FAQs
The PWC is intended to serve people throughout the District, which extends from Foster City through San Bruno. District residents will have priority access to the age-restricted residential units.
Based on our Developer partners’ experience, it is projected that approximately 80% of the PWC residents will come from within the District with most of the other 20% coming from other areas to be closer to adult children and families who reside in our community.
The final scope of the Project is still being defined . The vision is for approximately 475 units of age restricted housing, the Center for Community Health which is an approximately 100,000 square feet commercial building of which 25,000 – 50,000 will be dedicated to community services/Hub space and significant open space. The program will be refined through community feedback, the City of Burlingame’s entitlement process, and the environmental review process.
Yes. The District is committed to including a substantial number of affordable homes in the PWC. A concept plan calling for 182 affordable homes, nearly 40% of the total number of residential units, has been approved. These affordable homes will serve seniors who fall into extremely-low, low, and moderate income levels. After considering multiple possible partners, the Developer has expanded the team to include MidPen Housing, a local, non-profit affordable housing owner and operator.
MidPen’s mission is to provide safe, affordable housing of high quality to those in need; to establish stability and opportunity in the lives of residents; and to foster diverse communities that allow people from all ethnic, social and economic backgrounds to live in dignity, harmony and mutual respect.
MidPen Housing is headquartered in Foster City and is one of the nation’s leading non-profit developers, owners, and managers of high-quality affordable housing. In the fifty years since it was founded, MidPen has developed more than 100 communities and 8,500 homes for working and low-income families, seniors, and special needs individuals, working exclusively in the Bay Area in Northern California.
Over the next 6 months, The Developer will host a series of open houses to introduce their team and the affordable housing concepts to the community. The initial meetings will be to introduce the new development vision and team members, with subsequent meetings focusing more on the design process and ensuring the housing will fit with the surrounding neighborhood.
The ultimate height of the buildings will be determined as the planning and design of the project progresses. The project will go through the City of Burlingame entitlement process.
The population within the District boundaries has proportionally fewer residents under the age of 24 and more adults over the age of 65 than the rest of San Mateo County outside of the District. The location of the land is within close proximity to shopping and general services, public transportation, healthcare services such as medical offices, outpatient and acute care hospital, subacute/rehab care and additional assisted living facilities. The addition of the PWC housing, support services and technology enabled independent and assisted living units will provide a comprehensive, older adult-focused community in the center of the District and the heart of the Peninsula as the local “aging” phenomenon continues into the future. By 2030, there will be a 148% increase in the number of San Mateo County residents over age 85. The Baby Boom generation is living much longer than prior generations and redefining what it means to age well. To address this age wave, the District has researched national and international models for “healthy” and “successful” aging and has worked with a range of professionals to assess innovative ways to use its land resources to keep people living more active and healthier lives.
The Trousdale and Sunrise assisted living/memory care facilities located across the street from the PWC are State licensed care facilities for higher-acuity seniors who require help with eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, and medications. The PWC will be focused on providing support and services for seniors who are living independently and is intended to serve not only the seniors living on the campus, but also residents living in the surrounding community through its many envisioned community-based benefits and amenities .
The District and Developer are proceeding with the planning of the project and the negotiation of a ground lease and related transactional documents pursuant to the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement. Finalizing the terms of the ground lease between the District and the Developer, and completing environmental review and obtaining the necessary entitlements and approvals from the City is projected to take 2 to 3 years before any construction can start. Construction is projected to take 2 to 3 additional years. Therefore, occupancy is approximately 5 years out.
All parking will be on-site and will be required to comply with zoning and land use criteria established by the City of Burlingame. A Transportation Management Plan will address traffic and parking trends and transportation services such as shuttles, Lyft, and Uber.
Gatepath will stay in their existing location at 1764 Marco Polo; their preschool and developmental services are consistent with the intergeneration plans for the PWC. The Burlingame School District’s administrative office will stay at its current location as well.
The entitlement process will require environmental review in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). Environmental review will include analysis of any potential significant environmental impacts of the project and will cover more than a dozen environmental categories including traffic, noise, hydrology, aesthetics and air quality.
In addition to the environmental review process, the development of the PWC will require discretionary land use approvals, subdivision mapping, and design review approvals. The land use approvals required for the development of the PWC will be considered by the City of Burlingame following noticed public hearings in accordance with the City’s Municipal Code.
We are deeply committed to gathering input from all community members and following a robust and transparent public engagement process. Starting in early 2020, we will hold additional public meetings, with an initial reintroduction to the expanded project team, followed by subsequent discussions focused on site design, community amenities, and other areas of interest. The updated concept plan reflects initial feedback we have heard from interested parties, and we look forward to continuing these conversations.
These discussions are part of our long-term effort to engage the public in the development process. Over the past eight years, the District has engaged a broad range of stakeholders to help inform and shape the planning for the PWC. Involvement opportunities have included town hall meetings, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, social media, direct mailings, newsle tt ers, and a “community dialogue” link on the District website. Regular monthly progress reports are posted as part of the regular Board meeting packet materials that are also available on the website.
In addition to District outreach, the PWC vision has been presented to the Burlingame Annual Joint Council and Planning Commission four times over its development. Presentations have also been made to the city councils of Burlingame, Millbrae, Hillsborough, San Mateo and Foster City . The comments received through all these activities have been very useful in shaping the programs and services that will be offered and have encouraged a focus on innovation.
The professional office building will provide state-of-the-art working spaces for health and wellness professionals and organizations. Potential uses for the office space include independent physicians, senior support services, therapy facilities, research labs on aging, and other professionals who are contributing to healthy aging.