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Home Resource Center In the News Home Greenbelt Alliance in the News |
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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
June 21, 2007 Transit village garners approval Development may include 600 housing units Will OremusA plan for a 12-acre "transit village" next to San Mateo's Hayward Park Caltrain Station appears to be popular with all sorts of residents. Representatives from a building trade council, two nearby neighborhoods, environmental groups and even a religious group endorsed Station Park Green at a Planning Commission study session Tuesday. The development — primarily housing with some offices, shops and a park — would replace a Big Kmart and a sprawling parking lot at Delaware Street and Concar Drive. "We need responsible development in this area," said Marshall Loring, a resident of the adjacent 19th Avenue Park neighborhood. "This one looks like a darned good project." A representative of the environmental group Greenbelt Alliance said the project "could not have a better location," since Hayward Park is one of Caltrain's most underutilized stops. That's partly because the huge paved lot for the Big Kmart is a barrier to pedestrians, she said. Chris Eckert, a resident of the nearby Hayward Park neighborhood, said the need for more homes in San Mateo remains urgent, despite the slowdown in the housing market. He said upscale condominiums of the type planned by developer EBL&S could help spruce up the surrounding neighborhood. The developer is hoping to build about 600 housing units on the 12 acres. Laura Peterhans of Peninsula Interfaith Action said that will be a boon, because it will mean at least 60 new below-market-rate units for the city. But former Planning Commissioner Bertha Sanchez argued it's too dense. She pointed out that Station Park Green would bring in close to half as many new residents as the planned Bay Meadows Phase II project, even though the parcel is only one-fifth the size. Longtime San Mateo resident Bertenia Robinson agreed. "It looks beautiful, it's very friendly-looking, but I am very concerned about the traffic," she said. Although the project is designed to encourage public transit use, Robinson suspects many residents will still drive their vehicles. The Planning Commission hadn't delved into the project's design guidelines as of press time, but early comments focused on the contemporary design of the buildings. Some commissioners, such as Kelly Moran, said they liked the look of the residential buildings, which are three to four stories high and are set back from the streets to allow for greenery. Others, such as Chris Massey, said they worry the modern design is more urban than suburban and won't fit with the rest of San Mateo. Several public meetings remain, including at least one addressing traffic issues, before the city considers final approval. ### |
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