The San Mateo Planning Commission last Tuesday voted unanimously to recommend approval of an updated eight-story mixed-use building at the former Kelly Moore Paints site in downtown San Mateo. The Nazareth Vista proposal would bring 94 rental units, including 10 set aside for very-low-income households, about 7,300 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 114 parking spaces.
Project details and developer
As reported by the San Mateo Daily Journal, the revised application would replace one-story commercial buildings and a surface parking lot and add amenities such as a fitness center, community room and a fourth-floor terrace. The updated plan reserves 10 very-low-income units as part of a density-bonus request, and the commission voted to recommend that the application move forward to the City Council for final review.
Traffic analysis and trip-reduction requirements
According to the project's transportation impact analysis, the development is expected to generate about 901 net new average daily vehicle trips, including roughly 56 AM-peak and 55 PM-peak hour trips, and the studied intersections are projected to operate at acceptable levels under both opening-year and cumulative conditions. The same analysis outlines required and recommended Transportation Demand Management measures and classifies the site as a transit-oriented large residential project with a 25% trip-reduction target. Consultants estimate the recommended package could achieve about a 32.5% reduction in trips. To limit spillover into nearby streets, the report also recommends site circulation measures such as gated residential garage access and visibility improvements, per the study.
Neighbors press congestion worries; commissioners push for safety fixes
Several nearby residents told the commission they fear the traffic analysis understates congestion and on-street parking pressure, prompting commissioners to press for quick-build safety changes on B Street. The San Mateo Daily Journal reported those comments along with residents' requests for city-led quick fixes before construction begins.
Approvals and legal context
The Planning Commission's recommendation sends the application to the City Council for review, and the project record includes the applicant's density-bonus request and the transportation analysis among the agenda attachments. The city notes the submittal followed an SB 330 preliminary application, and the developer is pursuing state density-bonus incentives to reach the taller, denser design. The state Department of Housing and Community Development provides guidance on SB 330 and density bonus rules that shape how cities must evaluate such filings. For project details and application materials, the city directs interested parties to its project page and to the transportation study linked above.
