One of the largest developments proposed in San Mateo in decades, the Passage at San Mateo is set to get even larger after the developer submitted revised plans for a 961-unit, mixed-use project at the 14.5-acre Concar Shopping Center near the juncture of State Route 92 and Highway 101 with the city last week.
Originally proposed to include 935 units, 35,000 square feet of retail space, a new Trader Joe’s, a transit hub, art gallery, dining hall and 1-acre park where Rite Aid, TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less stand, the revised plans include 961 units — of which 109 are slated to be offered at an affordable rate — nearly 8,000 square feet to studio and performance space for the Peninsula Ballet Theatre and a 4,600-square-foot day care facility, according to an announcement from the developer California Coastal Properties Tuesday.
The 935-unit pre-application the developer submitted last year included 73 affordable units and situated a mix of the residential units and retail space in five buildings across the site, said Brian Myers, a partner with California Coastal Properties. Though Myers acknowledged the construction of nine buildings with parking on the lower levels will be more expensive to build than the designs initially proposed for the project, he was hopeful the set of changes in the application would go a long way toward addressing concerns raised in the more than 40 meetings the developer has hosted with residents, business owners and other community stakeholders in the past year.
“The real good news for us is we’ve really engaged a lot of the community in the discussion over the project,” he said. We’re really proud of the design that we created out of those comments.”
Set to retain an existing Trader Joe’s and 7-Eleven on site and also provide a range of amenities open to residents of nearby communities, the project has previously raised concerns for Sunnybrae resident Barbara Niss, who has worried about the loss of well-used amenities like Ross Dress for Less, Rite Aid and TJ Maxx. Though she was encouraged by the developer’s working with the Peninsula Ballet Theatre to retain space for the nonprofit on the site, including day care in the plans and considering a small pharmacy as a potential future tenant, Niss wasn’t convinced the plan went far enough to provide amenities for those who will live on and around the project.
“If I can’t walk to Concar Passage and get what I need, then I’m going to get in my car and drive further, which doesn’t achieve the goal of reducing my carbon footprint and doesn’t get my car off the road,” she said.
Niss also felt the project was simply too large for an intersection where several other projects like the 12-acre Station Park Green project — which will add 599 housing units, 2 acres of parks and open space, as well as 25,000 square feet of commercial space and 10,000 square feet of office space — are taking shape or have been recently approved, such as a 73-unit apartment building slated to replace the AAA insurance office building at 1650 S. Delaware St.
Niss was joined by Richard Neve, civic director for the Fiesta Gardens Homeowners Association, in airing concerns about the clustering of projects near the intersection of Concar Drive and South Delaware Street. Neve noted residents have called for a decrease in the number of units with concerns about the project’s effect on traffic and parking in and around the neighborhoods surrounding the site, and wasn’t sure the revised plan adequately addressed those concerns.
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Artist’s renderings of Passage at San Mateo.
Though he said he and other Fiesta Gardens residents were appreciative of the fact the revised plans included more affordable units and park space than the previous proposal, Neve still wondered if the impact of Station Park Green and continued construction at Bay Meadows could be measured before even more units are proposed for the area.
“We still think it’s a really massive development for the area considering all the other things going on there,” he said.
Myers said that because the revised plans include a building type that’s more expensive to build, the developer maximized the number of units allowed in the project under the state density bonus. But in doing so, the project could accommodate more affordable units, which Myers said would be offered at a variety of income levels, including very low-income, low-income and workforce housing for professionals like teachers, nurses and police officers who may not qualify for units designated for lower-income levels but still struggle to afford living where they work. By offering units at levels like 120 percent of the average median income, Myers is hoping the project can provide housing opportunities for employees of nearby businesses and companies.
“We’re really making a concerted effort to working with local groups to provide housing,” he said. “That’s a really big issue for us.”
Myers said he expected city staff would review the application in the coming weeks, after which the developer would begin a process to analyze the environmental impacts of the project. He said the project could go before the Planning Commission for the second time as early as late spring of next year.
Can't wait for this to be built! Will be a great addition to the neighborhood and San Mateo. I'm happy to see the developers listened to the neighborhood and are including space for the theatre and day care, not to mention they added more badly needed housing
looking forward to the next real estate crash so I can buy up all this excess inventory that is being built at a big discount. Remember, by low sell high.
