Council reviews Harbor Industrial Area specific-plan concepts; residents urge lower heights, traffic protections and preserved neighborhood gates

The Belmont City Council on Oct. 14 received an update on the Harbor Industrial Area (HIA) specific plan and provided staff direction on development standards and a proposed phased Harbor Boulevard streetscape.

Deputy Community Development Director Laura Russell and consultants from Good City Company outlined the plan’s goals: modernize and retain the HIA’s employment focus, attract investment and fiscal revenue, address flood and infrastructure issues, and create a flexible land-use framework that can respond to market change. The plan covers property currently in unincorporated San Mateo County that the city expects to seek for annexation if the specific plan proceeds.

Key components presented included a simple land-use map concentrating mixed-use residential near the Belmont Village Specific Plan boundary, preserving the mobile-home park’s current land use, and keeping the bulk of the HIA in industrial/commercial designation. To manage transitions to adjacent single-family neighborhoods staff proposed a “stepped” massing approach: lower heights and greater setbacks on parcels closest to neighborhoods with larger building envelopes farther from homes and…