Bespoke (445 South B Street)

PA23-012 update

Project Description

This project, also known as "Bespoke," is a mixed-use development located on the block bounded by East 4th and 5th Avenues, South B Street and Railroad Avenue, and includes City owned parking lot parcels on 4th Avenue and the former Talbot’s Toy Store site. The proposed includes:

  • A seven-story 71-unit 100% affordable housing building, 
  • A six-story 156,000 sq-ft retail and office building, 
  • 137 parking spaces on-site in an underground parking garage (of which 37 would be for residents' use),
  • A combination of at grade open space and roof top common areas, and 
  • Improvements in the public right-of-way area along all four street frontages.

It should be noted that this project is a public-private partnership that includes the City as a property owner (for a portion of the project site) and a team of three partner developers (Alta Housing, a non-profit housing developer, Harvest Properties, and Prometheus). The development team was selected through a competitive process with multiple City Council public meetings.

Project Update

An Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND), pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), was made available for public review and comment between October 4 and November 4, 2024. The IS/MND, identifies and discusses the potential environmental impacts of the project and, if necessary, proposes mitigation measures to be incorporated in the project to reduce potentially significant impacts to a less-than-significant level. The IS/MND included technical studies for air quality, noise and traffic. The associated Notice of Intent and documents can be reviewed below under "Related Documents". A hardcopy is also available beginning October 4, 2024, at the City’s Permit Center at City Hall (330 West 20th Avenue) and at the City’s Main Library (55 West 3rd Avenue, Reference Desk). 

On September 16, 2024, the City Council considered the deal terms associated with the project. The Pre-Application review process included a neighborhood meeting on September 1, 2022 and a Planning Commission Study Session on October 11, 2022 and the formal application was submitted on February 24, 2023. The application is currently under review with City departments, and public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council are yet to be scheduled. See Meetings section below for more info.

Development Impact Fees
This project may be subject to payment of the following impact fees and in-lieu fees. 

  • Commercial Linkage Fee
  • Child Care Development Fee
  • Landscape Unit In-Lieu Fee
  • Park Impact Fee
  • School Impact Fees
  • Transportation Improvement Fee
  • Wastewater Capacity Charge

 Related Documents

Project Plans

CEQA Documents

 Meetings

 Applicant Information

Preston O’Connell
DTSM Talbots Ventures, LLC
180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1400
Oakland, CA 94610
(510) 466-1485
poconnell@harvestproperties.com

 City Contact Information

Elaine Ling, AICP
Principal Planner
(650) 522-7219
eling@cityofsanmateo.org