East of 101

The East of 101 sub-area covers all parts of the city that lie to the east of Highway 101. By far the largest sub-area geographically, it covers over 1,600 acres, is defined by large parcels, and is bordered by the San Francisco Bay. The area primarily contains employment-generating land uses and includes office, life science and other R&D uses, logistics, food processing, manufacturing, and other industrial uses. Most life science uses are located north of East Grand Avenue, with the Genentech campus being the largest corporate campus in East of 101. At the present, South San Francisco is home to over 200 biotech companies, and there is room for continued expansion of these uses, particularly on infill sites and in planned campus environments, such as Oyster Point. South of East Grand Avenue, there are warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and other industrial land uses that provide a diversity of employment opportunities. As of 2021, no residential zoning exists in this sub-area and there are no housing units or residents, though as part of the General Plan update, there is opportunity to introduce residential uses to East of 101 to create more complete neighborhoods with options for living, working, and recreation.

The General Plan advances the community vision of maintaining districts for R&D and industrial growth, while creating new neighborhoods that allow residential and supportive amenities and services. This vision allows for the growth and continued success of the life sciences as an economic engine for the city. Life science companies may intensify development north of East Grand Avenue, closer to key transportation corridors, in exchange for community benefits and district improvements. By allowing the life sciences area to grow through intensification rather than expanding its geographic area, the General Plan enables transportation, trade, and industrial uses to retain land area and continue to thrive in East of 101. These businesses, primarily to the south of East Grand Avenue, are supported by the City in efforts to adjust to emerging economic conditions and build long-term resilience to sea level rise and flooding.

Building under construction in East of 101 sub-area

The General Plan creates new mixed use neighborhoods along South Airport Boulevard. Providing opportunities for living in East of 101 supports a long-term vision for an innovation district, places more housing near jobs and high-quality transit, and creates opportunity for a range of new housing for different income levels. Along South Airport Boulevard, residents will benefit from streetscape improvements and urban design that create a high-quality public realm along this currently commercial and industrial corridor. The General Plan supports the well-being of new East of 101 residents by providing convenient access to new parks and gathering spaces, neighborhood-serving retail and amenities, and public services.

Vision Statement

East of 101 is a well-connected innovation district with a diverse mix of uses that serves as a model of sustainability, resilience, multimodal mobility, and economic opportunity.

Goal SA-16 Goal SA-17 Goal SA-18 Goal SA-19 Goal SA-20 Goal SA-21

Goal SA-16

Goal SA-16:

A new transit-oriented community in East of 101 with a diverse mix of uses, places, and programming to inspire creativity and social interaction that welcome all South San Francisco residents and visitors

Intent:

To create an inclusive neighborhood where people of all incomes can live, access transit, and services and amenities.

Policy SA-16.1: Require high-density development near the Caltrain station.

Promote density and a mix of transit-oriented uses adjacent to the Caltrain Station and along South Airport Boulevard, including residential, offices, personal services, retail, recreation, and healthcare.

Action SA-16.1.1: Introduce shared district parking.
Introduce shared, district parking facilities to support visitors and employees.

Policy SA-16.2: Implement public realm improvements near the Caltrain station.

Implement public realm improvements to improve accessibility to the Caltrain Station, including signage, street trees, landscaping, street furniture, and lighting.

Action SA-16.2.1: Develop retail, restaurants, and vendors strategy.
Develop a retail, restaurant, and mobile vendors strategy to support diverse populations, including residents and workers.

Policy SA-16.3: Create new parks and open spaces in East of 101.

Introduce a new, connected park and open space system that includes:

A public park within a ten-minute walk to any new residential development East of 101.
A Colma Creek linear park featuring walking and cycling paths.
A recreational greenway between Airport Blvd and Littlefield Ave.
A recreational greenway between Forbes Blvd and Oyster Point Blvd that extends into the Genentech Master Plan Area and connects to the San Francisco Bay Trail.
Class I pedestrian routes that connect East of 101 with Downtown and Lindenville.

Policy SA-16.4: Adequate public services and utilities in East of 101.

Coordinate with the South San Francisco Unified School District, utilities, and public services, including the South San Francisco Fire Department and the South San Francisco Police Department, to ensure public services and utilities can accommodate growth impacts of new development in the East of 101 area.

Policy SA-16.5: Encourage development of hotels near the Caltrain Station.

Encourage development of hotels within walkable distance of the Caltrain Station.

Goal SA-17

Goal SA-17:

Sufficient housing is built to provide for a range of housing types for different income levels and household types and that sustains services and amenities to support residents and businesses.

Intent:

To provide opportunities for housing East of 101 to be all inclusive.

Policy SA-17.1: Develop affordable and market rate housing in East of 101.