Still not impressed with this gentrification project. I still want housing and redevelopment of Concar site. But this way too dense and it's hurting our neighborhood. We live in single family houses around Sunnybrae, the parking has been getting worse and spilling over towards our streets. We also need a drugstore like Walgreens and keep one clothing store that way we don't have to go far to another shopping center, Trader Joes and 7-11 isn't enough for local resident especially when adding thousands of units on Concar and Delaware. They just added hundreds of units at Station Park Green, and those residents go shopping nearby too.
Yes! We need housing so badly in San Mateo, especially near transit. This is right near the Hayward Park Caltrain station, so it won't impact traffic much. As a SM home owner, I couldn't be more excited :D
City of San Mateo Apartments for Rent - TODAY 579 Apartments are AVAILABLE right now, right here in the City of San Mateo.
As a matter of fact, they are even available just across the street from this proposed 852 unit market rate development.
Station Park Green 430 Station Park Cir, San Mateo, CA 94402 Available NOW 1 Bedroom $3,749 2 Bedrooms $4,690
Also fyi…….City of San Mateo Homes for Sale- TODAY 191 Homes for Sale in the City of San Mateo TODAY
And this is just the City of San Mateo, when you include the rest of the Peninsula cities in these numbers, it shows there are plenty of market rate homes and rentals available today and available yesterday for commuters.
Clearly, commuters can’t afford these prices and no magical thinking or adding 852 more market rate units will change that fact.
Vincent stop trolling. There are plenty of apartments and homes available yet 1 bedroom apartments are renting for nearly $4k/month? Do you understand supply and demand?
As a lifelong resident of the 19th Avenue Park neighborhood, immediately adjacent to Concar Passage, I couldn't be happier about the project. Replacing blighted strip-malls and underutilized parking lots with badly needed housing is a model every city on the Peninsula should be following. I'm also very glad more affordable housing will be included, and that the Peninsula Ballet Theatre will be able to stay.
P.S. Barf-o-rama to the HAACs (Housing at All Costs) who permeate every dark, dank corner of our City and other cities to incessantly post and promote an agenda which serves almost no one, and certainly not those who need it most (emergency personnel, teachers, etc.). Stop the madness!!!
Barb Niss speaks for thousands of San Mateans - especially those numerous neighborhoods adjacent to this behemoth project - whose traffic impacts can't possibly be imagined - regardless of what "studies" say. Et tu, San Mateo??
This is phenomenal!!! Over 11% affordable. This is exactly what we need in the area. Close to transit with tremendous access to everything. This is going to improve traffic and make all our lives better. This project gets better with every revision. . on-site daycare!!! more parks!! And even apace for Ballet! I mean come on?! This is a dream.
Define affordable, most of these units will be $3,000+/month, is that affordable? Where are these people going to go for grocery shopping? How about taking children to school? Going to the pharmacy? This area is already gridlocked daily with cars seeking shortcuts to the San Mateo Bridge, what is going to be done about that? It is not just traffic produced by what is currently there, it needs to be what this added traffic will do to the current traffic situation!
Not great RHNA basically requires a 56% affordable housing rate. For a 7 year plan 89% of the above market rate stock has been completed in 3 years. It is not the City's or the residents responsibility to make Developers whole they need to innovate and figure out how to meet housing requirements at all income levels.
This is really exciting! Previously our only solution when rich people moved here was to have them displace existing low and middle income residents. But when we build new housing, they can move there without displacing existing residents.
If I read correctly this will also improve traffic in the area - to 9,000 trips per day, down from 12,000 per day when it was a major regional retail center.
I wish they could cut down on the parking requirement, to entice people who aren't interested in driving cars, and to spur more interest in biking/walking/taking the bus. That would also cut down on the number of car trips.
This is exactly the kind of housing development that we need to alleviate the severe housing shortage on the Peninsula. It is close to a Caltrain station and within half a mile of thousands of jobs. It will help to reduce commute traffic on Hwy 92 by providing housing for people who live east of the bay and who are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic twice a day crossing the bridge. BUILD IT!
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(18) comments
Can't wait for this to be built! Will be a great addition to the neighborhood and San Mateo. I'm happy to see the developers listened to the neighborhood and are including space for the theatre and day care, not to mention they added more badly needed housing
this is designated a flood zone? or has
something changed?, or worse
‘Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.’ ~ Benjamin Franklin
Build it.
looking forward to the next real estate crash so I can buy up all this excess inventory that is being built at a big discount. Remember, by low sell high.
