Cloudy with periods of rain, some heavy early. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 53F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..
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Cloudy with periods of rain, some heavy early. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 53F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
A West Santa Inez Avenue property made famous for a long legal battle with San Mateo to allow approval of a proposed condominium development is now on the market, raising questions about its development future.
The property at 4 W. Santa Inez Ave. is priced at $6 million and has been on the market for the last week. Ed Stephens of Coldwell Banker Realty, the broker, said there had been little interest in the site but noted larger sites tend to sit for a long time before being sold. The development proposal for 10 units of condos on four levels is also in the preliminary stages, with no construction drawings, engineering materials and other project details confirmed, adding more uncertainty to a sale. While there are no expectations for a potential buyer, Stephens said the odds are very high that only a developer could buy it, given its size and cost. Stephens said the price was fair given other sales of similar properties.
Stephens said it was hard to know what would happen with the development proposal in the future if a sale goes through. However, he said it could become an apartment development under a new buyer.
“You never know. Whatever is done has to work economically, and it’s a real challenge to build a large building. You have costs and other things happening,” Stephens said about the proposal.
The condo development proposal was part of a landmark case called California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund v. San Mateo. The California Court of Appeals ruled in 2021 that the San Mateo City Council did not meet the Housing Accountability Act requirements when it denied a condominium development proposal in 2018 at the site for height concerns and step-back requirement and ordered the council to reconsider the proposal. The Housing Accountability Act limits a city’s ability to reject proposals for housing developments that satisfy general plan and zoning requirements. The courts found that the city’s design guideline to justify the proposal rejection was not objective. The San Mateo Planning Commission initially denied the project in 2017. The council did the same in 2018 before the court ordered the city to vacate its action.
Advocates believe the case was a turning point throughout the state and will lead to more objective design standards for applicants interested in housing development and affect other similar cases throughout the state. They also believe it will ensure housing element plans allow more housing approval by cities, even if it becomes controversial.
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While the property is up for sale, questions remain about what will happen to the proposed development at the site. The council in February approved moving forward with a 10-unit condominium development following the court-ordered proposal reconsideration and significant court fees. The 2022 proposal would demolish two single-family residences, merge two properties into one and remove 22 trees to create a 15,322-square-foot property with an underground parking garage. The parcel is across the street from a 60-unit building and is in an area designated for multifamily buildings. It remains largely unchanged from the 2018 version.
Several neighborhood residents have voiced worry about the large size of the development concerning homes and streets near the house. Others have said they will now have to deal with additional parking and traffic problems on nearby narrow streets.
The site is at the corner of West Santa Inez Avenue and El Camino Real. Several small businesses and apartments are nearby, but it is also close to residential single-family houses known for their historical nature and heritage trees. The city has zoned the 11,000-square-foot lot for multiple-family residential.
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