Plentiful sunshine. High 72F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 56F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

Hillsborough residents Monday gave an earful to town officials that they don’t want apartments or rezoning to meet state housing mandates, preferring to stick with a plan to use in-law units instead.

As part of its Housing Element process, mandated by the state to zone for 554 new affordable housing units by 2031, Hillsborough officials have conducted public outreach and studies on how best to meet the goals while also maintaining the interests of its residents.

During a meeting Monday, Mayor Alvin L. Royse said there were three goals that the council set out to achieve during its Housing Element plan and he feels that they accomplished them. The first is to effectively contribute to the solution of the affordable housing needs. Second to maintain the unique character of the historic town. Lastly, he wanted to address the community’s needs.

Royse believes the most effective way to help the affordable housing issues is to build accessory dwelling units, or in-law units, and rent them out, which he believes the community has agreed to do.

“We want commitment, not compliance,” Royse said. “To get the commitment you have to get people to believe in what you are doing and why you are doing it, so they do it when you are not looking.”

If it’s only compliance the city is seeking then residents will find ways around it, he said, adding that listening to the community is the way to ensure buy-in.

So far, suggestions have included maximizing the number of ADUs on a lot including incentives to build more. Hillsborough has issued 236 ADU permits since 2014, according to a staff report.

Plans to rezone designated areas of the town and build a town hall apartment complex were additional options. The apartment complex proposal includes a five-story building with between 88 to 123 apartments on Town Hall property at Floribunda Avenue and El Camino Real.

Another approach is to modify and rename its existing zoning district, establish two new zoning districts, establish an affordable housing overlay district, and update its subdivision ordinance, resulting in the accommodation of 385 net new units to be developed during the current RHNA cycle. The town has one zoning district, Residential District. This zone permits solely single-family residential development and related accessory structures, according to the report.

An overview of the community’s thoughts along with a probability chart of the California Department of Housing and Community Development that would accept the plan was the base of the conversation during Monday’s meeting.

For more than a month, Hillsborough officials have received the community’s concerns and requests for options before submitting the first Housing Element Plan, which is set to be submitted in early October.

“It was really important to City Council and to staff to make sure there was a robust opportunity for the community to participate and comment,” said Liz Ruess, long-range planning and special projects for Hillsborough.

During the 45-day public review period, the city found that the majority of community members would prefer to reduce the “no net loss” buffer or eliminate it altogether. The state’s “no net loss” buffer is a recommendation that is meant to provide alternative options in case an opportunity site doesn’t get developed.

Ted Ullyot, a Hillsborough resident, expressed his concerns about the anticipated plan. He said that the feedback the city received was overwhelmingly negative. Ullyot believes the city’s draft plan should continue to push for the community’s requests regardless of the possibility that HCD denies the first draft.

“The opening draft we put into HCD is not our final plan and we expect some pushback,” said Ullyot, who added the majority of the community did not support the current draft.

As part of this process, Hillsborough does not have to build the housing but must offer building and zoning opportunities. All cities and towns must go through this process, but this cycle’s numbers are higher than in years past. The next step is for the council to draft its Housing Element which will be reviewed on Oct. 10 during the council meeting before it is submitted to HCD.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development has 90 days to provide the town with feedback on the draft, which must be adopted by Jan. 31. If the town refuses to adopt a compliant Housing Element the fines range from a minimum of $10,000 per month up to $600,000 per month.

To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.

A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!

Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading.

Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.

DIGITAL ACCESS to all our award winning content online

Commenting capabilities on every story

Access to our daily e-edition for the past 90 issues

The good feeling of supporting real, local news in your community

DIGITAL ACCESS to all our award winning content (does not include e-edition) online

Commenting capabilities on every story

The good feeling of supporting real, local news in your community

Thank you for listening to Jerry drone on during the Rotary Lunch! As a reward, please enjoy one free month of access to the San Mateo Daily Journal's website and e-edition. Offer expires October 20, 2022, so sign up today!

THANKS for visiting our booth at the Taste of the County. Enjoy one free month of digital access to our website and e-edition. This offer expires November 1, 2022, so hurry!

Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.

Promotional Rates were found for your code.

That's the ONLY reason you're voting for him?

This #Roevember this anti-forced-birth woman will be voting for the ONLY candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood, and that's Charles Stone.

Or they could comply with state law 😂

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

If it breaks, we'll send it to you.

Join this email list to be kept abreast of breaking news.

Wake up to our carefully curated list of headlines with the Daily Journal's daily newsletter.

All the top stories -- local news, local sports, lifestyle, opinions, obituaries, entertainment, plus regional/national/global info to keep you informed. Newsletter arrives every morning for your convenience.

Would you like to receive our Marketing and Business Intelligence newsletter? The Daily Journal is proud to offer a newsletter providing vital information that will benefit your career, your business, and/or your organization.

Get updates on LOCAL SPORTS!

All the latest and greatest local sports headlines straight to your inbox. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, the Daily Journal will send you links to our best local sports stories.

If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now!