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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

June 28, 2006

Cities score low on smart growth study

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The study examines planning policies that protect open space and prevent urban sprawl in the 101 cities in the nine Bay Area counties. Only one city - San Mateo - ranked in the top 20. Millbrae, San Carlos and Half Moon Bay all scored between 49 percent and 37 percent. The rest of the San Mateo County cities ranked in the bottom third of the report.

Regardless, the report shows that cities need to do more to solidify their plans to focus growth near transit centers.

"It shows the region isn't really prepared for growth," said Michele Beasley, South Bay field representative for Greenbelt Alliance.

The study evaluated questionnaires sent to all 101 cities late last year. Each city was awarded points in seven different categories: Growth boundaries, park proximity, affordable housing, mixed-use development, development density, reduced parking requirements and development standards. Many San Mateo county cities received no score in the area of park proximity because the well-established areas already have parks and don't anticipate adding too many more - if any.

San Mateo County was also evaluated and its policies ranked among the weakest, according to the report.

Government officials have yet to view the report, but some warn there is more to smart growth than the policies on the books.

"I believe we have more affordable housing units than other cities in the county," said Redwood City Manager Ed Everett. "Some people have a lot of policies and don't build it. We don't have a lot of policies, but we build it."

Redwood City ranked 71st and scored 25 percent.

San Mateo earned 98 percent for its park proximity policy, which regulates how far new parks can be from residential developments. San Mateo and San Carlos both scored 100 percent for policies that promote mixed-use development.

San Mateo, which ranks 18th on the list, approved its Transit Corridor plan, which stresses mixed-use developments close to highways and railways. The project was approved in conjunction with a plan to redevelop the Bay Meadows race track into a mixed-use development. San Mateo ranked less than 50 percent in all other categories.

San Mateo was the only city to crack the top 20.

Millbrae is the second-highest ranked city within San Mateo County at 28th with a 46 percent score. It does have a park policy and also scored high on its mixed-use development polices.

"The council has spent a lot of time to develop an arrangement," said City Manager Ralph Jaeck.

The Millbrae BART station opened in 2003 and since then the city approved a few mixed-use developments and is looking to review more in the future. It also requires all new residential developments to have 15 percent of its units as affordable housing. The city can't require affordable housing at the recently approved Millbrae school site development, but said the school district agreed on its own accord to provide it, Jaeck said.

Next month, the city of Millbrae will consider creating a green building policy that would require new developments to be environmentally friendly with, for instance, large windows for light and air circulation.

Woodside, Atherton and Hillsborough were among the lowest on the list.

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