Community development presents housing pipeline and Harbor Industrial plan update to planning commission

Director D’Mello presented a multi-part update to the Belmont City Planning Commission on April 1 covering recently completed housing, projects under construction, approved but paused developments, and a long-range Harbor Industrial area specific plan covering roughly 65 acres in the city’s harbor industrial area.

Staff highlighted three recently completed residential projects: Artisan Crossings (an apartment project in the transit corridor), the Hayden (at the former Iceland site), and the second phase of Firehouse Square (15 market-rate townhomes added after an initial 66-unit affordable phase by MidPen Housing). Staff said these projects together account for the majority of the city’s 2024 multifamily completions.

Projects under construction and near-construction included the Rome project (described in the record as 125 all-affordable units) and a city-supported affordable development on two parcels (reported as 307 total affordable units) for which the city has contributed land and funds and which staff said is scheduled to break ground later this spring. The Harbor Line project (properties at Harbor and Old County) was described as approved but on hold while the developer seeks financing; staff noted one entitlement extension has already been granted and additional extensions are possible.

Staff reviewed other approvals and pipeline items: a mid-block project on Laurel and Hill Street that has filed for building permits and anticipates construction this summer; two by-right affordable projects near Caltrain (reported as about 65 and 63 units) that have completed objective standards review and are pursuing funding; and a larger mixed-use project at 580 Masonic that uses state density bonus provisions and is under objective review with Planning Commission review anticipated in late spring.

On the commercial side, staff said several large office/biotech projects remain paused amid a regional market slowdown; two projects moving forward are 1301 Shoreway (an 8-story office/parking proposal anticipated for commission review later in 2025) and the Beam Reach area concept (an 800,000-square-foot concept currently tied to the Harbor Industrial specific plan and requiring annexation actions because much of the land is in unincorporated San Mateo County).

On the Harbor Industrial area planning effort, staff said the planning area covers roughly 65 acres, that community outreach and environmental analysis are underway, and that adoption hearings are anticipated late 2025 into early 2026. The draft plan would preserve the existing mobile home park, designate large blocks for industrial and commercial uses, and allow a modest amount of housing concentrated near transit (staff cited an approximate forecast of 200 additional housing units in the plan area). Staff said annexation with San Mateo County would follow plan adoption and that full redevelopment is a multi‑decade effort.

Staff closed with 2024 permit-center statistics: more than 6,000 building inspections completed, roughly 1,500 building permit applications, about 1,300 permits issued and 1,100 permits finalized. Housing units completed in 2024 included 17 ADUs, 21 single‑family homes, and 493 multifamily units, figures staff said were driven by the larger apartment projects noted earlier.

During public comment Gehar Karl, a Belmont resident and cyclist, praised the housing work and urged the city to pair housing and commercial development with stronger transit and protected cycling infrastructure to meet climate and equity goals. Commissioners asked questions about project timelines, entitlement extensions, funding sources for affordable projects, and occupancy rates; staff said many affordable projects rely on a combination of local, county, state and federal funding and that timelines vary by project.