use and
connectivity.
Watershed: An area of land that channels rainfall
and snowmelt through stream and rivers into a
larger body of water or waterway.
Wayfinding signage/stations: Individual or
centralized signage designed to help people
navigate a space by providing relevant information
on nearby destinations, transit systems, and more.
Z
Zero lot line: A property where the building touches
or ends very near the property lot boundary.