Downtown

The Downtown sub-area is located in the heart of the city, between Lindenville and Sign Hill. The area includes a broad mix of land uses, but as of 2019, residential uses account for 70% of land area. Park space is extremely limited, with only two parks (the City Hall Tot Lot and the Cypress and Pine Park) accounting for less than a half-acre. Downtown contains the city’s two historic retail corridors, Grand Avenue and Linden Avenue. Each is defined by zero setback buildings with lively storefronts, but each is relatively short, lasting only a few blocks. The sub-area includes a large concentration of locally-designated historic landmarks, particularly along Grand Avenue, and the Grand Avenue Commercial Historic District, among other cultural and historic resources. Downtown houses just under one-fifth of the City’s entire population, and its residents are far more likely to be under 18, far less likely to be over 65, and more likely to identify as Hispanic/Latino compared to citywide averages.

The General Plan maintains Downtown as the heart of South San Francisco. It retains the core community land use vision articulated in the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan (DSASP) to create a vibrant and successful community center and a source of local pride. Like the DSASP, the General Plan retains historic activity-filled commercial corridors along Grand Avenue and Linden Avenue and compatible land use and density standards in surrounding residential neighborhoods. It promotes new residential, mixed use, and employment uses in order to support a sustainable and thriving Downtown. The General Plan retains most existing DSASP land use designations and policy in order to create predictable, incremental growth in Downtown. New policies also address the impacts of growth and gentrification on existing residents and businesses.

South San Francisco has a vivid arts and cultural identity and much of the city’s arts and cultural community is centered in Downtown. An important aim of this General Plan is to celebrate the history, culture, and diversity of Downtown and its residents and maintain Downtown as the heart of the community by retaining small, culturally diverse businesses and providing resources and programming to support arts, culture, and Downtown’s heritage.

Vision Statement

Downtown is a home and gathering place for people of different income levels, races, and ethnicities. It is a center of art and culture, small and local business, housing, and transit that embrace the entire community. It celebrates the culture and history of the Downtown and of its residents. New growth is balanced with policies, actions, and investments to protect vulnerable residents, homes, and businesses from displacement, allowing them to sustain roots in the community. New community gathering spaces provide opportunities for existing and new residents to connect and interact.

Goal SA-1 Goal SA-2 Goal SA-3 Goal SA-4 Goal SA-5 Goal SA-6 Goal SA-7

Goal SA-1

Goal SA-1:

The City supports existing neighborhood commerce and provides opportunities to expand commercial Downtown.

Intent:

To ensure Downtown retains and attracts successful commercial businesses.

Policy SA-1.1: Reinforce Downtown dining and retail.

Reinforce Downtown as a dining and retail destination for all, maintaining the cultural diversity of businesses and allowing and encouraging outdoor dining in the public right of way.

Policy SA-1.2: Support small locally-owned businesses.

Continue to provide assistance to support small locally-owned businesses and develop a mechanism to support building upkeep and maintenance, signage, and façade improvements for Downtown businesses.

Policy SA-1.3: Support community-based organizations.

Support community-based organizations in Downtown South San Francisco and directly engage with these groups during planning and development processes.

Action SA-1.3.1: Create space for community-based organizations.
Study the potential to incentivize retention of commercial spaces affordable for community-based organizations through development requirements.

Goal SA-2

Goal SA-2:

The history and culture of Downtown and its residents are celebrated through arts and cultural resources.

Intent:

To support arts and culture and create a distinct visual identity Downtown.

Policy SA-2.1: Strengthen Downtown identity.

Strengthen Downtown’s identity as a center for arts and culture in South San Francisco.

Action SA-2.1.1: Establish arts and cultural district.

Explore establishing an Arts and Cultural District in Downtown and Lindenville to support artists and creative businesses.
Action SA-2.1.2: Incentivize artist and makers spaces.

Incentivize growth of commercial spaces suitable and affordable for makers and artists through development requirements and community benefits.
Action SA-2.1.3: Downtown marketing and branding.

Strengthen Downtown’s cultural identity by marketing and branding art, public spaces, wayfinding signage, community markers, and other informational signage in culturally-relevant ways.
Action SA-2.1.4: Develop Downtown Gateways:

Develop design elements and gateways that celebrate Downtown’s unique arts and cultural identity.
Action SA-2.1.5: Encourage community events and programming.

Encourage community events and programming Downtown, including youth activities and opportunities for cultural programming.

Policy SA-2.2: Protect historic buildings.

Protect historic buildings and the local building fabric in the Downtown through adaptive reuse and other strategies.

Goal SA-3

Goal SA-3:

The City promotes new residential, mixed use, and employment uses to add business patrons and residents to create a sustainable and thriving Downtown, while maintaining a scale and character that is complementary to existing uses.

Intent:

To diversify land uses to be mutually beneficial to residents and businesses.

Policy SA-3.1: Implement the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan.

Continue to implement the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan and update as necessary.

Action SA-3.1.1: Engage with community on Downtown growth.

