This 1.7 acre site will be the home of the new BART Transit Village with 31 3 story townhouse condos and 4 2 story single family detached homes. All will be sold at market price with 7 units below market per the City’s Inclusionary Housing Regulations
Our city is growing. There is no stopping it. *Big plans are on the drawing board for many areas across our city. Comments we received from neighbors on the recent article about the BART Transit Village development to be built in Sunshine Gardens were across the board. From ‘no more low income housing’ to we need ‘Project Based Section 8 for Disabled and Seniors’, ‘to build decent recreation playing fields for the kids’ to ‘bring back the farms’. We complain we cannot afford to stay here and we need affordable housing yet others say low income housing brings crime. We complain about the cost of housing and feeling ripped off as a middle class. We need more, and better paying jobs.
It’s a good discussion which leads us to some basic questions – how would you answer?
- What is affordable housing – what would you consider ‘affordable’ for a 3 bedroom 2 bath house? Apartment?
- How many designated parking spaces would a 3/2 house or apartment require?
- Do you prefer a single family home or condo?
- What would be a FAIR market PURCHASE price on a typical 3 bedroom 2 bath good condition home in SSF
- $200,000 – $400,000
- $400,000 – $600,000
- $600,000 – $800,000
- $800,000 – $1M
- $1M +
- What would be a FAIR market RENTAL price on a typical 3 bedroom 2 bath good condition home in SSF
- $1400 – $2500
- $2500 – $3500
- $3500 – $4500
- $4500 – $5500
Currently it appears the median home price in our city for a 3/2 runs over $600,000. The mortgage alone would be approximately $3,500 a month, add property taxes approximately $750 month, insurance $150 month. So far $4300 +/- month. Plus maintenance and upkeep.
An average wage maybe $20/hr totaling $3200/mo. We can see the disparity in these numbers. And what suggestions would you have to make the numbers work?
Many residents continue to voice we do not need more housing; we need more parks, decent fields, open space. How do we balance housing needs with recreational needs? Others say we need more jobs.
The Parcel Map shows the lots currently owned by Developers; 012 351 020, 012 351 030, 012 351 050
While many plans have been on the drawing board for many areas we do have some threatened open space owned by potential developers that needs to be preserved. Those neighbors who are serious about overcrowding and open space need to take heed now before it is too late. The ridge and back northern parcel on our Sign Hill are real concerns as developers continue to circle with excitement over what they could build. (If you are interested in helping to preserve this gem please contact [email protected] for more information.) Bay Nature magazine did an informative article on this CLICK HERE
*Some of the approximate housing plans on the drawing board at this time:
37 Sunshine Gardens
250 Centennial Village (El Camino Real – Safeway shopping center)
1500 Downtown (see images below for tentative locations)
Unknown El Camino Real Corridor – Grand Blvd Initiative
Unknown BART Transit Villages
Potential housing on the East side of Hwy 101 as well.
Some of our building requirements exist beyond the scope of our own Planning Department and Commission or of our City Council. Much is dictated by County, Regional and State mandates. It is a complex issue and neighbors need to weigh in with their opinions, suggestions and questions. That is why it is important to attend our *Planning and Council meetings, or view them online. At the very least stay in the know by checking out the meeting agendas and when issues are important to you, send in a letter or email with your views.
Below is a census of what our neighbors had to say about the 37 unit BART Transit Village development in Sunshine Gardens. The widest concerns appear to be parking/ traffic, over building/crowding, needing recreational space. The benefits appear to be reducing traffic/ parking concerns by utilizing local public transportation.
- Low income housing like the ones near South City High will increase crime rate
- Put in Project Based Section 8 for Disabled and Seniors.
- Infrastructure cannot handle more; water, PGE, sewage, road conditions, etc
- SSF used to be a small town.
- DOES NOT fit in with the existing
- We don’t have enough parking as it is in the area (multiple comments on this)
- SSF is starting to look really ugly
- South City went from a nice little town to an over built ugly eye sore
- Home prices are increasing.
- Transit village works commute to work
- Put back to local farm
- City doesn’t need is more condos
- More tech workers need more housing
- SSF all about that property tax yet we need better children’s sports fields
- Don’t put in another one of those mixed use monstrosities
- Make it a women’s shelter. They could plant vegetables, flowers, on the land
- Too many people in this neighborhood already, no parking
- People need to get out of their cars and take public transportation
- We do not need more overpriced apartments that no one can afford.
- If it’s near the BART station maybe people who don’t need to use/own cars will live there and bring a younger generate
- This should be a family area where in the fall they can pick their pumpkins and have a corn maze, a tree in the winter to gather at and farmers market during the spring & summer.
