Callan projecton shaky ground. Neighbors want assurances that proposed 34-home development will not adversely affect them

The Callan site is 12.6 acres of open space on a steep hillside with trees and a valley. The developer, out of Danville, wants to put 34 single-family homes on the site.

In previous years developers have tried to build on the property with many more homes. Greystone Homes created a proposal to build 64 units of both single-family and townhomes, but was denied approval. Prior to that, the land owner wanted to build several hundred apartments on the site.

Planning Commissioner Karen Herrel said previous developers have had difficulty with the site because it is hard to develop there without creating too much of an impact.

"I know this is a smaller development, but it is still a very difficult site for access," she said, adding that she will know more once she reviews the information and meets with the developer at the study session.

The land is noted for being unstable in the city's General Report, Herrel said. "The city put restrictions on this piece of land to caution anyone who was coming in to develop," she said.

The fact the land has never been built on in such a valuable area is proof enough that it should be approached with caution, Herrel said.

"Parts of San Mateo that have not been developed are usually that way for a reason," she said.

But project manager for Braddock & Logan is confident that the company will evaluate and ensure the safety of the homes -- so confident that he is looking to live in one of the homes if the site is approved.

"If I get this project approved I want to live there," he said. "This is the first place where I've looked to develop where I would want to live with my wife and child."

But one neighbor is very concerned about the possibility of landslides if the homes are built.

"It is impossible to repair," said Madeleine Gambony, a nearby neighbor. "The homes will come down in the first rain. The city should say no to the development."

Sullivan said anything can be mitigated though, it's just a matter of the cost. "Even if the soil is bad we can excavate it and recompact it," he said. "It comes down to a dollar number."

He admitted he did have some concerns and said the company would diligently look into any problems regarding the site. "We will find out what the problems are and solve them to the city's satisfaction and our satisfaction," Sullivan said. "And often our satisfaction is greater than the city's."

And yet another concern in regards to the site was expressed by the approximately 40 neighbors who showed up to a community meeting in December.

Neighbors near the site who live on 26th Avenue are worried that the city will provide access to the site by using the Avenue.

But city officials say that will not happen. "[The developers] are not proposing anything on 26th Avenue," said Lisa Ring, associate planner for San Mateo.

At the neighborhood meetings the city hosted, the developer met with community members to discuss their concerns. One neighbor at the meeting in December said everyone in the room just wanted to be ensured that the developer will not use 26th Avenue.

"Everyone here is here for one reason. You could say three words and everyone would leave," McCraken said at the December meeting. "We want you to tell us you won't use 26th."

The main access site to the development would be Campus Drive, and the question remains as to where the second access out of the site will be. Sullivan said the Fire Department wants another access to the site for emergencies.

There is currently an existing access point for emergency vehicles only that goes through to 26th Avenue. Neighbors just want to be sure this roadway will not be open to general traffic. "We are not proposing to do that," Sullivan said. "There is also a real chance that we can keep the single entrance."

Although it is early in the planning process, project manager Jim Sullivan estimated that the homes would be in the range of $800,000 to $900,000.

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