Home > Your Region > South Bay > Campaigns > Bay Meadows Phase II

Bay Meadows Phase II

The City of San Mateo has taken a bold course with the Bay Meadows Phase II redevelopment project. In November 2005, the City Council unanimously approved replacing the aging horse-racing track with a vibrant, mixed-use community that is within walking distance of the Caltrain Baby Bullet stop. This project is an excellent example of smart infill. Instead of paving over the farmlands and rolling hills that define the Bay Area, this project will provide much-needed housing near transit.

After the City Council approved the redevelopment, a group opposed to the redevelopment of the racetrack mounted a referendum campaign, aiming to get voters to overturn the decision and stop the development. In December 2005, the group filed the signatures it had collected, but there were not enough signatures to get the referendum on the ballot. The group then filed suit against the City and County of San Mateo with the goal of putting the issue on the November ballot. However, a Superior Court judge ruled in August 2006 that the group had collected too few signatures to qualify for the ballot, but the group could appeal the decision.

If the redevelopment is halted, it is unlikely the racetrack will continue as it is now. The racetrack's owners have said that their profits are too low to continue without adding a casino component to the racetrack—a much more unpopular outcome than a thriving new neighborhood.

Greenbelt Alliance has endorsed the plan and will continue to be a vocal supporter of the project as it moves forward. Here's why:

• Bay Meadows Phase II will have a mix of housing types, from single family homes to condominiums and townhomes, which are popular with first-time homebuyers. More than 10% of the housing units will be set aside as below-market rate, making it easier for teachers, police officers and firefighters to live in the community in which they work.
  
  
• Putting jobs, shops, and homes close together near transit, give residents and visitors more transportation options, including walking, biking, and taking the train. Not only will this relieve traffic, it will also boost Caltrain ridership and reduce the negative impacts driving has on our air and water.
  
  
• As part of the mixed-use design, a "mini main street" with neighborhood-serving retail will be mixed with office space and homes. The development will be pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, and will include 15 acres of public parks: parks San Mateo sorely needs and much more than a development would usually include.
  
  
• A large community effort, with nearly 100 meetings over five years, led to the creation of the smart growth specific plan for the redevelopment.
  
  
• In addition to Greenbelt Alliance, many organizations support the redevelopment of Bay Meadows, including:
  
  The Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter
  San Mateo Housing Leadership Council
  Silicon Valley Leadership Group
  San Mateo Chamber of Commerce
  Peninsula Interfaith Action
  League of Women Voters
  Building Trades Council of San Mateo County

What's At Stake

By 2020, another one million people will be living in the Bay Area; we need to accommodate that growth with more efficient land use. The Bay Meadows racetrack currently has close to 19 acres dedicated to surface parking. Redeveloping under-used sites like this helps to relieve the pressure to build on the natural areas and working farms of the greenbelt.

What You Can Do

We need your help: write a letter to the editor sharing your support for Bay Meadows Phase II. Please limit your letter to 150 to 250 words. Letters to the editor can be sent to the following newspapers:

The San Mateo Daily Journal at letters@smdailyjournal.com
The San Mateo County Times at tleupold@sanmateocountytimes.com
The San Francisco Examiner at letters@examiner.com

Bay Meadows is a Great Communities Collaborative site. To find out more
about this effort, go to the Great Communities Collaborative website.