- We need to start creating jobs here in the Bay Area at the same rate that we are building new housing developments.
- Leave this little acre green – we need it
- Should be a park and nice safe soccer fields
- Overpriced homes and apartments already with traffic congestion a major
- Increase property value with soccer/ lacrosse fields, baseball field, skate park, playground with picnic benches, trees, GREENERY
- Don’t like the existing development around Bart and imagine more of it…
What would you add?
Share your opinions with our City officials
Council Meetings are held on the second and fourth WEDNESDAYS 7pm at the MSB 33 Arroyo Drive. The public is encouraged to attend meetings. Those wishing to speak may fill out a speaker card located at the back of the room and return to the Clerk in the front. When your name is called you may speak up to 3 minutes. Council meetings are televised on community access channels 26 Astound or 27 Comcast and are viewable via the City website live. For more information CLICK HERE -Agendas and minutes can be found CLICK HERE. You may also write the Council and mail or hand deliver to City Council/City Hall 400 Grand Avenue South San Francisco. Or email to [email protected] 650/829-6601
Planning Commission Meetings are held on the first and third THURSDAYS 7pm at the MSB 33 Arroyo Drive. The public is encouraged to attend meetings. Those wishing to speak may fill out a speaker card located at the back of the room and return to the Clerk in the front. When your name is called you may speak up to 3 minutes. Planning Commission meetings are NOT televised. For agendas CLICK HERE. You may also write the Planning Commission and mail or hand deliver to Planning Commission/City Hall 400 Grand Avenue South San Francisco. 650/ 829-6620
What is on the drawing board
Below are some of the documents from the City website regarding our direction and growth both in residential, industrial and commercial areas
The Centennial Village will replace the Safeway Shopping Center on Spruce at El Camino and will include approximately 247 housing units
The BART Transit Village will replace the Cuneo farmland on Mission Road in Sunshine Gardens and will include 31 3 story townhouse condos and 4 2 story single family detached homes. All will be sold at market price with 7 units below market per the City’s Inclusionary Housing Regulations
[…] For more on developments in South City CLICK HERE […]
I have to agree with the earlier comments of needing open green space. We have no public park in Sunshine Gardens which is directly adjacent to the newly developing areas. We have a High School and and Elementary school and the latter is off limits to the public during most of the days and evenings. There is NOTHING that is open to the public nor are there any green spaces that are handicap Accessible. There are two large baseball fields that are run down and cannot be accessed by the local community due to bad / no maintenance or upkeep. Yet we are being asked to give up more and more of our area to housing and with more cars. The BART is two blocks from my home and they no longer enforce the permitted parking area so we constantly have BART parkers taking up the limited street parking we have. We were promised when BART went in that this would not be the case. So much for keeping your word BART and City Council.
Regarding parking spots at newly proposed developments, I see a puzzle. Currently there is no limit on how many cars a resident can have regardless of how much garage/driveway space they own. So they fill the on-street availability outside of their development.
In our new transit villages, residents are limited to a 2-car parking pad. There are no limits on how many cars they may own so they can park their additional vehicles on the streets in front of other homes outside their development; for example, Edgewood Drive in the newly proposed Mission Road development. Oh by the way, their Edgewood Way neighbors cannot park on property at the transit village. Somehow this not equitable.
This city does not need anymore residential developments. We are over crowded as it is. What this city needs to do is focus on the quality of life for its residents. The city council does not possess any foresight nor cares about its residents. These developments allegedly rely on public transportation for occupants to commute to and from work, yet our pulic transporation system is inadequate. The downtown master plan is a joke and reflects stupidity. Look at the parking garage, that we has to have since there wasn’t enough parking spaces. Perhaps city officials should actually live in the city to fully understand its needs. Am I asking too much? Perhaps. This community needs to be resident driven and not council driven.
In regards to the BART transit development plans – I’ve heard that the plans were altered to have the exit onto Edgewood Way from the Sequoia Avenue side because a council member owns property on the Edgewood/Evergreen side and they did not want to have their parking affected, or deal with the increase in traffic.
This town was small and cozy, now its big and getting bloated.
The council says the county makes us build housing for the homeless and low income.
I don’t see Millbrae construction or Burlingame, or San Bruno putting up the lesser fortunate.
I agree we need to provide for them, however, lets spread the sacrifice, its only fair. What are they doing to help the needy? Quietly doing nothing?
I don’t believe we need more housing, yet,that is the push by the City Council who are pressured by the county etc.
I’d like to see more open space and the only space left for some green is the cemetary.