What is the design process?
The three key phases to community engagement during the design phase are:
Phase 1: Visioning: April - May 2024
Phase 2: Alternatives: August - October 2024
Phase 3: Final Concept: February - March 2025
How can people share ideas and inform the design?
Engagement activities will include Open Houses, Pop-Up Events, Stakeholder Interviews, Focus Group Meetings, and Surveys. Be sure to sign up for the mailing list to receive notices about future outreach opportunities.
How can I stay informed about the design?
The project webpage will include latest designs, upcoming engagement opportunities, and past meeting materials. Be sure to sign up for the mailing list to receive notices about future outreach opportunities.
How can I learn about engagement opportunities?
How are you reaching out to the community?
Regular email newsletters, direct mailers, hand delivered flyers, social media, park kiosk posters, word of mouth with community members.
Is the site contaminated?
Gasoline and waste oil underground storage tanks were removed in 1993, and an environmental case was opened and overseen by San Mateo County Groundwater Protection Program. Between 1993 and 2001, 440 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed from the property and groundwater samples were collected routinely. Extensive soil testing was completed in June 2023 and again in February 2024. In accordance with state and county health department policy for former gasoline station sites, testing confirmed the site is safe for use as a park.
Lead soil was identified in a small portion of the 616 Linden Ave parcel. While deemed safe for use as a park with the soil capped on-site, the project will voluntarily remove the soil as part of the park construction project.
Prior to park construction, a Site Management Plan (SMP) will be prepared and submitted to San Mateo County Groundwater Protection Program (GPP) for review. This Plan will describe recommended steps necessary to ensure safety of workers, residents, and park users during construction. It will also describe procedures that will be followed if petroleum hydrocarbon impacted soils are encountered during construction, although this is not expected. Further, any soils planned for off-haul to a landfill will be tested and disposed of accordingly.
The City plans to voluntarily remove the lead-impacted soil located within the buried concrete structure at 616 Linden Avenue that was identified during the Phase II Environmental Site Assessment. This work will be proposed in the SMP described above and submitted to the San Mateo County Groundwater Protection Program for review.
Environmental Summary Report 616 and 700 Linden Avenue - 2024(PDF, 3MB)
Reporte Ambiental Resumido 616 y 700 Linden Avenue - 2024(PDF, 3MB)
When was information about soil conditions shared publicly?
Stakeholder interviews were conducted in January and February 2024 as part of Phase 0 outreach. During these stakeholder interviews the project team presented overall site conditions, which included history of the 616 Linden as an automotive shop and identified key issues as soil remediation and utilities relocation.
Phase 0 Presentation(PDF, 5MB)
Additional information related to soil conditions were posted on the City’s website in April 2024. At the October 23, 2024 City Council meeting, City staff and the design team presented information on the site history and environmental cleanup. A recording of this council meeting is available here.
Where can I access information about the 616 Linden / Volante Automotive Clean-Up Case?
Information about the Volonte Automotive underground storage tank removal case (T0608100720) is available on GeoTracker operated by the State Water Resources Control Board.
https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/profile_report?global_id=T0608100720
Public inquiries and responses from the State Water Resources Control Board and San Mateo County Environmental Health are available on GeoTracker as well and includes, but not limited to the following:
Will there be on-site parking?
With the understanding that the available land area of the two lots is very limited, the project team responded to the community concerns about the loss of parking at 616 Linden by incorporating 17 spaces into the park concept design.
Will Pine Ave. be closed as part of this project?
Circulation options were explored, some of which include closing Pine Ave to through traffic. All options took into consideration circulation for emergency vehicles, trash pick up, and neighborhood egress.
Traffic analysis of the proposed Linden Park circulation alternatives showed that all alternatives would be feasible to implement. Analysis of the existing roadway volumes and intersection operations during weekday peak hours showed that the roadways and intersections surrounding the park are operating well below capacity and therefore could accommodate additional traffic that would be diverted from Pine Avenue and no significant operational issues are anticipated for the Pine Avenue closure alternatives.
Staff engaged South San Francisco Fire and Public Works/Engineering Departments to review the Pine Avenue alternatives. Fire noted emergency response times would not be impacted by any of the alternatives. Fire also noted both Aspen Avenue and California Avenue provide adequate response routes in the alternatives where Pine Avenue is either partially or entirely closed. Additionally, both Cypress Avenue and Airport Boulevards support access and are preferable when evaluated as evacuation routes based on their network capacity when compared with Linden Avenue. Engineering noted no anticipated impacts to operation and services. Staff also engaged South San Francisco Scavengers who reviewed the alternatives and found that with either full closure or the alley bypass they would be able to adequately maintain service to residents along Pine Avenue.
Has the park design project been reviewed per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)?
Once a concept design for the park is approved by City Council, the City will determine and conduct the appropriate level of CEQA analysis, which will disclose any potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures. The CEQA review will likely take place in the early part of 2025.
Will there be a restroom facility at the park?
This park is classified as a "neighborhood park," which typically does not include a restroom. However, we recognize the community’s strong interest in having one. While the current budget does not include the cost of a restroom, the concept design includes space for a future facility. The project team is actively exploring additional funding options to incorporate a restroom into the initial construction. Discussions on this topic will continue, as well as discussions with City Council at future Council Meetings on funding strategies.
Will there be space for food trucks?
The concept design includes space within the park for pop-up vendors during events. Food truck could be accommodated near the park, but outside of the park footprint.
How will the park be maintained?
The City is committed to providing regular maintenance of the park space, including plantings, irrigation, lighting and general cleaning.
Will the Pine & Cypress Lot be redeveloped as part of this project?
The funding in-hand is dedicated to the new Park at Linden and Pine project. The City is exploring the use of CBDG funding to make ADA accessibility upgrades, which would make the park eligible for more grant funding opportunities. It is important to stress that the City is committed to pursuing park improvements at Cypress and Pine Park.
How is the project funded?
The project is funded through a combination of State Grants, Park Impact Fees and developer contributions.
If not developed as a Park, what other uses are possible for 616 and 700 Linden Avenue?
Both 616 and 700 Linden Avenue were owned by the former South San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (RDA). In 2012, all redevelopment agencies in California were dissolved and the Successor Agency to the RDA prepared a plan for State approval to govern the use and/or disposition of all former RDA properties. This plan, known as a Long-Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP), was approved by the State in 2015. In accordance with the LRPMP, 616 and 700 Linden were conveyed to the City. The LRPMP notes that the highest and best use of these properties is for high density housing; however, the LRPMP does not require the City to sell the properties for housing or any other purpose.
If City Council opted to sell the properties rather than develop them as parks, the City would have to follow the process required by the Surplus Land Act, as amended by the State Legislature in 2019. As part of the process, the City must provide notice to specified entities regarding the availability of the property. If a housing development entity notifies the City of its desire to acquire the property for low and moderate-income housing, the City must engage in good-faith negotiations with the entity to convey the property for that purpose. The developer must make at least 25% of the units available at an affordable cost to lower-income households. If the City and developer are not able to agree on price and terms after good-faith negotiations, the City may sell the property without following the Act. However, if 10 or more residential units are developed on the property, not less than 15% of the total number of residential units must be sold or rented to lower income households. There has been developer interest in constructing housing on the sites, but the City has prioritized using them for a park for the neighborhood.
Has the City issued a permit to close or redirect Pine Avenue?
Once a concept design for the park is approved by City Council and as the project design advances, all required permits will be obtained before construction begins. Additional traffic and circulations studies will be performed as necessary to obtain street closure permits, if applicable.