East Belmont residents form advocacy group

According to member Sophia Gao, many in the group want to see the city compromise to reduce the number of dispensaries and distribution centers and increase the buffer zone to 1,000 feet from schools. A city report said a potential cannabis facility would be at least 600 feet from schools and 100 feet from child care centers, parks and other retail dispensaries. The city estimated the area could have two to three stores. Save East Belmont members are concerned cannabis dispensaries lead to a higher crime rate, and increased public safety needs would offset any city tax revenue growth.

“We are looking for no cannabis stores near kids and reconsider their distance measurements,” Gao said.

Mayor Julia Mates said she was open to discussions about buffer zones and housing zoning on the western side, noting the community voice was critical as the council looked at the best solution for Belmont. In response to crime concerns, she said the police department would review all applications, and its research did not find increased issues.

“We do want community input,” Mates said. “We appreciate people are looking at that, and we are looking to work with the community.”

Save East Belmont members have also asked the zoning areas for housing to be more evenly spread out in the city instead of concentrating on El Camino Real. Belmont’s upcoming 2023-2031 housing element, which identifies policies and programs for its current and future housing needs, has seen it assigned 1,785 housing units in its Regional Housing Needs Allocation by the state. 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 education areas. East side residents are worried about additional traffic, parking and density. Others are disappointed that few sites are on the west side, giving the east side an unfair burden to meet state housing requirements. Instead, the group suggests housing near Ralston Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas in the Carlmont Shopping Center area.

“We are not against affordable housing,” Gao said. “The issue is they put most in the east side, with nothing on the west side. We thought this was inequitable.”

Gao felt her concerns had not been listened to despite conversations with some councilmembers, and she was open to moving if the council continued on its current path. She questioned why the east side felt the brunt of the city’s housing and cannabis decisions.

Councilmember Charles Stone said he has spoken with proponents and opponents about cannabis and welcomed any feedback on cannabis and housing decisions. He and Mates noted there were few pragmatic locations for the type of development mandated by the state with a transit corridor near SamTrans and Caltrain. While he understood why there was concern about housing, he noted that any housing development would also take several years.

“I think people get concerned when something is zoned, but just because we zone it for a certain purpose doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” Stone said.

Mates said the council would discuss cannabis at its July 12 meeting and its housing element at a July 26 meeting. Anyone interested can go to https://saveeastbelmont.org to learn more about the neighborhood group.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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