 |
|
|
Bay Meadows Phase II
The City of San Mateo has taken a bold course with the Bay Meadows Phase
II redevelopment project. In November 2005, the City Council unanimously
approved replacing the aging horse-racing track with a vibrant, mixed-use
community that is within walking distance of the Caltrain Baby Bullet
stop. This project is an excellent example of smart infill. Instead of
paving over the farmlands and rolling hills that define the Bay Area,
this project will provide much-needed housing near transit.
After the City Council approved the redevelopment, a group opposed to
the redevelopment of the racetrack mounted a referendum campaign, aiming
to get voters to overturn the decision and stop the development. In December
2005, the group filed the signatures it had collected, but there were
not enough
signatures to get the referendum on the ballot. The group then filed
suit against the City and County of San Mateo with the goal of putting
the
issue on the November ballot. However, a Superior Court judge ruled in
August 2006 that the group had collected too few signatures to qualify
for the ballot, but the group could appeal the decision.
If the redevelopment is halted, it is unlikely the racetrack will continue
as it is now. The racetrack's owners have said that their profits are
too low to continue without adding a casino component to the racetrack—a
much more unpopular outcome than a thriving new neighborhood.
Greenbelt Alliance has endorsed the plan and will continue to be a vocal
supporter of the project as it moves forward. Here's why:
- Bay Meadows Phase II will have a mix of housing types, from single
family homes to condominiums and townhomes, which are popular with first-time
homebuyers. More than 10% of the housing units will be set aside as
below-market rate, making it easier for teachers, police officers and
firefighters to live in the community in which they work.
- Putting jobs, shops, and homes close together near transit, give residents
and visitors more transportation options, including walking, biking,
and taking the train. Not only will this relieve traffic, it will also
boost Caltrain ridership and reduce the negative impacts driving has
on our air and water.
- As part of the mixed-use design, a "mini main street" with
neighborhood-serving retail will be mixed with office space and homes.
The development will be pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, and will include
15 acres of public parks: parks San Mateo sorely needs and much more
than a development would usually include.
- A large community effort, with nearly 100 meetings over five years,
led to the creation of the smart growth specific plan for the redevelopment.
- In addition to Greenbelt Alliance, many organizations support the
redevelopment of Bay Meadows, including:
The Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter
San Mateo Housing Leadership Council
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
San Mateo Chamber of Commerce
Peninsula Interfaith Action
League of Women Voters
Building Trades Council of San Mateo County
What's At Stake
By 2020, another one million people will be living in the Bay Area; we
need to accommodate that growth with more efficient land use. The Bay
Meadows racetrack currently has close to 19 acres dedicated to surface
parking. Redeveloping under-used sites like this helps to relieve the
pressure to build on the natural areas and working farms of the greenbelt.
What You Can Do
We need your help: write a letter to the editor sharing your support
for Bay Meadows Phase II. Please limit your letter to 150 to
250 words.
Letters to the
editor
can be sent to the following newspapers:
The San Mateo Daily Journal at letters@smdailyjournal.com
The San Mateo County Times at tleupold@sanmateocountytimes.com
The San Francisco Examiner at letters@examiner.com
Bay Meadows is a Great Communities Collaborative site. To find out more
about this effort, go to the Great Communities Collaborative website.
Campaign Update
May 2008
In April, Greenbelt Alliance attended both the Planning Commission and
City Council hearings on the first of three Site Plan and Architectural
Reviews on Phase II of Bay Meadows Redevelopment. After many months of
hashing out the details on building and park layouts, both the Commission
and Council voted unanimously to move the project forward. Greenbelt
Alliance reiterated support for the project even though it was approved
in 2005. Friends of Bay Meadows, the group that formed to preserve the
horse-racing track, continues to voice opposition to the redevelopment.
Despite this, the broad cross section of community groups that favor
the mixed-use project adjacent to a baby bullet Caltrain stop is remarkable.
Representatives from the affordable housing, labor, faith, business,
and environmental communities remain firm in their support for a project
that answers the call for more homes near jobs and transit.
December 2007
Bay Meadows Phase II has been tied up in Site Plan and
Architectural Review for the last several months. Issues such
as tandem parking,
shared multi-use pathways, and inner courtyards are discussed in detail
at this point. Concerns surrounding the reduction of residential units
from 1,250 homes to 1,000 homes and whether or not the Caltrain station
will be relocated further north remain unresolved. The developer claims
to be responding to market conditions and plans to offset the decrease
in housing units
with an increase in commercial space. Rising construction
costs are hindering plans to move the Caltrain station to a site that
would allow better connectivity between it and the new community. If
the Hillsdale station remains where it is now, improved bicycle and pedestrian
connections should be incorporated into the plan. Greenbelt Alliance
continues to monitor the project and has sent a letter
describing recent concerns. You can read this
letter, signed by Greenbelt
Alliance and allies, as well as a
letter from the
developer to
the
San Mateo
Planning Department.
