Facing resident opposition to rezoning in Belmont’s general plan for the city’s east side, the council has removed increased building height language and some development sites from consideration but remains optimistic about the overall plan.
The council heard significant pushback from residents of Sterling Downs, Homeview and near El Camino Real at its July 26 meeting about its housing element, which identifies policies and programs for its current and future housing needs. Residents spoke for two hours about concerns over additional traffic, parking and density from rezoning development near El Camino Real and Old County Road, with the council heeding Planning Commission recommendations to modify the plan.
“They were right to get really nervous because if I was living there, I’d be nervous about having a six-story apartment built,” Councilmember Warren Lieberman said.
Belmont’s upcoming 2023-2031 housing element has seen the state assign 1,785 housing units to Belmont for its Regional Housing Needs Allocation. The number is a significant increase from its previous cycle of 468. The Association of Bay Area Governments, a regional planning agency, assigns the numbers. Belmont does not have to build the housing but must offer building and zoning opportunities to developers. The city plans to zone most new housing units along El Camino Real and Old County Road because it is near public transit, downtown, commercial areas and schools. The housing element is the most controversial part of the general plan process due to residents being concerned about neighborhood changes, while the council has prioritized more housing in the transit corridor to address high demand and expense, with many lower-income residents facing increased cost burdens.
“The city is trying to meet a state-mandated requirement, and I think we went a little too far in the proposal, but that’s why the process exists, so we can scale back before it goes off to [the California Department of Housing and Community Development],” Councilmember Charles Stone said.
Residents called for more even distribution of future development sites between Belmont’s east and west sides instead of focusing on the east side, viewing it as an unfair burden to meet state housing requirements. For balance, some suggested more developments near Ralston Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas in the Carlmont Shopping Center area.
Residents were also incensed by increased building heights suggested for the Corridor Mixed Use and Belmont Village Station Core. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended the council eliminate the building height increases. The area near downtown around the Belmont Caltrain station is part of the Belmont Village Specific Plan, which calls for more mixed-use housing to create a downtown area. The Planning Commission also recommended removing 20 service commercial zoned sites near Old County Road from the plan, to which the council agreed. Around 17 parcels are at Mountain View Avenue and Marine View Street and three along Old County Road and Dale View Avenue. Staff noted it would reduce the very-low unit capacity below the city’s allocated RHNA numbers, requiring a change to methodology for the remaining sites.
While the council unanimously agreed to follow the Planning Commission recommendations, several councilmembers noted Belmont desperately needs housing. Councilmember Davina Hurt said building housing in the transit area was critical to address climate change and equity issues.
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“The lack of affordable housing options really threatens the fabric of our community,” Councilmember Davina Hurt said. “We have to diversify our housing options and create ladders of opportunities for all incomes.”
Stone said it was challenging to balance state housing requirements and affordable housing needs while maintaining city neighborhood character. He stressed the council was not trying to push through a proposal or had made up its mind, as some speakers suggested. Stone called for opportunities for people displaced by the rising cost of living and salary inequities, avoiding pulling the ladder up and becoming only an affluent community.
“A lot of those folks that built the Belmont we know today and all love can’t afford to live here anymore, so we’ve got to find a way to do both. We’ve got to find a way to preserve what we have while still welcoming new residents,” Stone said.
Vice Mayor Tom McCune was open to diversifying development zoning plans to other neighborhoods in the future.
“I would draw the map a little differently if state laws were different, but this is where we are,” McCune said.
The city will now prepare to make changes and submit the general plan to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for review.
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