City of San Mateo General Plan Circulation Element. Adopted October 18, 2010

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1 City of San Mateo General Plan Circulation Element. Adopted October 18, 2010 TRANSIT (pp III-20 to III-21) Exhibit A - Item 20 Excerpt from 2010 Downtown Plan Update and enacting Resolution C 3.4: Hillsdale Station. In conjunction with Caltrain, relocate the Hillsdale Station northward to a new location in the vicinity ofbetween 28 th Avenue and 31 st Avenue, allow parking lot expansion, improve vehicular circulation and pedestrian access, and facilitate direct on-site bus/train transfer. Establish a circulation system for Hillsdale Station that will safely meet the needs ofthe station as a major transit hub and heart ofa transit village, and will efficiently accommodate the many modes oftransit it will serve. Also, incorporate the concepts oftransit-oriented development into the designs ofthe areas surrounding the station - i.e. mixed-use development, pedestrian friendly design, a variety of housing within walking distance, etc. The Hillsdale Station is the most heavily used station in San Mateo and provides transit access to several major destination points: Hillsdale Shopping Mall, Bay Meadows Phase II Specific Plan transit-oriented development, and the San Mateo County Events Center. It is located on the west side ofthe tracks at El Camino Real, north ofhillsdale Boulevard. Three commuter parking lots are available, totaling approximately 520 parking stalls. The planned relocation ofthe Hillsdale Station consists ofinstalling a raised platform, which will provide safer access and easier transfers to buses and shuttles. Improved vehicular access will also be an important component ofthe relocated station. The new station will add approximately 500 parking stalls to the park-and-ride lots. Future development near the station should be designed to take maximum advantage ofthe proximity to transit. Because Caltrain is predominantly at-grade, local circulation is impeded where crossings do not exist and during times when crossing gates are closed. The majority oftrack crossings exist in the northern section ofthe City and in the Downtown. Only four crossings, SR 92, Hillsdale Boulevard, 25th Avenue and Laurie Meadows Drive/42nd Avenue are located south ofninth Avenue to the Belmont border -- a length ofapproximately three miles. C 3.5: C 3.6: C 3.7: Grade Separation of Rail Line. Promote the elimination of existing at grade crossings to improve local circulation and safety. Below Grade Rail Line. Depress the rail line through the downtown with street crossings remaining at grade as Caltrain service is increased and high speed rail through the corridor is implemented. Depressing the rail line in downtown should include examination ofa tunnel alternative and potential use ofair rights. San Mateo Rail Corridor Transit-Oriented Development Plan (Corridor Plan). Improve east-west access via new grade-separated rail crossings at 28 th and 31 st Avenues.

2 Only seven ofthe total 18 rail crossings in San Mateo are grade-separated, four ofwhich are scheduled to be replaced to meet current seismic standards due to disrepair and inadequate vertical clearance. These improvements are scheduled for the summer of2009 and include the Poplar, Tilton, Monte Diablo and Santa Inez bridges. Problems have resulted from the at-grade system. During peak hours, the train causes a backup on nearby streets. Grade separation ofthe rail line would allow unobstructed street circulation and improved traffic and pedestrian safety. The key purpose of grade separations is to improve local traffic circulation and safety. The San Mateo County Transportation Authority's 2004 Measure A Expenditure Plan provides a list of candidate projects for new or upgraded grade separations. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board is preparing Footprint Studies for the Hillsdale and Downtown rail corridors. Slight raising ofthe alignment in the vicinity ofthe proposed 31 st Avenue grade separation will facilitate relocation ofthe existing station north to between 28 th and 31 st Avenues and will avoid requiring realignment ofei Camino Real. While a range of alternatives are being considered for the rail alignment through downtown San Mateo, the City has established its preference for a depressed alignment that would avoid impacts to the existing street system and would reduce access to adjacent properties.

3 .~ CITY OF SAN MATEO RESOLUTION NO. 134 (2010) CERTIFYING THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL,IMPACT REPORT AND...,.," ~.... '"..) ADOPTING THE 20m GENEIrAL'PLAN UPDATE WHEREAS, the General Plan of the City ofsan Mateo provides the framework for land use decisions within the City; and - WHEREAS, The General Plan of the City of San Mateo must be' changed from time to time to reflect refinements ofpolicy and acknowledge new prop0sals; and- WHEREAS, this General Plan update is the City's second comprehensive review of the General Plan since its 1990 adoption and the first update occurred in 1997; and WHEREAS, the General Plan update includes revisions to many existing goals, policies and associated text; and. WHEREAS, it also includes'a number oftechnical revisions to text, maps, and charts to reflect current conditions pertaining toderriographics, economics, housing, noise, traffic, and other related technical information; and -- - WHEREAS, the General Plan update does not include the Housing Element which was approved by the City Council on February 1,2010 and certified by the State Department ofhousing and Community Development on March 11,2010; and WHEREAS, a major goal of this General Plan update was to incorporate climate change and sustainability goals and policies and using the City's Sustainable Initiatives Plan, Climate Action Plan, and the Greenhouse Gases Inventory as references, the General Plan Elements were updated to incorporate sustainability and to address climate.change; and WHEREAS, The City will establish and implement a Transportation Demand Management program, a Transportation Management Association (TMA), and other meas.ures to. reduce vehicle.trips and encourage transit use and promote bicycle and pedestrian accessibility for development within one-half mile of the Downtown transit center;anci<:. WHEREAS, General Plan Land Use Plan changes include the re-designation of two parcels currentlyused bythe City's wastewater treatident plant from Regional Community Commercial to Public Facility to eliminate a land use inconsistency between the General Plan land use designation and actual use ofthe parcels; and WHEREAS, The Planning Commission recommended the General Plan Land Use Plan changes also include re-designating the parcels on Fifth Avenue from S. Eldorado Street to S. Amphlett Boulevard from Medium Density to Low Density; and 1

