San Mateo is expanding its review scope of objective design and development standards for all housing projects as it considers new standards for the whole city, with the City Council approving a services contract with architectural design firm MIG Inc. for the increased work needed.
San Mateo has been working on objective design and development standards for multifamily housing to establish clear, objective criteria when evaluating proposed housing developments. Objective standards will offer standards for site planning, building and massing available to the applicant and city before project submittal. San Mateo currently uses subjective design guidelines from public officials to review and approve developments. Under objective standards, the city would still review and approve a development, but applicants wouldn’t have to comply with subjective design review requirements by a public official during the approval process.
The original contractor scope focused on guidelines around housing projects that fall under Senate Bill 35. The law creates a more streamlined approval process for certain multiunit housing projects. The city is proposing to apply objective design standards to all housing developments to increase transparency and streamline the review process, according to a city staff report. The new scope would review seven additional existing design guidelines or specific plans where housing developments occur more frequently. San Mateo is looking at objective design standards for the whole city following Planning Commission study sessions that determined it would be more timely and cost-efficient to study all guidelines.
The City Council has declared increasing housing production a priority due to its housing and affordable housing shortage. San Mateo is trying several strategies to help besides incorporating development design standards, like streamlining the planning application process, updating the general plan and encouraging the production of accessory dwelling units. It has also dealt with costly problems around not having objective design standards.
Recommended for you
The city will pay for the program funding increase through Senate Bill 2 Planning Grants Program Funds from the state’s Housing and Community Development Department. San Mateo is getting $310,000 from the state to address California’s housing shortage and high housing costs. The grant funds will cover all of the $192,332 consulting costs. The increase is $132,680, with the original contract at $60,652.
In other business, San Mateo City Manager Drew Corbett will receive a 4% pay raise that will take his pay to around $283,000 following City Council approval March 7. The council unanimously voted on the increase, citing his good performance and meeting and exceeding all expectations. His salary will be $23,655 per month. Corbett previously served as an assistant city manager and finance director and became city manager in 2018. He also has had experience as Menlo Park’s finance director, eight years with Sunnyvale’s finance department and five years as a project manager at Intel.
Surprisingly, from my understanding via the article, this use of taxpayer money to fund this review sounds like a worthwhile effort. But how much will these new design and development standards cost developers? I can’t imagine costs going down, with everyone and their kids likely putting in their wish lists for all electric, electric car chargers, solar arrays, low or no flow toilets, etc. The more it costs developers, the fewer homes will be affordable. Conversely, costs can be reduced if outside influences are managed and lowering cost is a major priority for this review. I guess we’ll see - sooner rather than later, if possible.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(1) comment
Surprisingly, from my understanding via the article, this use of taxpayer money to fund this review sounds like a worthwhile effort. But how much will these new design and development standards cost developers? I can’t imagine costs going down, with everyone and their kids likely putting in their wish lists for all electric, electric car chargers, solar arrays, low or no flow toilets, etc. The more it costs developers, the fewer homes will be affordable. Conversely, costs can be reduced if outside influences are managed and lowering cost is a major priority for this review. I guess we’ll see - sooner rather than later, if possible.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.