Ensure a mix of affordable and market rate housing East of 101, targeting the creation of 4,800 units.

Action SA-17.1.1: Designate residential priority sites.

Designate residential priority sites, which require a specific amount of future development projects be dedicated to residential land use.
Action SA-17.1.2: Remove parking minimums in East of 101.

Remove parking minimums in East of 101.
Action SA-17.1.3: Encourage property assemblage and master planning along South Airport Boulevard.

Encourage the assemblage of adjacent parcels by providing greater development incentives for master planned redevelopment along South Airport Boulevard than would be available for development on a parcel-by-parcel basis.
Action SA-17.1.4: South Airport Boulevard Specific Plan.

Develop a Specific Plan with design guidelines for residential uses for South Airport Boulevard.

Policy SA-17.2: Leverage publicly-owned land for affordable housing.

Leverage publicly-owned land, including Caltrans-owned parcels, for future affordable housing development.

Policy SA-17.3: Incentivize housing near the Caltrain Station.

Incentivize developers to build affordable housing near the Caltrain Station via density and height bonuses beyond State-required bonuses.

Policy SA-17.4: Create standards for housing design that mitigate for air quality impacts.

For housing within 500 feet of highways and stationary sources of pollution, require design mitigation actions including:

Locate air intake systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems as far away from existing air pollution sources as possible.
Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in the HVAC system and develop a maintenance plan to ensure the filtering system is properly maintained.
Use only fixed windows next to any existing sources of pollution.
Plant landscape barriers between highways and residential areas to reduce noise and air pollution for residents.

Goal SA-18

Goal SA-18:

A well-connected and accessible district with high-quality transit and walking and biking paths that seamlessly connect East of 101 with Downtown, Lindenville and the rest of the City.

Intent:

To connect residents, employees, and visitors within East of 101, the rest of the city, and the region.

Policy SA-18.1: Require small block sizes for new residential neighborhoods.

Require that new residential neighborhoods near the Caltrain Station be developed with small block sizes to facilitate convenient vehicular and pedestrian connections through the neighborhood.

Policy SA-18.2: Improve sidewalk and related pedestrian amenities.

Require and finance sidewalk improvements to provide shade, street furniture, and other amenities for pedestrians to create an attractive public realm along corridors.

Policy SA-18.3: Improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to the San Francisco Bay Ferry Terminal.

Improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to provide convenient last mile connections to the San Francisco Bay Ferry Terminal.

Policy SA-18.4: Maintain roadway connections.

Maintain roadways within East of 101 and foster connectivity between East of 101 and the rest of South San Francisco.

Action SA-18.4.1: Create new connection between Lindenville and East of 101.

Study potential for creating a roadway connection from Utah Avenue to San Mateo Avenue over US-101 to connect Lindenville with East of 101.
Action SA-18.4.2: Study other potential roadway connections.

Study potential for creating the following roadway connections:
- Utah Avenue and San Mateo Avenue, across US-101.
- Haskins Bridge connecting Haskins Way in the north to N. Access Road to the south
- Oyster Point Bridge connecting Oyster Point Boulevard cul-de-sac to Sierra Point Connect Gateway Boulevard to Sylvester Road and Littlefield Avenue using railroad right-of-way
- Extend Littlefield Avenue from E. Grand Avenue to Cabot Road cul-de-sac, Forbes Boulevard, Carlton Court, and Eccles Avenue
- Eccles Avenue and Forbes Boulevard between Rozzi Place and 560 Eccles Avenue driveway
- Replace Poletti Way off-ramp with Grand Ramp flyover to provide direct access to Grand/Dubuque intersection for US 101/NB
- Point San Bruno Boulevard and E. Grand Avenue dead-end
- Connect W. Harris Avenue cul-de-sac with E. Harris Avenue and extend E. Harris Avenue to Littlefield Avenue
- Extend Roebling Road across E. Grand Avenue to connect to new connection using railroad right-of-way
Action SA-18.4.3: Create roadway maintenance schedule.

Prioritize roadway maintenance in the sub-area by developing a schedule in collaboration with Public Works. Where feasible, align this effort with new construction projects.

Policy SA-18.5: Encourage parcel assembly within Beacon Street corridor.

Encourage parcel assembly and master planning in areas designated Business Technology Park High along Beacon Street.

Goal SA-19

Goal SA-19:

Vehicle trips are minimized through parking requirements, Transportation Demand Management, and alternative travel modes.

Intent:

To reduce reliance on automobiles in East of 101.

Policy SA-19.1: Evaluate a Transportation Management Authority (TMA).

Evaluate development of a Transportation Management Authority (TMA) or other district governance.

Policy SA-19.2: Explore a vehicle trip cap for East of 101.