August 2006
After waiting months for the outcome of a lawsuit by a group called "Friends
of Bay Meadows," a Superior Court judge ruled in August that the
group's petition had too few signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
The group is in favor of preserving a piece of San Mateo’s history
and is opposed to the redevelopment of the racetrack. They began collecting
signatures in December 2005 after the San Mateo City Council unanimously
approved the Specific Plan for Bay Meadows Phase II. The Friends of Bay
Meadows plan to file an appeal of the judge's ruling within the next
three months, but in the meantime the City has been moving ahead with
design guidelines. Greenbelt Alliance and allies strongly support
the redevelopment project.
June 2006
The redevelopment of San Mateo's Bay Meadows racetrack with a mixed-use
development is still waiting on the outcome of a lawsuit by a group called
"Friends of Bay Meadows." The earliest a referendum will appear
on the ballot is November and it is unclear if this is even a possibility
anymore. A court date is set for mid-July to determine whether or not
Friends of Bay Meadows actually collected enough signatures for a referendum.
Bay Meadows Land Company attempted to join this suit and was denied. They
are appealing this motion. In the meantime, the City of San Mateo is moving
ahead with design guidelines. Greenbelt Alliance is continuing to advocate
for the project, and co-sponsored a forum during Affordable Housing Week
which highlighted the benefits of good infill developments. About fifty
people attended the forum and the panelists, who talked about 'green'
affordable housing, transit-oriented development, environmental benefits
of infill development and growth projections for the region, did an excellent
job in explaining the need for developments such as Bay Meadows. Many
participants said they found the forum very informative and good connections
were made between Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
May 2006
The redevelopment of San Mateo's Bay Meadows racetrack with a mixed-use
development is still waiting on the outcome of a lawsuit by a group called
"Friends of Bay Meadows." The earliest a referendum will appear
on the ballot is November. Greenbelt Alliance is continuing to advocate
for the project, and co-sponsored a forum during Affordable Housing Week
which highlighted the benefits of good infill developments. Scheduled
for May 18, this forum garnered attention from the San Mateo Unified Homeowners
Association, which canceled its regular meeting and told members to attend
this forum instead. Panelists discussed transit-oriented development and
infill development, and their benefits for residents and the environment.
As San Mateo County begins to participate in the Grand Boulevard Task
Force—a visioning effort that will look at ways to bring more mixed-use
development, especially housing, to El Camino Real—this forum hopefully
addressed many of the concerns that residents have about more housing
in the county.
April 2006
Greenbelt Alliance is continuing to advocate for the project, and is co-sponsoring
a forum during Affordable Housing Week that will highlight the benefits
of good infill developments. The forum will take place on May 18 in San
Mateo and will have four presenters discussing the good that can come
from developments such as Bay Meadows. Presenters include Jeff Oberdorfer
from First Community Housing, Don Weden, a retired Santa Clara County
planner, Jeff Tumlin of Nelson Nygaard and Jeremy Madsen in his new role
at the San Francisco Foundation. Don Weden will give an abbreviated version
of his Winds of Change presentation. Supervisor Jerry Hill will be the
moderator.
March 2006
The redevelopment of San Mateo's Bay Meadows racetrack with a mixed-use
development is waiting on the outcome of a lawsuit by a group called "Friends
of Bay Meadows" trying to stop the proposed project. Bay Meadows
Land Company attempted unsuccessfully to add its name to the lawsuit,
delaying the suit and prompting the "Friends of Bay Meadows"
to hold a fundraiser to keep up with the lawsuit expenses.
04/02/2006 Bay
Meadows plan touts supporters, San Mateo County Times
February 2006
The redevelopment of San Mateo's Bay Meadows racetrack with a mixed-use
development is waiting on the outcome of a lawsuit by a group called "Friends
of Bay Meadows." The group attempted to put a referendum on the ballot,
hoping to overturn the City Council's approval of the project. The referendum
fell short of the required number of signatures, but the group recently
announced that it will sue over the signature gathering process. Greenbelt
Alliance is continuing to advocate for the project, and will be helping
with a forum during Affordable Housing Week that will highlight the benefits
of good infill developments.
|
