City of San Mateo Law Library
City of San Mateo Municipal Code.

23.61.020 DEFINITIONS.

The following words and terms as used in this chapter shall have the following meaning:

(a) "Affordable housing commercial linkage fee" means the fee paid by developers of commercial development projects to mitigate the impacts that such developments have on the demand for affordable housing in the City.

(b) "Affordable housing fund" means a fund or account designated by the City to maintain and account for all monies received pursuant to this chapter.

(c) "Affordable ownership cost" means the maximum sales prices for units adjusted by bedroom type and income level as approved annually by the City Council for the City's Below Market Rate Housing Program.

(d) "Affordable rent" means the maximum rents adjusted by bedroom type and income level as approved annually by the City Council for the City's Below Market Rate Housing Program.

(e) "Affordable unit" means a dwelling unit which a developer proposes as an alternative to payment of the affordable housing commercial linkage fee, as defined in this chapter and which is required to be rented at an affordable rent or sold at an affordable ownership cost to very low, low or moderate income households.

(f) "Building permit" includes full structural building permits as well as partial permits such as foundation-only permits.

(g) "Commercial development project" means an application for a planning permit or building permit that includes the new construction of gross square feet of commercial space or the conversion of a commercial use to a nonresidential use.

(h) "Commercial use" means an office including medical and research and development uses, hotel, retail including personal services, or restaurant development.

(i) "Decision-making body" means the City staff person or body authorized to approve or deny an application for a planning or building permit for a commercial development project.

(j) "Developer" means the person(s) or legal entity(ies), who also may be the property owner, who is seeking real property development permits or approvals from the City or developing a particular project in the City.

(k) "For-sale unit" means a residential dwelling unit that may be sold individually in conformance with the Subdivision Map Act. For-sale units also include units that are converted from rental units to for-sale units.

(l) "Low income households" means households with incomes no greater than the maximum income for low income households, defined by the State of California Health and Safety Code Section 50079.5 and as published annually by the City for each household size, based on the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) income limits for San Mateo County.

(m) "Market rate unit" means a new dwelling unit in a residential development project that is not an affordable unit.

(n) "Median income" means the median income applicable to San Mateo County, as published annually by the City for each household size, based on median income data for San Mateo County published by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

(o) "Moderate income households" means households with incomes no greater than the maximum income for moderate income households, defined by the State of California Health and Safety Code Section 50093 and as published annually by the City for each household size, based on the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) income limits for San Mateo County.

(p) "Planning permit" means any discretionary approval of a commercial development project, including, without limitation, a general or specific plan adoption or amendment, rezoning, tentative map, parcel map, conditional use permit, variances, or design review.

(q) "Rental unit" means a dwelling unit that is intended to be offered for rent or lease and that cannot be sold individually in conformance with the Subdivision Map Act.

(r) "Very low income households" means households with incomes no greater than the maximum income for very low income households, defined by the State of California Health and Safety Code Section 50105 and as published annually by the City for each household size, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) income limits for San Mateo County.