Pandemic confuses South San Francisco's general plan update

While the city’s master planning document is still in its formative stages of development, officials are setting the stage for a joint discussion Wednesday, Aug. 19, between the Planning Commission and City Council.

In anticipation of the talk which will focus on alternative development scenarios proposed in key growth areas, officials recognized the difficulties with imagining the city’s next phase after the upheaval brought by COVID-19.

“There are just a lot of unknowns,” said Yurkovich, whose consulting firm was hired to help city officials navigate the general plan update process.

To that end, Yurkovich noted many technology companies with offices along the Peninsula have committed to remote work arrangements for the immediate future — a decision which could have profound impacts on economic development and transportation trends.

Compounding the challenges for officials attempting to set development policies spanning until 2040 will be expecting what the office environment will look like should a vaccine be developed, said Yurkovich.

He balanced that perspective against the observation that many workspaces will return in some fashion should the coronavirus subside, as evidenced by the rise in traffic occurring on the Peninsula already.

Furthermore, Yurkovich said while some technology companies can stay remote, many businesses in the research and development industry populating much of the city’s Bayshore will need to return to their campuses to remain productive.

“We do anticipate more people will go back to the office over time,” he said.

Economic growth is a key consideration for South San Francisco officials when updating the general plan, as the city has grown into a major job center with the continued expansion of the life sciences sector.

The economic pressure has driven up the cost of living and officials have focused on approving housing development to accommodate the demand to live in South San Francisco, with hopes of establishing a fair balance of homes and jobs.

As it stands, there are about 2.6 jobs available for every housing unit in South San Francisco, according to a report. Depending on the rate of development endorsed by officials through the general plan, that ratio could grow to 2.9 or shrink to 2.3. And according to regional planning estimations, South San Francisco could be expected to build between 11,000 and 22,000 new housing units by 2040.

To accomplish that lofty goal, officials are eyeing a variety of alternatives in four key districts which could intensify land development policies — the region east of Highway 101, downtown, along El Camino Real and Lindenville near the city’s southern border.

As part of the general plan update, officials have discussed allowing some residential development east of Highway 101 — an area traditionally preserved for the city’s biotech and industrial businesses.

In discussions with the neighborhood about plans to add homes nearby, Rozzi noted there have been some concerns raised about the threat of additional growth inviting excess noise and traffic congestion to the area.

But there are others who favor the plan centering around building transit-oriented development near the city’s relocated Caltrain station, which is currently under construction.

Rozzi also noted the devastation brought to the Caltrain system by the pandemic and the ongoing scramble for money to preserve public transportation systems hit hard by a plummeting ridership.

Acknowledging the pandemic could alter the future of transit systems, Rozzi pointed to another uncertainty brought by COVID-19 with which planners must grapple.

“A lot of our land use planning could suffer if we don’t have the services we have designed and planned for,” he said.

South San Francisco officials are planning to host discussions regarding the general plan update each Tuesday through August from noon until 1 p.m. Visit shapessf.com for more information.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105