Central Park area development, San Mateo

The Daily Journal (San Mateo County), Samantha Weigel, 5/14/15. "Central Park development gets approval: San Mateo planners approve Trans World's housing, office redevelopment proposal."

.... "A new office building and up to 60 residences is set to share the southwest corner of San Mateo’s premier park after planners narrowly approved the Central Park South redevelopment. Trans World Assurance Company, owner of the site, has long sought to redevelop the properties that Planning Commissioners turned an extra critical eye toward Tuesday evening as the location borders Central Park. The nearly 2-acre site covering four properties spanning from El Camino Real down to 31 Ninth Ave., currently houses a two-story office and bank building, two facilities occupied by the substance abuse treatment center Project 90 and a multi-family housing complex.

.... Trans World now seeks to construct a four-story office building on the El Camino Real corner and condense its three Ninth Avenue properties into a four-story apartment building with 60 units, five of which will be offered as affordable, according to a city staff report. The 33,400 square-foot office building will house Trans World’s headquarters along with other commercial tenants while providing 88 parking spaces spread between an at-grade lot and underground structure. The 77,800-square-foot housing complex will contain a mix of one-and two-bedroom units as well as 112 parking spaces with the majority located in two underground levels, according to the report.

The park, the community,
business, residential,
all will co-exist.

.... Despite public concerns the project would result in more traffic and parking problems while removing 41 trees just south of downtown, the commission vote 2-1 to approve the proposal." Read more.

Related article - San Mateo County Times/Aaron Kinney, 5/13/15. "San Mateo Planning Commission approves Central Park South development." Residents added they are worried about the cumulative impact on traffic from other nearby projects. Another developer has proposed erecting a 117-unit residential building along Fifth Avenue on the northern edge of Central Park. The 83-acre second phase of the Bay Meadows racetrack redevelopment is underway, and a massive project that includes up to 599 residential units is about to be constructed on Delaware Street at the former home of Kmart. But a traffic consultant told the commission that while Central Park South will increase traffic on Ninth Avenue, the effect will be "fairly modest" and within city guidelines. Ron Munekawa, the city's chief planner, told the commission that Hexagon's study took the other projects into account. "

References.  Planning - City of San Mateo, PA13-044 Central Park South Pre-application completed, 885 South El Camino Real; 15, 25 and 31 9th Avenue.  The property owner - Transworld Assurance Company. and About, ...."TWA is also proud to be an underwriter of our U.S. military's Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program that protects all military members throughout the world." Central Park map, City of San Mateo. north E. 5th Ave, West El Camino Real, south 9th Avenue, east Laurel Avenue.

Note photographs of Central Park. Park entry from  Wikipedia.  Rose garden image from City-Data.

Japanese Garden from Trip Advisor. Fitzgerald Field from Bay Area Softball Stats.

Posted by Kathy Meeh