Station Park Green approved: San Mateo council gives 599-residence development green light

Although owner EBL&S development secured city approval in 2011, the project was postponed due to financing and returned last year with changes requiring the council’s vote.

Having been discussed for nearly a decade, nearly all of the councilmembers previously reviewed the Station Park Green development while on the council or Planning Commission.

“I think I’ve seen it evolve into a much better project and a lot of that has to do with the Planning Commission, I really applaud their hard work,” said Mayor Maureen Freschet, who was on the commission in 2006, according to a video of the City Council meeting. “This project to me really meets the goals of our General Plan and it also supports our transit-oriented development goals of our Rail Corridor [Plan] that was passed in 2005, and it also supports our sustainability goals.”

Developers were able to postpone the project in 2011 with the council approving a long-term development agreement and EBL&S paying $1.7 million to the city. With the council approving the changes Monday night, the site will now be made up of four larger buildings instead of eight and have the minimum amount of office and retail space as originally proposed.

Enclosed parking is provided through structures hidden within the four buildings with the residences wrapping around. A total of 778 spaces will be provided for residents and another 131 spaces are designated for visitors, workers and guests, according to a city staff report.

It was due to the changes, the developers and the Planning Commission met several times over the last year to hash out details with the commission ultimately approving the proposal 4-1 in mid-January.

“This has been a long time, this project, and I have to say as painful as it was sometimes, going through the process with the Planning Commission improved this project,” said Alan Talansky, EBL&S senior vice president of development and a San Mateo resident. “I think we ended up with a beautiful project and I think it’s better looking than I thought it would be.”

Talansky previously said he anticipates starting demolition within three months at the former sites of Kmart and Michaels Arts and Crafts. Construction is likely to take about two years and the Shell gas station has already been leveled, Talansky said previously.

In designing Station Park Green, Talansky said they took instruction from the city’s Rail Corridor Plan, which calls for transit-oriented developments and housing along the Caltrain line.

“This project really does epitomize what we as a community approved in 2005,” said Vice Mayor Jack Matthews.

Station Park Green will provide 60 units available to those with very-low incomes and Matthews said the 599 residences will help the city’s and county’s dire need of more housing.

The rental units are primarily made up of the highly desired studios and one-bedrooms, however, a handful of three-bedroom apartments were added at the request of planning commissioners, Talansky said.

Station Park Green’s pedestrian-friendly interconnected street system, diversity of architecture, neighborhood and commuter-serving retail rather than big box stores and sustainability measures exemplify San Mateo’s transit-oriented development goals, Talansky said.

Station Park Green aims to achieve LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The project incorporates numerous sustainability measures, will be ready for solar and implement gray water infrastructure allowing the project to use recycled water when the city is able to provide it, Talansky said.

Some councilmembers raised concern that although the project will be “solar ready,” there is no firm commitment from EBL&S to install panels. However, Talansky said with the pace at which renewable energy technology is changing, it makes more sense to wait until the project is closer to completion and his commitment to achieving LEED Gold will encourage on-site renewable energy sources.

The site will also provide a minimum of six electric-vehicle charging stations available to the public as well as ample bike parking space for residents, according to EBL&S representatives.

To promote use of mass transit, Talansky said Station Park Green will provide shuttle services for residents and possibly work with Caltrain to provide discount rail passes.

Station Park Green may also team up with the proposed neighboring Hines office complex, which could transform 3.3 acres into 292,400 square feet of offices, to provide traffic demand management measures such as more shuttles, Talansky said.

In taking notes from other transit-oriented development projects, Talansky said they plan on providing a market-demanded amount of retail that will be less “big box chain” and more community serving. Talansky added he’s interested in offering a few downtown merchants the option to open sites at Station Park Green.

Developers agreed to use local laborers. Union representatives as well as members of the public spoke in favor of the project Monday night.

Councilman David Lim praised EBL&S for working closely with the community to address concerns and said he was thrilled to approve the project for a second time.

Freschet agreed she’s hopeful Station Park Green will live up to the city’s and community’s goals.

“I think it’s a wonderful, thoughtful example of urban development,” Freschet said. “I think it’s something the city of San Mateo can be very proud of.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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