Big tower planned for downtown San Mateo

A preliminary application for the building was filed under California Senate Bill 330, which is one of multiple state laws designed to accelerate and simplify housing production. SB 330 mandates that local jurisdictions streamline the permitting and hearing processes for developments with a certain amount of affordable housing. 

Other housing-related legislation, like state density bonus law, allows for developments that include affordable housing to exceed local height and density limits. The proposed development at 1 E. Fourth Ave. would include 18 units for very low-income households and 18 units for moderate-income households. 

Generally, the vision for the project was to bring high-end apartments with a condominium feel to downtown, developer Mike Field said, noting proposed luxury amenities for residents like a movie theater, golf simulator and spa. 

“What we conceptualized here was trying to find a way to fill a need we feel like wasn’t being filled,” he said. “You live in Hillsborough or San Mateo and you don’t want to own a home anymore, where do you go if you do want to live in the downtown?” 

Field is expecting robust community feedback on the plan, he said, but noted last years’ passage of Measure T — which allows for higher height and density limits throughout the city — proved residents were excited by the idea of larger development. 

“There’s going to be some people that love the idea of high-end housing and larger units, and then there’s going to be people that say that’s too tall,” he said. “What I think Measure T tried to teach us is, everyone is willing to put the height into downtown.” 

The city recently received the application for the development and can’t issue feedback on any of the design elements yet, Community Development Director Zach Dahl said. Because of the nature of the SB 330 application, the city will likely have less discretion over those elements, though the project will still go through City Council and Planning Commission reviews. 

San Mateo has issued permits for about 4% of the total number of housing units it needs to approve by 2031. As part of its state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals, the city must approve at least 7,015 units between 2023 and 2031. Since 2023, it has issued permits for 308 housing units, about 88 of which are designated for low-income households.

Other large-scale developments are being newly proposed in the city. They include the Hillsdale Shopping Center with a mix of office, retail and multiunit developments to replace what is now the main 1.5 million-square-foot shopping center with more than 2 million square feet of new retail, office and garages, and 1.9 million square feet of residences with 1,392 units that will extend to the current retail area south of Hillsdale Boulevard; at Concar Drive and South Grant Street, there is a proposal for 869 residential units, 731 of them multifamily units across three six- to seven-story buildings, with the rest townhome units; and at 1650 S. Amphlett Blvd., just north of the Concar development, a plan was submitted to demolish seven three-story office buildings to make room for 192 condominiums and 94 single-family homes.

For many developers in the area, an SB 330 application is now the preferred method to get housing projects approved, Dahl said. 

“SB 330 seems to be the new norm for housing. Since mid-December, we received nine SB 330 applications,” he said. “There’s a lot of applications moving forward now. We’ve definitely got plenty of work to do here.” 

That includes a proposed five-story mixed-use development across the street from 1 E. Fourth Ave., at 230 El Camino Real. According to the website, the developer’s SB 330 application was dubbed incomplete, however. 

While the 14-story proposal for 1 E. Fourth Ave. is still in the earliest stages — a neighborhood meeting will be the next step, Field said he believes the community is ready for scaled-up development. 

“I think the corner warrants that, and I think the product we’re building is exactly what the community wants to see,” he said.

Note to readers: A previous version of this story incorrectly quoted Fields as saying "where do you go if you don't want to live in the downtown." The story has been updated with Fields' correct quote, "do live in the downtown."