Northeast San Carlos plan taking shape

The $1.5 million study, dubbed the Northeast Area Specific Plan, covers a roughly 145-acre section of town historically referred to as the Harbor Industrial Area, land bound by Holly Street to the south, to the city limits at Belmont Creek, and between Highway 101 and Old County Road. The plan is expected to be complete by early 2025 and will act as a guiding policy document for future change in the area.

Mark Asnis, a project manager with Perkins&Will, the firm tapped to help staff develop the study, said the objective is to create an urban design framework that’s functional and creates healthy communities while being rooted in reality.

“For us it’s about keeping an eye on the future to make sure what we’re putting forward can accommodate things that are going to be really important for the people who are living and working in this district,” Asnis said.

The plan addresses five framework areas — mobility, resiliency, land use, ground floor activation and heights and density. As currently drafted, the plan calls for allowing light industrial, retail, office and residential uses in different parts of the study area, preserving the city’s industrial businesses while also activating the ground floor with shops and amenities for future residents and employees.

Three gateways into the district would require ground floor retail — the corners where Quarry Road and Taylor Way meet Old County Road and the intersection of Quarry Road and Industrial Road.

As for building heights, staff proposed maximum heights of 75 feet with additional bonus heights up to 155 feet in light industrial areas and 120 feet in mixed-use areas. No additional bonus height would be offered in areas zoned for just residential although staff noted developers can still take advantage of a state density bonus that allows housing developers to build more given that they provide a certain number of affordable units.

Bonuses and other waivers would be tied to a menu of community benefits, Asnis said. That menu is still being developed but could include public open space, Belmont Creek restoration work, green infrastructure, street improvements, affordable commercial space and more.

“I think we’re sort of getting some cohesiveness to this plan,” said Councilmember Ron Collins who suggested more short-term community benefits also be added to the plan.

Vice Mayor Sara McDowell said the community should see the plan as an opportunity to improve infrastructure like roads and stormwater systems.

She also highlighted the importance of remedying groundwater contamination in the area, especially as housing is added into the district. McDowell recommended staff begin discussing the issue with the Environmental Protection Agency as well.

“I really do think of this process as an opportunity, not a threat,” McDowell said. “We do need a lot of infrastructure in this area and it’s a great opportunity.”

Speaking to some of the concerns raised by businesses in the area about being pushed out or having their operations limited, Mayor John Dugan said large developers have already set their sights on the city. Millions of square feet of new development has been proposed in recent years, prompting officials to study other areas of the city. This plan, Dugan said, is intended to make sure what changes loom bring benefits to the area for everyone.

“Some may say we’re disrupting them. I just want to say the disruption is happening right now,” Dugan said. “This is us trying to get in front of that and trying to make sure it works for everyone and not just the new developers that are coming our way.”