Explore a vehicle trip cap for East of 101.

Policy SA-19.3: Integrate emerging transit services into East of 101.

Explore opportunities to integrate emerging, high-quality transit services into East of 101.

Policy SA-19.4: Implement mobility hubs.

Evaluate implementation of “mobility hubs,” which are places where different travel networks (including walking, biking, transit, and shared mobility) meet and provide convenient connections to destinations at the Caltrain Station, South San Francisco BART Station, and the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal.

Policy SA-19.5: Study parking strategies.

Study potential parking strategies for East of 101, including parking maximums, parking fees, and shared parking.

Policy SA-19.6: Develop employee-serving amenities.

Encourage the development of employee-serving amenities with restaurants, cafes, support commercial establishments such as dry-cleaners, to meet the needs of the employees in the East of 101 area. Allow such amenities to be excluded from Floor Area Calculations.

Goal SA-20

Goal SA-20:

The creativity of the district is harnessed to create collaborative solutions to complex district challenges, such as sea level rise and traffic congestion.

Intent:

To create a safe, connected, and resilient district.

Policy SA-20.1: Explore funding mechanisms to finance East of 101 district improvements.

funding mechanisms to finance East of 101 district improvements.

Action SA-20.1.1: Create Community Facilities District.

Explore development of a Community Facilities District to finance district improvements, such as infrastructure improvements, management of a parking facilities district, and fund public spaces and amenities.
Action SA-20.1.2: Identify funds for roadway maintenance and repairs.

Explore development of a district-wide fund with annual contributions from local businesses designated for roadway maintenance and repairs.
Action SA-20.1.3: Support building upkeep and maintenance.

Develop a mechanism to support building upkeep and maintenance, signage, landscaping, placemaking elements, lighting, and façade improvements for businesses along South Airport Boulevard.

Goal SA-21

Goal SA-21:

Continue to promote the expansion of an innovation district with R&D uses in the northern portion of the East of 101 area.

Intent:

To create a safe, connected, and resilient district.

Policy SA-21.1: Promote urban campus-style life science uses.

Promote campus-style R&D uses for life science and other innovative companies.

Policy SA-21.2: Restrict warehousing and distribution uses in Business Technology Park areas.

Do not permit any new warehousing and distribution north of East Grand Avenue or in areas designated Business Technology Park or Business Technology Park High.

Action SA-21.2.1: Update Non-Conforming Regulations in Zoning Ordinance.

Develop zoning regulations that encourage non-conforming warehousing and distribution uses north of East Grand Avenue or in areas designated as Business Technology Park or Business Technology Park High to transition to conforming uses.

Policy SA-21.3: Allow building heights in the East of 101 area to the maximum limits permitted under Federal Aviation regulations.

Allow building heights in the East of 101 area to the maximum limits permitted under Federal Aviation regulations.

Other goals related to East of 101 in other Elements include the following:

Policy CP-8.3: Recycled water supply.
Action CR-1.3.2: Municipal building and facility sea level rise studies.
Policy CR-2.2: Types of adaptation solutions.
Policy CR-2.3: Green infrastructure to reduce flooding.
Policy CR-2.6: Redevelopment in sea level rise inundation zones.
Policy CR-2.8: Public and quasi-public partnerships to minimize the impacts of sea level rise.
Policy PR-2.6: Plan for new parks in East of 101 and Lindenville. =
Policy PR-4.7: Publicly accessible, private open space.
Policy LU-1.7: Create new Lindenville and East of 101 mixed use neighborhoods.
Goal LU-2: Equitable transit-oriented communities near transit centers, including SamTrans stops and Caltrain and BART stations, that mix high quality development, affordable housing, community services, and improved mobility options.
Goal LU-5: South San Francisco remains a hub of R&D employment, operations, and innovation and is home to the largest worldwide cluster of life science uses.
Goal LU-6: Opportunities for industrial uses to thrive in Lindenville and East of 101.
Action LU-9.1.2: Form-based codes.

East of 101

East of 101

Vision Statement

Goal SA-16:

A new transit-oriented community in East of 101 with a diverse mix of uses, places, and programming to inspire creativity and social interaction that welcome all South San Francisco residents and visitors

Intent:

Policy SA-16.1: Require high-density development near the Caltrain station.

Action SA-16.1.1: Introduce shared district parking.

Policy SA-16.2: Implement public realm improvements near the Caltrain station.

Action SA-16.2.1: Develop retail, restaurants, and vendors strategy.

Policy SA-16.3: Create new parks and open spaces in East of 101.

Policy SA-16.4: Adequate public services and utilities in East of 101.

Policy SA-16.5: Encourage development of hotels near the Caltrain Station.

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