Bohannon Properties Drops Challenge to Hillsdale Mall Environmental Review, Paving Way for Extensive Redevelopment
Bohannon Properties has withdrawn its challenge to the City of San Mateo's requirement for a full environmental review of its Hillsdale Shopping Center redevelopment project. The developer had initially sought to use a provision under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Section 15183, which allows for expedited review based on existing general plan environmental studies. However, the City of San Mateo determined that a project-level Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was necessary due to the project's scale and potential impacts not covered by the general plan. The proposed redevelopment involves demolishing the current mall south of 31st Avenue and replacing it with a mix of office, retail, and multi-unit housing, totaling over 3 million square feet. This includes up to 1,670 residential units and up to 2,059,000 gross square feet of new commercial development. The city cited several reasons for its decision, including flexible uses that could lead to multiple development scenarios, the genera...