Still not impressed with this gentrification project. I still want housing and redevelopment of Concar site. But this way too dense and it's hurting our neighborhood. We live in single family houses around Sunnybrae, the parking has been getting worse and spilling over towards our streets. We also need a drugstore like Walgreens and keep one clothing store that way we don't have to go far to another shopping center, Trader Joes and 7-11 isn't enough for local resident especially when adding thousands of units on Concar and Delaware. They just added hundreds of units at Station Park Green, and those residents go shopping nearby too.
Yes! We need housing so badly in San Mateo, especially near transit. This is right near the Hayward Park Caltrain station, so it won't impact traffic much. As a SM home owner, I couldn't be more excited :D
City of San Mateo Apartments for Rent - TODAY
579 Apartments are AVAILABLE right now, right here in the City of San Mateo.
As a matter of fact, they are even available just across the street from this proposed 852 unit market rate development.
Station Park Green 430 Station Park Cir, San Mateo, CA 94402
Available NOW 1 Bedroom $3,749 2 Bedrooms $4,690
Also fyi…….City of San Mateo Homes for Sale- TODAY
191 Homes for Sale in the City of San Mateo TODAY
And this is just the City of San Mateo, when you include the rest of the Peninsula cities in these numbers, it shows there are plenty of market rate homes and rentals available today and available yesterday for commuters.
Clearly, commuters can’t afford these prices and no magical thinking or adding 852 more market rate units will change that fact.
Vincent stop trolling. There are plenty of apartments and homes available yet 1 bedroom apartments are renting for nearly $4k/month? Do you understand supply and demand?
Great project for the area. It is a good thing that San Mateo is finally starting to take the jobs and housing imbalance seriously!
As a lifelong resident of the 19th Avenue Park neighborhood, immediately adjacent to Concar Passage, I couldn't be happier about the project. Replacing blighted strip-malls and underutilized parking lots with badly needed housing is a model every city on the Peninsula should be following. I'm also very glad more affordable housing will be included, and that the Peninsula Ballet Theatre will be able to stay.
P.S. Barf-o-rama to the HAACs (Housing at All Costs) who permeate every dark, dank corner of our City and other cities to incessantly post and promote an agenda which serves almost no one, and certainly not those who need it most (emergency personnel, teachers, etc.). Stop the madness!!!
Barb Niss speaks for thousands of San Mateans - especially those numerous neighborhoods adjacent to this behemoth project - whose traffic impacts can't possibly be imagined - regardless of what "studies" say. Et tu, San Mateo??
How much sand can you put in a 40 pound bag?
What is the definition of affordable?
This is phenomenal!!! Over 11% affordable. This is exactly what we need in the area. Close to transit with tremendous access to everything. This is going to improve traffic and make all our lives better. This project gets better with every revision. . on-site daycare!!! more parks!! And even apace for Ballet! I mean come on?! This is a dream.
Define affordable, most of these units will be $3,000+/month, is that affordable? Where are these people going to go for grocery shopping? How about taking children to school? Going to the pharmacy? This area is already gridlocked daily with cars seeking shortcuts to the San Mateo Bridge, what is going to be done about that? It is not just traffic produced by what is currently there, it needs to be what this added traffic will do to the current traffic situation!
Not great RHNA basically requires a 56% affordable housing rate. For a 7 year plan 89% of the above market rate stock has been completed in 3 years. It is not the City's or the residents responsibility to make Developers whole they need to innovate and figure out how to meet housing requirements at all income levels.
This is really exciting! Previously our only solution when rich people moved here was to have them displace existing low and middle income residents. But when we build new housing, they can move there without displacing existing residents.
If I read correctly this will also improve traffic in the area - to 9,000 trips per day, down from 12,000 per day when it was a major regional retail center.
I wish they could cut down on the parking requirement, to entice people who aren't interested in driving cars, and to spur more interest in biking/walking/taking the bus. That would also cut down on the number of car trips.
This is exactly the kind of housing development that we need to alleviate the severe housing shortage on the Peninsula. It is close to a Caltrain station and within half a mile of thousands of jobs. It will help to reduce commute traffic on Hwy 92 by providing housing for people who live east of the bay and who are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic twice a day crossing the bridge. BUILD IT!
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