Joint Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission Special Meeting – September 17, 2024

This was a joint special meeting of the Belmont Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission, held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, beginning at 7:00 PM and adjourning at 9:27 PM. The meeting included a study session on the Belmont Signage & Wayfinding Project, followed by the regular Planning Commission agenda consisting of consent calendar approval of minutes, a public hearing for a single-family design review at 3411 Plateau Drive, and an EIR scoping session for the Harbor Industrial Area Specific Plan. No community forum comments were received.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Meeting Minutes (August 20, 2024): Approved unanimously (6-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Signage & Wayfinding Project: No public comments were offered.
• 3411 Plateau Drive Design Review: No public comments were offered.
• HIA EIR Scoping Session: Two speakers addressed the commission:
  • Leslie Wombach (NAMI San Mateo County, retired architect, former planning commissioner): Advocated for increased supportive housing for people with serious mental illness and a better balance of housing versus commercial-industrial development in the HIA plan.
  • Caroline Purr (Homeview neighborhood resident, former planning commissioner): Expressed concerns about impacts to Homeview from the proposed 3.9 million sq ft non-residential and 303 new residential units, including effects on aesthetics, air quality, noise, traffic, parking, safety (especially regarding gates at O’Neill/Harbor), park overuse (O’Donnell Park), and utility/flooding issues. She requested that the EIR address these with mitigations such as building height limits, transitions, and green space.

Discussion Items

Study Session: Belmont Signage & Wayfinding Project

• Staff and Hunt Design (consultant Jen Bressler) presented a citywide signage and wayfinding program to create a cohesive system using brand colors, natural materials, and directional signs. The program concentrates on Ralston Avenue, El Camino Real, Alameda de las Pulgas, Old County Road, and select neighborhood entrances. Two color palettes (blue for downtown/civic areas, green for residential/parks) were proposed, but many commissioners opposed splitting the city. Other discussion points included:
  • Use of banners, pedestrian maps, bike signage, and monuments.
  • Destinations: Civic Center, train station, library, parks—schools were suggested but not yet included.
  • Cost estimates: directional signs $2,000–$2,500 each; monument signs $10,000–$20,000; total program $75,000–$150,000.
  • Concerns about the blue-green split creating a divisive east-west identity, preference for a single color or more than two colors.
  • Desire to prioritize bike and pedestrian signage over car-oriented signs.
  • Interest in making monuments more artistic and less utilitarian.
  • Need for exact sign location lists for public review.
• No action taken; feedback to be synthesized for city council adoption later in 2024.

Public Hearing: 3411 Plateau Drive – Single Family Design Review

• Staff presented a proposal for a 975 sq ft total addition (499 sq ft ground floor, 476 sq ft second floor) to an existing 1,846 sq ft home, resulting in 2,808 sq ft total (3,500 sq ft maximum allowed). The lot is 7,000 sq ft with ~5.8% slope. Setbacks are within code. Materials include charcoal tile roof, cedar siding, and stock colors. Staff recommended approval. The architect (Mike) attended via Zoom but had no additional comments.
• The commission unanimously approved the design review (5-0).

EIR Scoping Session – Harbor Industrial Area Specific Plan

• Kevin Gardner (Good City Company) presented the purpose of scoping for the program EIR. The HIA is a 62-acre unincorporated area adjacent to Belmont Village. The plan proposes up to 3.9 million sq ft non-residential (increase from 1.3 million) and 303 new residential units (plus 250 existing multi-family and a 91-unit mobile home park). The EIR will study environmental impacts, alternatives, and mitigation. Public comment period runs through October 14, 2024. Commission input included:
  • Desire to study an alternative that includes full remediation of existing pollution to allow residential uses in areas currently zoned non-residential, to provide cost/feasibility data.
  • Emphasis on including cumulative noise, traffic, and utility impacts on adjacent neighborhoods (e.g., Homeview).
  • Need for robust outreach to the mobile home park community.
• No formal action taken; comments will inform the draft EIR.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved August 20, 2024 meeting minutes (6-0).
• 3411 Plateau Drive: Approved single-family design review (5-0). The decision is appealable within 10 calendar days.
• Signage & Wayfinding: Commission feedback will be incorporated; the project is expected to go to city council later in 2024.
• HIA EIR Scoping: Public and commission comments on scope (including alternatives for residential feasibility) will be considered as the draft EIR is prepared, with a 45-day public review period anticipated in 2025.