The South San Francisco Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans tomorrow for an innovative townhouse development at 500 Railroad Avenue in South City, San Mateo County. The project will fit 70 units of housing into a narrow quarter-mile-long strip of land close to the Caltrain Station. Newlife Investments is responsible for the developer.
500 Railroad Avenue view from South Linden Avenue, rendering by SIM Architects
500 Railroad Avenue site map, illustration by Gates + Associates
Construction will bring five three-story structures spanning around 114,400 square feet, with each structure containing between ten and 16 units. Full build-out will create 70 market-rate single-family homes, ranging in size, with 42 two-bedrooms and 28 three-bedrooms. While the project will not include below-market-rate homes, in-lieu fees will satisfy the city’s affordable housing requirements.
SIM Architects is responsible for the design. Illustrations show a familiar contemporary townhouse style with an emphasis on boxy articulation and various materials. The facade will be clad with a mix of brick veneer, stucco, and redwood planks. Gates + Associates is overseeing the landscape architecture.
500 Railroad Avenue pedestrian view, rendering by SIM Architects
The two-acre property extends along Railroad Avenue between South Linden Avenue and South Spruce Avenue. The project team describes the site as “not only very narrow and very long, but also has topographic irregularities all along the street frontage.
Construction is expected to last around 24 months from groundbreaking to completion. The estimated cost has yet to be established.
500 Railroad Avenue existing condition, image outlined by SIM Architects
The event is scheduled to be reviewed tomorrow evening by the South City Planning Commission. The event will be held at the Library Parks & Recreation Building starting at 7 PM. For more information about how to attend and participate, visit the city website here.
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The views over the warehouses behind this lot will be hilariously ugly. But great to see more family sized housing in a great location.
ugly buildings but nice idea