Traffic backs up on 28th Avenue near Delaware Street in San Mateo.
San Mateo may soon impose stricter rules for developers, requiring more programs that discourage driving and provide more biking and transit-centered benefits.
The city implements transportation management rules for new developments in certain parts of the city, including those near Hayward Park and Hillsdale Caltrain stations, but the updated mandates would expand the requirements throughout more areas of the city and create additional stipulations.
For example, large residential developments downtown must currently offer some form of ridesharing or transit subsidy, in addition to secure bike storage. The new standards, however, would also prohibit developers from bundling parking with living costs, as well as eliminate the ability for developments to require that tenants commit to paying for a minimum number of spaces in their lease.
And with the new system, developers would operate under a point system — with the number of required points dependent on the project — and would choose to implement a variety of incentives or programs, each valued at a specific number of points. That could range from marketing and educational programs to offering rideshare services for school-aged children.
Exemptions for affordable housing developments — defined as those that comprise at least half below-market-rate units — are still up in the air, as mixed opinions were shared during the Tuesday, April 9, Planning Commission and Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission meeting.
“Any sort of additional requirements that we impose on affordable housing is going to reduce the number of units or eliminate the financial feasibility of that project,” Planning Commissioner Adam Nugent said in response to comments that such exemptions should be removed. “If we do something that reduces the number of affordable units that can be built in the city … that’s a trade-off that we should not be willing to make.”
While most commissioners agreed on imposing consequences for noncompliance, concerns were also raised over whether the penalty fee would suffice. Under the draft policy, projects that remain noncompliant for three to four consecutive years would face a $5,000 to $25,000 fee for each unfulfilled “point.”
“The question to ask is, ‘Would it cost the landowner more to comply or to just pay the fee?’” Planning Commissioner Martin Wiggins said. “I don’t know if it’s sufficient, but it’s big enough for people to think about.”
According to the draft changes, more residential developments would be subject to the new transportation management requirements, as well as some existing commercial facilities as well. And if a development significantly changes its use — from commercial to residential, for instance — it could also be subject to the new mandates.
The City Council will discuss the proposal at the Monday, April 15, meeting.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
Daily Journal staff
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(1) comment
Hey Adam Nugent, do you ride a foot powered bicycle to work? Are you also considering requiring all building inspectors, mosquito abatement inspectors, park rangers etc... to ride bikes from point A to point B? If not, why not? San Mateo is NOT a large city so using foot power is reasonable and any over weight employees would lose weight as well. So until YOU ADAM walk the walk, and the city walks the walk, please don't bring in high rise, low density housing and another million people. I personally have had enough of you and Newsom's hypocritical, totalitarian way of thinking.
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