Bridgepointe project stalled

The applicant, United Growth, LLC, is proposing the construction of a 6,000 square-foot one-story commercial building located at 2001 Chess Drive in part of the Home Depot parking lot.

A zoning administrator approved the application in March but a Planning Commissioner appealed the decision.

Usually, construction projects of such a small size do not have to face Planning Commission approval but concerns about pedestrian safety and circulation by a neighbor prompted the appeal.

Harbortown resident Rich Hedges wants the new building’s storefronts to face the street rather than toward the parking lot.

"It is the most walkable neighborhood in San Mateo but they are building a car-oriented project,” Hedges said.

The shopping center is circled by several transit stops that serve SamTrans, AC Transit and a BART shuttle. It would be prudent for the project to better serve pedestrians, Hedges said.

The zoning administrator’s decision was appealed by Planning Commissioner Kelly Moran. Planning Commissioner Maureen Freschet also requested more information on the proposal.

Moran’s appeal has slowed down the applicant’s project but she felt it was important to have a public hearing on it to help the city, in part, address any future construction at the shopping center.

"... There is substantial remaining building floor area that could potentially be constructed in the Bridgepointe area, if property owners so desired,” Moran said in an e-mail to city staff.

Since the Brown Act does not allow for more than two commissioners at a time to discuss government business, the item was agendized so the full commission could hear the issue at tonight’s meeting.

The city ordinarily only considers vehicle circulation, omitting pedestrian or bicycle circulation, Moran said in the e-mail.

Moran appealed the decision so that Hedges or anyone else who has ideas about the project could make their case to the "full commission about this specific proposal.”

Moran hopes the hearing on the Chess Drive project will help the city develop standardized procedures for dealing with pedestrian and bicycle circulation.

"We are shifting from a car culture,” Moran said. "The question is, ‘how far can we shift?’”

The applicant has made some design changes but Moran said she wasn’t sure what the outcome of her appeal might be.

"It might not affect this project but could affect future projects,” Moran said.

The four proposed tenant spaces are 2,200 square feet, 1,800 square feet, 1,000 square feet and 1,000 square feet for a total of 6,000 square feet. Two restaurants are proposed for the larger corner tenant spaces. Entrances to the restaurants are provided along both the interior of the site and the side. In addition, the site plan accommodates outdoor seating for the restaurants at both ends of the proposed building, according to a staff report.

Pedestrian entrances to the storefronts are located along three of the four elevations, however, they are not located off Chess Drive (south elevation). The building’s main facade is oriented toward the interior of the site (north elevation) and includes side entrances as seen on both the east and west elevations, according to the staff report.

The San Mateo Planning Commission meets at 7:30 p.m., tonight, City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave., San Mateo.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.