Centennial Transit Village at 180 El Camino Real before City Council again

South San Francisco, CA           February 25, 2014

UPDATE: The plans have been approved by City Council and the development will be moving forward. The Safeway will be closing for good on Saturday July 12th to make room for the new Safeway and development. – ed

Residents say this project is too large for the area

Residents say this project is too large for the area

On the city council agenda again tomorrow evening, February 26th, is the large proposed development slated for 180 El Camino, in the center which currently houses Safeway, CVS, Ballys, and Bedroom Express. Firestone closed their doors earlier this year when the landlord would not renew the lease at the last minute according to the Firestone Manager in Millbrae.

Locals believe the 14.5 acre site is in need of renovation yet agree the projected development is way too large for the community to absorb with traffic, noise and congestion. The fact that a new grocery store is long over due in this city is an understatement and most believe

This proposed project would sit on the 14.5 acres replacing Safeway, CVS, Ballys....

This proposed project would sit on the 14.5 acres replacing Safeway, CVS, Ballys….

there are other avenues to explore to have this need met without this massive project.  More photos of this proposed project can be found on ESC HERE as well as on the city website HERE

This project has come before our Planning Commission and was approved and put before our City Council who voted it down in the submission they received back in October 2013. They asked the developer to go back to the drawing board to reset some important issues which to date have not been revised.

City staff have made this recommendation for City Council for tomorrow’s public hearing of this project:

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the City Council take one of the following actions:

1.      Adopt a resolution making findings and adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration; adopt a resolution approving a use permit, design review and transportation demand management plan; and waive reading and introduce an Ordinance approving a Development Agreement; or,

2.      Adopt a resolution making findings and denying the Project.

BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION

The City Council has previously held public hearings on the application for the Centennial Village Project at 180 El Camino Real (“Project”) at their regularly scheduled meetings of September 11, 2013, September 25, 2013 and October 23, 2013. As background, the proposed Project consists of the demolition of the existing 145,000 square foot shopping center and replacing it with a mixed- use shopping center containing 220,000 square feet of commercial area, including 284 residential units on upper levels. The development would be constructed in up to three phases; following is a breakdown of each specific phase:

Phase 1

Construction of ground level retail for Major Tenants 1 (Safeway): 2 (to be determined), the health club, and both levels of Buildings A, B, C and D and Major Tenant 3 (CVS).

Construction of all surface parking and landscaping improvements.

Construction          of      184    parking        stalls       above       Safeway        and     Major       Tenant        2.

 Phase 2

Construction of all structured parking and Building E (including basement level parking). Construction of parking level above Building E and Health Club building.

Construction of a minimum of 141 residential units above the Health Club and Building E..

 

Phase 3

Construction of the remaining residential units (up to a total 284 units) above Safeway and Major Tenant 2.

 

Originally, at the September 11, 2013 City Council meeting, staff provided the City Council with documents in support of the Project based on the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve the Project. However, at these public hearings, Council noted various concerns including the lack of assurances regarding the construction of residential units and the term of the Development  Agreement.

 

Thereafter, at the October 23, 2013 meeting the City Council closed the public hearing and continued the matter to November 13, 2013, directing staff to prepare findings for denial. Subsequently, the applicant requested that the meeting of November 13, 2013 be continued off­ calendar in order to allow for further discussions regarding the inclusion of residential in the first phase of development and other issues. The Applicant has not formally presented the City Council with any modifications to the Project since the October 23, 2013 meeting. A subsequent public hearing was scheduled for the regular meeting of February 12, 2014 and was continued again to February 26, 2014.

CONCLUSION

Should the City Council support the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve the Project, findings of approval, including Zoning Ordinance and General Plan consistency are set forth in the attached Draft CEQA Resolution (Attachment la), Draft Entitlements  Resolution (Attachment lb) and Draft Ordinance adopting a Development Agreement (Attachment le).

Alternatively, should the City Council find that the proposed Project is inconsistent with the Zoning Ordinance and General Plan, a Resolution of Denial making findings and denying the Project is attached (Attachment 2a).

