Access, Height Fears Dominate Hillsborough's First Look at Tobin Clark Housing
City Council • HillsboroughOctober 26, 2026
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Hillsborough residents got their first detailed look Oct. 26 at what affordable housing on the town-owned Tobin Clark site might become, and many did not like what they saw. The City Council held an informational study session with no motion or vote. Over more than two hours, neighbors challenged an 85-foot building, possible road connections through their streets and a state housing deadline that Mayor Sophie Cole said arrives in December.
- About 50 affordable and 50 market-rate homes sketched for Tobin Clark; officials stress no project is proposed
- Access is the flashpoint: no deal with College of San Mateo, and council members oppose a Brook Court through street
- 85-foot multifamily building draws "breach of public trust" charges; council signals openness to a lower design
- Residents urge Town Hall site or El Camino instead; mayor cites a 2.3-acre site and water-main limits
- Council promises traffic study and full EIR, while wildfire evacuation and notice complaints mount
The basics: California assigned Hillsborough 554 housing units in its housing element, the state-required plan showing where a city can build. Mayor Cole said about 400 will be accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. The town plans the rest on town-owned land to avoid "builder's remedy," which can let developers bypass local zoning when a city falls short.
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