The city and the developer disagree over how much environmental study the project needs. The city decides by November 2, and residents can weigh in until October 2.
Hillsdale Shopping Center is set for a major redevelopment, and right now it sits at a procedural fork that will shape how closely the project gets studied before it can move forward. Here is what is happening, in plain English, and how to have your say.
The developer has applied to redevelop the Hillsdale Shopping Center as a large mixed-use project. The city refers to it as the Hillsdale Mall Redevelopment, Mixed-Use. The full application, plans, and supporting documents are posted on the city's project page:
City of San Mateo: Hillsdale Mall Redevelopment →
This article covers the environmental review step the project is in right now, not a full breakdown of the plans. For those, the city's page is the source.
Under the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, large projects must be studied for their effects on things like traffic, noise, air quality, and the surrounding neighborhood before they can be approved.
The most thorough version of that study is an Environmental Impact Report, or EIR. It takes longer, digs deeper, and gives the public more chances to comment. A lighter path, sometimes called a streamlined or tiered review, does less new study by relying on environmental work the city has already done for the area. Whether a project gets a full EIR or a streamlined review is often the difference between a longer, more public process and a faster one, which is why this step matters.
On June 30, 2026, city staff determined that the project needs a full EIR to comply with CEQA.
On August 3, 2026, the developer formally objected. In a written response, the applicant asked the city to instead prepare a Tiered Initial Study, to evaluate whether the project qualifies for a streamlined review under a section of the CEQA guidelines (Section 15183). In plain terms, the developer is arguing that the project does not need the full EIR the city called for.
By law, the city had to post that objection publicly, which it has done, and it must consider all the objections, comments, and evidence it receives before it decides.
The city has said it will make an updated determination on the environmental review by November 2, 2026. That decision settles whether the project proceeds with a full EIR or a lighter, streamlined review. It is a decision about the level of study required, not a final yes-or-no on the project itself.
The city is collecting public input before it decides. If you have objections, comments, evidence, or concerns about the project, you can send them in writing to the project planner:
Elaine Ling, Principal Planner
eling@cityofsanmateo.org
Written comments are due by October 2, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
The background documents, including the city's determination letter and the developer's response, are on the city's project page.
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