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Traffic issues on planners’ plate
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Related Topics: SAN MATEO, Calif.
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A high-density project is planned for San Mateo’s K-Mart site.
SAN MATEO, Calif. (Map, News) - Delaware Street is already a busy thoroughfare near State Route 92; on weekdays, rush-hour traffic can clog intersections between Concar Drive and Saratoga Drive.
But the proposed addition of about 600 new homes, 10,000 square feet of office space and 60,000 square feet of retail have some residents concerned that they haven’t even begun to see what traffic could be like in the area.
Tonight, the San Mateo Planning Commission is holding another study session on the Station Park Green project, a high-density transit-oriented development planned for the K-Mart site just north of Concar Drive and east of Delaware Street.
“I think [the city] underestimates the amount of traffic, especially if they have three-bedroom units where families live, with multiple drivers,” said former Planning Commissioner Bertha Sanchez, a north central San Mateo resident.
Central Neighborhood Association member Laurie Watanuki said her neighborhood will be inundated with cars when the complex is built and is concerned that adequate traffic-calming measures have not been outlined yet.
Although the project is meant to connect directly to the Hayward Park Caltrain station and encourage residents to use alternate modes of transportation, Sanchez says the train stops are not widespread enough to make train commuting a viable option for many residents.
“We are not San Francisco, we are not New York with a lot of connections,” she said.
The San Mateo Planning Commission will study the Station Park Green project at 7:30 p.m. tonight in City Council chambers, 330 W. 20th Ave.
