San Carlos planning staff and consultants unveil draft Downtown Specific Plan proposing plazas, 20‑ft sidewalks and parking caps

San Carlos planning staff and consultants presented a draft Downtown Specific Plan at a June 16 study session that lays out design standards, mobility priorities and implementation strategies for the city’s downtown over the next 20 years.

Lisa Porus, planning manager for advanced planning, said the specific plan is intended to implement the recently adopted streetscape master plan and to serve as the regulatory policy framework for public realm, land use, parking and infrastructure decisions. "Downtown is an inclusive place with easy access for all," Porus read from the draft vision, adding that the plan emphasizes placemaking, multimodal mobility, vibrancy, equity and resilience.

Consultants described eight thematic areas of policy. For land use and urban design, the team proposed a limited rezoning of one SamTrans parcel from MUDC 100 to MUDC 120 to allow added height with stepbacks, and recommended raising retail ground-floor plate heights from 12 feet to a 14–16 foot range to attract higher-quality retail and improve storefront character. "We are proposing a zoning change here from MUDC 100 to MUDC 120," consultant Jim Stickley said while explaining stepbacks designed to preserve scale for nearby blocks.

Mobility and the public realm are central to the plan. The draft calls for a curbless, pedestrian-first promenade on the 700 block of Laurel, a redeveloped multiuse 600-block plaza (with a performance pavilion, popup vendor areas and seasonal programming), and improved alleys to support coordinated loading and shared parking. Consultants proposed expanding sidewalk widths to roughly 20 feet on key corridors to accommodate outdoor dining, pedestrian circulation and tree trenches. A new 700-block bicycle hub with secure short- and long-term parking was proposed to support a planned 'wheel-free' pedestrian zone.

On parking and transportation demand management, the consultants outlined a two-tier parking maximum system to comply with Metropolitan Transportation Commission transit-oriented communities guidance and state law (AB 2097). As an example, the presentation proposed a by-right residential standard of 0.7 spaces per bedroom with a higher optional tier (0.8–0.9) available if developers provide mitigations such as shared public access to parking, enhanced TDM measures, or mitigation fees. Staff also proposed eliminating parking minimums within a half-mile of transit (per AB 2097) and encouraging public access to private nonresidential parking during non-business hours to maximize shared supply.

Sustainability and infrastructure policies include rain gardens and permeable pavement for stormwater management, incentives for green-building features (solar-ready roofs, green roofs, EV charging and bike charging infrastructure), and recommended utility upgrades — including a suggested sanitary sewer minimum diameter standard of 8 inches in places to support future downtown demands.

Commissioners asked detailed clarifying questions about the ground-floor height changes and whether increased retail plate heights would reduce upper-floor unit ceiling heights; staff showed typical floor-to-floor dimensions and said the proposed heights were designed to work within local height limits. Commissioners also raised concerns and offered guidance on several implementation issues: small-business assistance for façade/awning upgrades; more explicit ADA connectivity between downtown and the east side; parking enforcement and employee-permit usage; long-term bike parking locations to avoid plaza crowding; stormwater system sizing for larger storms; and sequencing and financing for alley and parking improvements. Staff confirmed the City Council has appropriated funds for Phase 1 public‑realm construction and that a bid package for first-phase Harrington Park/600–700 block improvements is being developed with a target later in the year.

Porus said the draft plan and supporting materials will be refined with commissioner input and returned for future action; commissioners generally expressed support for the vision and for using coordinated alleys and shared parking to help implement the downtown plan.

The study session was informational; no formal commission action was taken on the specific plan at this meeting.