Engage with the Downtown community to understand priorities and desired benefits resulting from Downtown growth.

Policy SA-3.2: Create mixed use neighborhood centered along Colma Creek.

Create a new mixed use residential neighborhood centered along Colma Creek within a short walk of Downtown amenities and services that provides a range of housing types for all income levels and household groups.

Policy SA-3.3: Balance parking needs and impacts Downtown.

Balance the need for parking to support a thriving Downtown with the need to minimize the impacts of parking upon a vibrant pedestrian, bicycle, and transit-oriented neighborhood.

Policy SA-3.4: Focus housing growth Downtown.

Focus housing growth Downtown around the Caltrain Station and along Airport Boulevard.

Policy SA-3.5: Encourage Downtown parcel aggregation.

Encourage flexibility in allowing developers to aggregate parcels.

Goal SA-4

Goal SA-4:

New opportunities are created to live Downtown and to protect existing residents against threats of displacement.

Intent:

To give all people – current and future – opportunities to live and remain in Downtown.

Policy SA-4.1: Preserve existing affordable housing.

Protect existing residents from displacement by preserving existing affordable housing, increasing assistance for renters, and exploring homeownership models.

Action SA-4.1.1: Homeownership expansion.

Evaluate potential for community land trusts and/or other shared equity homeownership models to expand homeownership Downtown.

Policy SA-4.2: Leverage publicly-owned land Downtown.

Leverage South San Francisco’s inventory of publicly-owned land Downtown to support housing affordability.

Policy SA-4.3: Encourage moderate density housing types.

Encourage development of moderate density housing types to increase the supply and diversity of housing Downtown.

Goal SA-5

Goal SA-5:

New improvements are focused on Grand Avenue and Linden Avenue to restore these historic corridors to once again being the focus of the community.

Intent:

To strengthen and enhance the public realm of Grand and Linden Avenues.

Policy SA-5.1: Improve Downtown pedestrian and bicycle network.

Construct safe, comfortable, and accessible pedestrian and bicycle facilities that invite people of all ages and abilities to access Downtown amenities and services, Caltrain, Colma Creek and employment in East of 101 and Lindenville through techniques such as sidewalk bulbing, lighting improvements, and signage.

Policy SA-5.2: Maintain Downtown properties and businesses.

Support property and business owners along Grand Avenue and Linden Avenue in efforts to maintain buildings and upkeep façades, respectively.

Action SA-5.2.1: Support Downtown business upkeep and maintenance.

Develop a mechanism, such as a business improvement district or similar program, to support building upkeep and maintenance, signage, and façade improvements for Grand Avenue and Linden Avenue businesses.

Policy SA-5.3: Enhance Downtown streetscapes.

Improve the streetscape along Grand Avenue and Linden Avenue by incorporating outdoor seating, lighting, street trees, and other street furniture through the adoption of design guidelines.

Policy SA-5.4: Improve Downtown signage.

Improve connections from Downtown to East of 101, the Caltrain Station, and Colma Creek by adding directional signage and improving signage and other street amenities.

Goal SA-6

Goal SA-6:

Contextual building design and development benefits current and future residents.

Intent:

To ensure new buildings and development benefits Downtown residents.

Policy SA-6.1: Develop new buildings to be compatible with Downtown building scale and character.

Ensure new buildings are developed at a scale and in a character compatible with Downtown’s existing historical and physical context.

Goal SA-7

Goal SA-7:

Airport Boulevard is improved as a gateway to the city.

Policy SA-7.1: Encourage a mix of uses on Airport Boulevard.

Promote retail, housing opportunities, hotels, and amenities along Airport Boulevard.

Policy SA-7.2: Encourage active ground floor uses.

Encourage active ground floor uses along Airport Boulevard in order to foster pedestrian activity along the corridor.

Policy SA-7.3: Require context-sensitive design.

Require context-sensitive design for new buildings along Airport Boulevard, including height transitions, rear setbacks, and use of visual buffers (e.g., landscaping, fencing) to provide appropriate transitions between new buildings and existing residential uses.

Policy SA-7.4: Continue to recognize Gimbal’s/Berrata Foods as a legacy use.

Recognize Gimbal’s/Berrata Foods as a legacy use; permit it as a conforming use, allowing for expansion and contraction as necessary. If in the future Gimbal’s/Berrata Foods stops operation at this site, require any new uses or new development of the site to be in conformance with the Low Density Mixed Use Designation, and sensitive to the residential uses to the north.

Policy SA-7.5: Improve Airport Boulevard streetscape

Improve the streetscape along Airport Boulevard by incorporating seating, lighting, street trees, and other street furniture through the adoption of design guidelines.

Downtown

Downtown

Vision Statement

Goal SA-1:

The City supports existing neighborhood commerce and provides opportunities to expand commercial Downtown.

Intent:

Policy SA-1.1: Reinforce Downtown dining and retail.

Policy SA-1.2: Support small locally-owned businesses.

Policy SA-1.3: Support community-based organizations.

Action SA-1.3.1: Create space for community-based organizations.

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