Zoning and planning updates are starting to take shape in Belmont’s Harbor Industrial Area as part of its revitalization effort — and not all neighboring residents are looking forward to them.
The largely unincorporated 62-acre area, just southeast of Belmont, has long been discussed as a potential driver of economic growth for the city, and plans to annex and revitalize it would include a combination of biotech, mixed-use housing, restaurants, parks, playgrounds and better areas for bikes and pedestrians. The majority of the area is currently used for industrial purposes, but approximately 3.5 acres contain a mobile home park, which according to current plans, will remain as is.
The city is proposing a 155-foot height limit in some commercially-focused areas, down from the 185-foot limit that was previously proposed, and it also increased setbacks distances on O’Neill Avenue. While there aren’t any current applications or proposals for buildings of that height, the zoning updates would pave the way for such development in the future.
The plan would also allow for more transition areas adjacent to homes on O’Neill Avenue and Karen Road, “maintaining compatibility between existing residences and future development,” according to a staff report.
But despite lowering the limit, many residents in the area, including those in the Homeview neighborhood and mobile home park, remain concerned about the impact of future commercial development, including building heights and traffic circulation.
“I cannot support the 155-foot building height,” Terry Yee, a resident of the nearby Homeview neighborhood, said during the City Council meeting Oct. 14. “Please reconsider it. It is larger than anything around in the Belmont area, and it’s quite shocking.”
Most councilmembers were also concerned. Vice Mayor Robin Pang-Maganaris said she was in favor of lowering the limit further due to light pollution concerns.
“I think it will be extensive and will impact the neighborhood a lot,” she said.
Mayor Julia Mates was also supportive of lowering the height maximum near residential areas, reinforcing the need to balance the city’s long-term economic development with neighborhood concerns.
“At least adjacent to the residences, I think requiring a lower [height limit] is the right thing to do,” Mates said.
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