###

The City Council meeting begins at 7pm and is held at the Municipal Service Building (MSB) 33 Arroyo Drive off of El Camino Real. The meetings are open to the public and are live streamed on the city website HERE, and also on the community TV Channels Astound  CH 26 and Comcast CH 27. If you would like to speak at the meeting upon entering the Council Chambers behind the glass doors you will find speaker cards on the tables inside the doorway.  Complete the speaker card with your name and item you’d like to address and return the card to the City Clerk at the front desk, left side. Wait for your name to be called by Mayor Matsumoto and proceed to the podium. You will be asked your name and given3 minutes in which to share your concern.  You may speak on any subject that is relevant to our city during our public City Council Meetings.

 

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David
David
9 years ago

It will be nice to have a Safeway updated with bakery/deli like others, but whoever is wanting some kind of large development will be eating their words, you will see how congested that area is going to be with a Walmart or more apartments.

It’s going to be crowded as H I double hockey sticks. Imagine that area busy like Westlake Shopping Mall. Or on the other hand what if they make these large developments and it doesn’t pay off.

Just update/rebuild the current Safeway with a deli and bakery and whatever else the other new Safeway’s have and leave out the apartments. More people will flock to SSF Safeway if they had those departments.

If there is apartments who can afford these new ones anyways. The apartments by Costco are like $2500 for a 1 freakin’ bedroom apartment, same with the new apartments at top of the hill DC. I know people who have decent paying jobs and no kids and can not come close to affording those prices.

Dianne Nowak
Dianne Nowak
9 years ago
Reply to  David

I agree to many all over from South City all the way down the Peninsuls especially to Millbrae! We needUpdate Safeway and I heard sometime ago they were thinking of putting in a safeway gas station, Walmart, Some retail, Nice Bakery/Coffee shop and a nice bowling alley as I can’t stand Brentwood I refuse to go there so I go to Classic!

Kristina Anderson
Kristina Anderson
9 years ago
Reply to  Editor

And what do you think is going to happen now that Albertsons has purchased Safeway? They now monopolize 3/4 of the grocery store

Kristina Anderson
Kristina Anderson
9 years ago
Reply to  Editor

And what do you think is going to happen now that Albertsons has purchased Safeway? They now monopolize 3/4 of the grocery store market.They say the takeover hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve noticed some items I buy are ALREADY going WAY UP in price!!!

jo ann
jo ann
10 years ago

Why all this talk about not wanting this to be built. SSF is an old town with old buildings & businesses & never wants to get updated. I won’t shop at that Safeway but I will go to Millbrae.
The city council makes excuses about labor issues, get over it & let things happen in our city.
We missed the boat with Walmart because of the council said Grand Ave will lose business, that’s a crock because Grand Ave has lots of eating places that people visit at lunch time and Walmart does not specialize in restaurants! Let’s improve our city by letting in companies that want to come!!

Dianne Nowak
Dianne Nowak
10 years ago
Reply to  jo ann

I agree with you on Walmart!! They could use the area where that furniture store was right off 101 and Lowes tried to give their store for Walmart and they shot it down so we all have to drive to Mountain View!!

David
David
9 years ago
Reply to  jo ann

It’s true although there are a lot of eating establishments. However there are other business’ that sell merchandise and they can not compete with a Walmart’s selection and prices. Guaranteed if a Walmart did open up near the Lowes all the mom and pop family owned store will close and that is a fact.

Example like Lowes and Home Depot, now most family owned neighborhood hardware stores that I and other neighborhood residents used to go to are all history.

Even though the small neighborhood hardware stores had everything you needed for a home project and was convenient to go to they just couldn’t compete with the prices of Lowes/Home Depot. And small hardware store and fair prices and still could not compete.

Rel Campbell
Rel Campbell
10 years ago

This is way too big for that area and will cause too much traffic. I am all for updating it especially the grocery store, because South City does need a good grocery store. You don’t need more housing. Look at those houses they built on chestnut. Like 8 houses in one small area and that was 3 years ago and no one has moved in yet. That land could of been used for a little park.