4 , WHEREAS, the City Council declined to rezone 5 th Avenue because it is foreseen that most of the subject properties will redevelop from single family to two family dwelling (R2) density regardless ofthe existing m~lti-family medium density designation (R3), and a consequentjal reduction in allowable FAR under the' R2 designation may preclude the floor area necessary to redevelop a single family property to a duplex; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission determined that truck access to S. Amphlett Boulevard south offifth Avenue needs evaluation by more than the Planning Commission and recommended removal ofthe "collector" street classification offifth.avenue between S. Humboldt Street and S. Amphlett Boulevard; and WHEREAS, the Council voted 4-1 to reclassify Fifth Avenue from a "local" street to a "collector" street consistent with the City'S Truck Route Policy and Study which suggests the designation oftruck routes be based on the following. principles: providing the most direct route possible and impacting as few residential properties as possible; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission recommended edits to the Vision and Landps~.s-ecti9nsofthe General Plan to address the need for high speed comn;j.unications, as set forth in Exhibit E ofthis Resolution; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission recommended edits to the Conservation, Open Space, Parks and Recreation section ofthe General Plan to prioritize the location of parks in underserved areas, as set forth in Exhibit E ofthis Resolution; and WHEREAS, in accordance with California Government Code Section et seq., the Planning Commission held a public hearing pursuant to the notice required by law for these amendments o(the General Plan and Zoning, at which the Commission received and considered written and oral evidence; and WHEREAS, in accordance with California Government Code Section 65352, the Planning Division referred the proposed amendments to affected agencies; and \yhereas, the City held numerous public workshops and study sessions with the Planning Commission and City Council on the General Plan update; and.whereas, an Environmental Impact Report was prepared to assess the environmental impacts ofthe General Plan Update; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 14, 2010; and. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, by a majority of its members, adopted Resolution No recommending that. the City Council adopt the Final Environmental Impact Report and associated General Plan amendments for the General Plan Update; and 2

5 WHEREAS, pursuant to the notice required by law for these amendments of the General Plan and Zoning Code, a public hearing was held on October 18,2010, during which the City Council received and considered written and oral evidence; NOW, THEREFORE, THE SAN MATEO CITY COUNCil- HEREBY FINDS that: 1. The Final Environmental Impact Report was completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. 2. The City Council has considered the recommendation of the Planning Commission set forth ill Planning Commission Resolution No , which identified the basis for the Commission's recommendation on the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations which are located in the City of San Mateo Planning Division and constitute the record of proceedings upon which the decision is based. 3. The Final Environmental hnpact Report adequately identifies all the _environmen~ump'acts gfthe proposed projects: a. Potentially significant impacts have been identified and a mitigation monitoring program has been incorporated into the project which will mitigate impacts to a level which will not cause a significant impact on the environment; and b. Significant and unavoidable impacts have been identified and a statement ofoverriding considerations has been incorporated into the project for regional traffic impacts as identified in the Rail Corridor Plan adopted by the City Council in The final Environmental Impact Report was presented to the City Council and the City Council reviewed and considered the infonnation contained in the final EIR. prior to approving the recommended General Plan amendments. 5. The final Environmental Impact Report reflects the independent judgment ofthe City Council. NOW, THEREFORE,' THE SAN MATEO CITY COUNCil- HEREBY RESOLVES that: 1. The City Council certifies the Final Environmental Impact Report (Exhibit A) including the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (Exhibit B), and Statement ofoverriding Considerations (Exhibit C); 2. The City Council adopts the proposed 2010 General Plan Update, together with the proposed amendments set forth in Exhibits 3

6 *** Resolution adopted by the City Council ofthe Cityof San Mateo, California, at a regular meeting held on October 18,2010, by the following vote ofthe Council: AYES: NOES: Council Members LIM, MATTHEWS, GROTTE, and LEE ROSS ABSENT: NONE (SEAL) Is/NORMA GOMEZ, City Clerk