Black Mountain is a showcase community that complements the unique nature of the existing site while providing much-needed housing. The sustainable design approach and high-performance homes benefit residents with comfortable spaces to live, work and play.
Timeline
A brief summary of the site history and current status of the project calendar is summarized below.
If you have comments or questions regarding the project, please contact us via email at 808alameda@veev.com and we will respond promptly.
Upcoming
March 2022
Community Meetings &
Planning Review
April/May 2022
Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Publish & Public Hearing
Q3 2022
Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Publish &
Public Hearings
HISTORY
The 808 Alameda de las Pulgas property has been a center of activity for more than 80 years. The proposed project aims to honor the site history while utilizing the property for the benefit of future occupants and the surrounding community overall.
Public Interest
In 2014, multiple parcels of land along Alameda de las Pulgas between Madera Avenue and Melendy Drive totaling 23.5 acres were listed for sale. The City of San Carlos expressed interest in purchasing the land to be developed for use as a public park, to be funded through a municipal bond of $45 million. On November 3, 2015 this bond issue (Measure V) was defeated by San Carlos voters with more than 60% voting against the proposal.
After the defeat of Measure V, the properties were relisted for sale in early 2016. Four adjacent parcels totaling 11.427 acres
were acquired in late 2016 by an investment entity managed by Veev to be combined into one parcel for the new neighborhood. The remaining approximately 12 acres were sold separately to another developer. Both developers are working together to ensure the combined project designs are complementary.
In preparation for development of the 808 Alameda de las Pulgas property, multiple studies were completed including: soils and
geological; natural spring; biological; trees; cultural resources; and transportation. Results of these studies informed the design for the project and additional studies will be completed as the project progresses.
Residential Uses
The existing two homes at 804 and 806 Alameda de las Pulgas were built prior to 1982. The home currently at 808 Alameda de las Pulgas and an associated long driveway were built between 1946-56, as was a large fill slope associated with the subdivision south of the site. Early photos of the area show a small residence located just below the current single-family home at 806 Alameda de las Pulgas, which was removed at some undetermined date. 800 Alameda de las Pulgas is not currently improved.
Commercial Uses
Based on input from the former owners of the Site, the land was part of a working dairy farm in the early 20th century. In the 1930's, George Washington Faulstich began acquiring parcels adjacent to and including the natural spring located on the Site. In 1937, he established the Black Mountain Spring Water Company on the Site to serve the community drinking water delivered by truck. By 1939, buildings for business offices and truck storage had been added. At some point, a small masonry tunnel was built to access the natural spring, which remains on Site. An underground fuel storage tank to service the water delivery trucks was installed and removed at some point, as well. Prior to 1946, a large structure was constructed at 800 Alameda de las Pulgas, which was removed prior to 2002. During the mid-20th century, the entrepreneurial Faulstich family continued to expand their water business throughout the Bay Area and invented the world's first plastic, snap-on bottle cap (the Cap Snap Seal), which was manufactured on Site. The Black Mountain Spring Water Company was, until being purchased by Nestle in 1999, the largest independently-owned bottled water company in the United States.
Pre-Historic Settlement
There is no evidence of pre-European settlement of the Site and a low probability of undiscovered pre-historic cultural resources at the Site based on an initial Cultural Resources Due Diligence Assessment completed by FirstCarbon Solutions. As part of the CEQA process, a full Cultural Resources Assessment is being conducted that will include contacting the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) to confirm whether there are known Native American resources within the immediate project area, in addition to a full review of the available known history of the Site including paleontology and pre-U.S. history.