Wave of Construction to Hit San Carlos in 2016

The SF Peninsula has seen a construction boom in recent years, in both commercial and residential.  Developers have increasingly turned their focus north of the Silicon Valley, and up until this point Redwood City and San Mateo have been the most eager to welcome the trend.  But now even San Carlos, a city known for its resistance to big construction projects and anything that might detract from the city's small-town charm, is beginning to welcome growth in its own way.  The City of Good Livin' is set to begin construction on several major developments this year: The Wheeler Plaza Redevelopment, the San Carlos Transit Village, and the Landmark Hotel.

Here's a brief summary of the projects (per the city website):

The San Carlos Transit Village - Located by the San Carlos CalTrain station at the intersection of El Camino and Holly, this project will include 202 new multiple family rental units with parking, driveways, landscaping and utilities that will be constructed in six 3-story buildings. Two 2-story commercial buildings located just north and south of the existing Historic San Carlos Depot will add 25,800 S/F of commercial space. The project will also include a multi-modal transit center (new parking lot for the San Carlos CalTrain station) including a commuter parking lot and landscaping on 4.27 acres



The Landmark Hotel - This will be a 4-story, upscale, extended stay hotel located off of Industrial Rd, near Holly Street (site pictured above).  The hotel will include 204 guest rooms, with associated surface parking and site landscaping. On-site hotel amenities include a lobby, outdoor patio areas with a pool and sport court, fitness and laundry center, limited food service, and a meeting room. All guest rooms will include individual kitchens.



The Wheeler Plaza Redevelopment -  This project involves the redevelopment of the Wheeler Plaza public parking lot located at 657 Walnut Street (site pictured above).  It will also call for the demolition of the buildings located at 616 Laurel Street, 1245 San Carlos Avenue, 1249 San Carlos Avenue and 657 Walnut Street.  109 new condominium housing units with 196 below-grade parking spaces and open-space amenities.  The plan is construct a new two-level public parking structure with 252 public parking spaces resulting in an increase of 65 public parking spaces.  There will also be 10,000 square feet of new commercial space along San Carlos Avenue.  

In light of the wave of impending construction, City Council has decided to hire a consultant onto the Wheeler Plaza Project to help mitigate traffic and parking issues along Laurel Street.  Kitchell Construction will be hired on a $150,000 contract to help develop parking maps, handouts, and communicate with the public on the progress of the project.  Taking the step to hire a parking/traffic/public communication consultant onto the Wheeler Plaza Redevelopment (the only of the three projects located downtown) demonstrates the city's desire to preserve the way of life downtown.

So what?

While these projects are significant by San Carlos' standards, it is clear that City Council is making an effort to mitigate the character changing qualities that large developments can have on a city (i.e. the Crossing/900 building in downtown Redwood City).  For example - with 202 residential units plus a commercial component, the Transit Village will certainly be a large development.  But it's height doesn't exceed 3 stories, and it is located on the opposite side of El Camino from Laurel Street.  By contrast, Redwood City's Crossing/900 building stands 7-stories tall, is located right at the gateway to downtown, and it's primary tenant, Box Inc, became downtown's largest private employer as soon as it opened.  

This isn't to suggest that San Carlos' philosophy towards development is in someway superior to that of Redwood City's, just that there is a stark difference between the two, and the goals each is trying to accomplish.  Redwood City's Planning Commission wanted to change the culture downtown to create a vibrant hub for business and entertainment, and the development they've invited has helped them work towards that goal.  San Carlos' philosophy towards development on the other hand, rests on the preservation of their culture and identity. They approve projects they feel will compliment what they already have, not alter it.  In the end, we'll be left with two very distinct downtown's, each vibrant in their own way, with something to offer that the other cannot.