San Carlos CVS to Make Way for Critical Summerhill 6-Story Apartment Complex at El Camino Real

by sancarloslife | Sep 21, 2023 | Headliner, Real Estate Blogs | 0 comments

Summerhill Apartment Complex at 11 El Camino Real San Carlos CA

Updated: Nov 13, 2024

Summerhill on El Camino Real

“I live at 1 Laurel Street, I’m a neighbor, and I have a few concerns. One of my concerns is protecting trees… We should try to save the trees that have been growing for years. Personally I enjoy those trees, and the view from my balcony, but 6 stories – that’s gonna block my whole view of sunrise, moonrise, everything. At the time I moved in two years ago I was told by management that I would not lose my view because of the code not to build more than the allowed number of floors. When the code was change, I’m not sure.”

– Yoko Watanabe, San Carlos Resident – Public Comment during the 18th September 2023 City Council Meeting

“My view of the bay will be obliterated, there’ll nothing left of it. I find that frustrating. You move into a place and you’re told 4 story / 3 story buildings was as high as anyone can build, and BOOM it was changed. And there was one sentence in Good Living that said (I don’t know when it was, months ago?) it was changed from 4 stories to 6 stories and I did not even realize it until we got flyers about this new place that’s coming… I lose my whole view. You have to think about when you’re putting things like this… You’re affecting everybody who’s already been there. That’s frustrating. Maybe in your neighborhoods no one is building across the street from you. But now it is happening to me.

If our whole point is to make more places for people to live in, which is a good goal, why are we making a 6-story building that has a blank interior when you can put a whole bunch more people in it? Yes the building should be pretty, but you can put in so much more units in that one building. And if you’re gonna affect that many people, and there are only two of us here which is surprising me, people who live on our side of the road still don’t realize what’s going on.”

– Coleen, San Carlos Resident – Public Comment during the 18th September 2023 City Council Meeting

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On Monday, 18 September 2023, the Planning Commission of San Carlos unanimously approved the construction of a 242-unit Apartment Complex by Summerhill Homes on El Camino Real in San Carlos. The Committee has claimed the project as being part of the San Carlos Housing 2040 Initiative.

First of all, the goal of the San Carlos 2040 Initiative is to ensure that “an excess of 2,000 new homes will be built in San Carlos by 2031 – a majority of which will be designated as below-market-rate (BMR) units” (Source). To achieve this, the initiative calls for changes in development regulations for different zones, including the maximum allowed floors of buildings in San Carlos. Based on public engagement meetings, the public expressed “support for higher building heights if there was more BMR (below market rate) housing in the development.” (Source)

Concerning the 6-story apartment building to be built in 11 El Camino Real, with 242 units and 36 of them designated as BMR, which meets just the exact minimum required BMR units by the BMR Ordinance, which is 15%:

“The BMR Ordinance requires that 15 percent of units in market rate developments are provided at affordable rates (10 percent moderate- and 5 percent low-income for ownership projects; 10 percent very low and 5 percent low-income for rental projects)”.

Summerhill’s BMR units accounts for only about 2.2% of the goal of having 1,602 units of 2,735 units by 2031-2040. (Source)

San Carlos RHNA Housing Units

San Carlos RHNA Housing Units

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“I would like to agree with the residents of Spring Street. As a San Carlos resident myself, I can tell you that what a building looks like is really subjective, and you can make it lower and leave these people their views, and nobody would care. You can fill in the lower levels with apartment, and get more housing altogether. You’re gonna trade off height for some open space and call that public benefit. It doesn’t make sense but thank you.”

Patty, San Carlos Resident – Public Comment during the 18th September 2023 City Council Meeting

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The Case of Summerhill Homes

SummerHill Apartment Communities, the company responsible for the project, first proposed the construction of a six-story building on a 2.2-acre lot at 11 El Camino Real, in January 2023. A community workshop was supposedly held by Summerhill on 4 April 2023. A Public Notice via flyers and media announcement was released September 5-7 to property owners within 300′ of the property, only about ten days before the final approval of the Committee.

The building will consist of 242 units, including a variety of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments. Among the 36 units below-market rate, 24 will be designated for very low-income individuals or families earning 50% of the area median income (approximately $124,000 annually for a family of four), while 12 units will be designated for low-income individuals or families earning 60% of the area median income.

The site will feature roof decks, two central courtyards with a pool, storm water planters, fire pits, and lounge areas. Most of the units will have balconies, and there will be a total of 297 parking stalls, including 14 guest parking spots equipped with electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, streetscape improvements will be made. The new building will replace a CVS store and parking lot and will be conveniently located within walking distance of both the San Carlos and Belmont Caltrain stations, as well as SamTrans bus stops.

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There were some people who candidly supported Summerhill’s project: representatives of the Chamber of San Mateo Businesses, Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, the SCEF who thanked Summerhill for their generous sponsorship of San Carlos Education.

On the other hand, in order to reduce the overall perception of height, certain sections of the upper levels will be set back, a feature that the commissioners found favorable. Commissioner Rick Hunter appreciated the building’s ability to provide significant housing along El Camino without creating a tunnel-like atmosphere. However, six “Heritage Trees” 7-8 stories high, will be taken down, according to Coleen, a resident of San Carlos.

Before this blog ends, here are the zones in San Carlos where the Building Construction Height Limit has been increased. Please feel free to check if your home will be affected in a few years to come. For San Carlos Residents who have invested their lives into the homes they love the most, please feel free to participate in the coming Council Meetings in order for your voice to be heard as a group.

Other Sources:

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