First look for Hayward Park apartments in San Mateo

Situated between the Caltrain tracks and the 12-acre, 599-unit Station Park Green development, the site is expected to hold two five-story buildings, one of which will provide two floors of above-ground parking with 251 parking spaces to serve the entire development, according to the plans.

Ken Busch, senior vice president at Sares-Regis Group, said previously the developer is planning to designate 15% of the units as affordable and is looking forward to building another residential development in the city where its headquarters are.

The project is also about a block away from the proposed Passage project, a 961-unit, mixed-use development slated for the 14.5-acre Concar Shopping Center where Trader Joe’s and Ross Dress for Less currently operate, among other stores. Though the Passage project is currently under environmental review, a 73-unit apartment building slated to replace the AAA insurance office building at 1650 S. Delaware St. is starting to take shape after plans for that project were approved in August of 2018.

Richard Neve, civic director for the Fiesta Gardens Homeowners Association, said in an email that the concerns of residents in his neighborhood are largely the same as those they’ve had for other developments proposed for or approved in neighboring sites. He noted several other large-scale projects have been planned for sites near the neighborhood, and though the impact of those projects is not yet clear, even more projects are being proposed.

“There is a push to develop without much thought to the existing neighborhood impacts, especially with respect to traffic,” he said.

Neve also voiced concern about the affordability of the units in the developments, noting most of them are available at rates that are not affordable to those who need a place to live in the community.

Housing advocates have in recent years praised transit-oriented, residential developments in San Mateo for their potential to boost the city’s housing stock and cut down on traffic as its residents deal with the consequences of a regional housing shortage.

The neighborhood meeting is slated for 7 p.m. July 31 at the Engage Ballroom at the San Mateo Marriott, 1770 S. Amphlett Blvd. An open house will begin at 6:30 p.m.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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