Hillsborough eyes apartments

At a Town Council meeting Monday, Sept. 19, senior project designer Brandon Harrel presented three layout options reconfiguring the parcels to house the Police Station, Town Hall and the proposed apartment building that would face El Camino Real and Floribunda Avenue

“So this is conceptual, this is our ability to one, present it to the council and two, present it to residents if the council determines that they would like to move forward we would begin a robust community engagement process,” said City Manager Ann Ritzma.

The plot being discussed on Floribunda Avenue had an apartment building that housed police officers and firefighters’ families in the 1980s and ’90s.

Several approaches are presented to reach this year’s RHNA goals, the first being accessory dwelling units. The update proposes to continue to promote ADU development via the town’s existing ADU Ombudsman Program to provide increased residential development opportunities within Hillsborough, resulting in 280 new ADU units to be developed during this housing allocation cycle. Hillsborough has issued 236 permits since 2014, according to a staff report.

Ted Ullyot, a Hillsborough resident, raised concerns that the proposed site at the Town Hall parcel would demolish the Centennial Park, which includes a memorial for Hillsborough veterans.

“I think I speak for myself but many people in Hillsborough say that one of our favorite aspects of our town is the Memorial Day parade ... . It’s hard to have that parade with the same vigor if you don’t have a veterans memorial here at Town Hall,” said Ullyot.

This was probably an oversight from the firm that proposed the site to build on, but these are the types of mistakes that can happen and another reason why ADU is the route the city should continue to reach its RHNA goals, he added.

Another approach is to modify and rename its existing zoning district, establish two new zoning districts, establish an affordable housing overlay district, and update its subdivision ordinance, resulting in the accommodation of 385 net new units to be developed during the current RHNA cycle. The town has one zoning district, Residential District. This zone permits solely single-family residential development and related accessory structures, according to the report.

Hillsborough Resident Elizabeth Jeffers’ property is directly affected by the three proposals presented during the council meeting, and is concerned she was not directly informed about the proposal.

“I don’t believe that this site is worthy of that kind of high density housing,” said Jeffers.

In 2019, a site report was completed regarding the Police Department for repairs, it pointed out significant deficiencies including: shallow groundwater, inadequate sewer pipes, inadequate electricity for growth, asbestos, led, possible ground site contamination, she added.

“There is no info on the site on the Housing Element etc. about zoning, it would be left wide open,” said Jeffers, who supports affordable housing but feels this site isn’t the answer.

The Association of Bay Area Governments, a regional planning agency, assigns the state’s RHNA numbers which aims to address the jobs/housing imbalance. Hillsborough does not have to build the housing but must offer building and zoning opportunities. All cities and towns must go through this process, but this cycle’s numbers are higher than in years past.

The consequences if the town doesn’t comply with the RHNA is severe. If the town refuses to adopt a compliant Housing Element the fines range from a minimum of $10,000 per month up to $600,000 per month. Building and housing permits and zoning changes could also be suspended, according to the staff report.

The council will meet Sept. 26 after reviewing the public’s comments and will redraft the Housing Element Plan. The California Department of Housing and Community Development has 90 days to provide the town with feedback on the draft, which must be adopted by Jan. 31.

nick@smdailyjournal.com

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