South San Francisco seeking to add 543 apartments

The seven-story, 85-foot residential housing development would build 543 housing units at 7 S. Linden Ave. It would have 252 one-bedroom units, 229 two-bedroom, 62 studios and 82 affordable units. The Lindenville neighborhood has traditionally been the city’s industrial area and is seen by the city as ripe for transformation into a mixed-use area of open space residential and industrial. The area could also help support the city’s general plan calling for 17,800 new housing units to cope with tens of thousands of jobs expected to enter the area because of the life science industry.

The current 4.2-acre vacant site is a mixed-use industrial area, but the zoning allows for high-density residential. The site is bordered by South Linden Avenue to the west, Colma Creek to the south, and the Southern Pacific Railroad to the north and east. The new Caltrain station is about a half mile from the site and not far from downtown. Essex Property Trust is the developer of the site and purchased it in September 2021. The development has high environmental ambition thanks to the plan for the building to be all-electric residential, with no gas appliances. It calls for a total of 543 electric vehicle charging stations.

At its March 16 meeting, the Planning Commission felt the project design was off to a good start and asked Essex to consider the neighborhood during construction and look at design features that ensured there was enough space for all residents. Evans asked for more consideration about the large size and how the scale might affect the surrounding businesses and neighborhoods. Chair Alex Tzang praised the developer for having lots of bike parking and still having a 1-to-1 vehicle parking ratio, given the lack of requirements. He liked the project because of its mix of different types of units that are affordable.

“I think it really fits what our society needs,” Tzang said. “We need a lot of housing.”

Parking garage access comes from two entry points, with 563 on-site parking spots planned. Around 154 bike parking spots are envisioned. Essex will also be engaged in transit and street improvements valued at around $1 million. The improvements include traffic signal upgrades, turning lanes, accessible ramps and crosswalks, widened sidewalks and bike racks. Amenities include three community rooms, a fitness room, courtyards, a dog washroom and sports courts. Essex said in a presentation that a Jan. 25 neighborhood meeting on the development found that the community supported the project. The commission unanimously approved the environmental and design review standards required to move the project forward at its March 16 meeting.