Belmont Planning Commission Meeting – November 18, 2025
Belmont Planning Commission Meeting – November 18, 2025
The Belmont Planning Commission met on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 7:02 PM to 7:47 PM in the City Council Chambers, with remote participation via Zoom. Commissioners present: Adam Kavich, Chair Coolich, Majeski, and Twig. Commissioners Kramer and Jadala were absent. A quorum was present. The meeting included a consent calendar, a community forum, a study session presentation by HIP Housing, and two public hearings for single-family design reviews (including a tree removal permit). All items on the agenda were approved unanimously (4-0).
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Meeting Minutes: The commission approved the minutes from the September 16, 2025, and October 21, 2025, planning commission meetings. The motion passed 4-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Community Forum: One speaker via Zoom, Arunchandra, expressed concerns about the certificate of compliance process and requested a meeting with staff. Written comments from Max Reinhardt regarding timing requirements for his certificate of compliance application were summarized by staff, who noted the complexity of the process and that fixes are being worked on.
- Public Hearings: No members of the public spoke on either public hearing item. No written comments were received.
Study Session: HIP Housing Presentation
- Presentation: Laura Fenucki, Director of Programs at HIP Housing, presented an overview of the organization’s work in San Mateo County. HIP Housing owns and manages over 500 units of affordable housing across 21 properties. The four main programs are:
- Housing Resource Hub: Provides information and referrals; in the first quarter of FY2025-26, 25 calls from Belmont residents were handled.
- Home Sharing Program: Matches home providers with seekers; matches last on average 5.5 years, with 15 active matches in Belmont and 25–30 interviews per year.
- Housing Readiness Program: Intensive case management for older adults; has placed 26 people in housing since launching two years ago.
- Self-Sufficiency Program: For low-income families with children and transitional age foster youth; serves about 40 families per year, with two families currently in Belmont. The program provides coaching while adults pursue education or vocational training. Commissioners asked about wait times (varies by program), partnership opportunities (outreach ideas welcomed), and funding sources (county contributions, rental income, foundation support). The presentation was for information only; no action was taken.
Public Hearing: 3304 Plateau Drive – Single Family Design Review
- Proposal: A ground-floor addition of 983 square feet to an existing single-family home, resulting in a total floor area of 3,063 square feet. The lot is 13,190 square feet with a slope of 7.66%. The floor area ratio (FAR) would be 0.232 (max allowed 0.533). The design includes wood siding, a covered porch, and a gray composite roof. Setbacks all exceed minimums. Staff recommended approval. The applicant (present but did not speak) thanked the commission. No public comments. The commission deliberated and found the design well-articulated, consistent with guidelines, and meeting findings. A motion to approve (Resolution 2025-0012) passed 4-0.
Public Hearing: 512 Alameda de las Pulgas – Single Family Design Review and Tree Removal Permit
- Proposal: A ground-floor addition of 1,825 square feet plus a 413-square-foot garage (total addition 2,188 square feet), resulting in a total floor area of 3,472 square feet (max allowed 3,500). The lot is 9,375 square feet with a slope of 7.73%. The FAR of the addition alone is 0.371. The existing structure includes a peaked roof that will be retained with updated roofing material. The project also requires removal of a protected coast redwood tree (species and size noted as notable). The Arborist Report justified removal due to proximity to proposed structures; a replacement tree (36-inch sapling) is required per conditions. Staff recommended approval. The applicant, Jimmy Olim, answered a commissioner’s question about the peaked roof (it is existing and will be kept). No public comments. Commission found the design modern and acceptable, appreciated preservation of an ADU on site, and supported the tree removal with mitigation. A motion to approve the design review and tree removal permit (Resolution 2025-0038) passed 4-0.
Key Outcomes
- Approved meeting minutes for September 16 and October 21, 2025 (4-0).
- Approved single-family design review for 3304 Plateau Drive (4-0).
- Approved single-family design review and tree removal permit for 512 Alameda de las Pulgas (4-0).
- Both approvals are appealable within 10 calendar days.
- The next planning commission meeting was noted for January 6, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
We're live. All right, good evening, everyone. Welcome to tonight's uh planning commission meeting for the city of Belmont. Uh it is November eighteenth, and it is uh seven oh two PM. Uh, gonna go through the rules of the road before we get going. Uh first of all uh the meeting attendance options, obviously one can attend here in chambers. Um the meeting is broadcast live on Comcast Cable uh Channel Twenty Seven, also uh streamed live on the city's website at Belmont.gov. And of course um there is a participation option uh through Zoom, and the information to access uh this meeting over Zoom is included in tonight's agenda. Uh for public comment, um those in chambers can comment um by submitting a speaker slip to our clerk and then coming up to the lectern, and you'll have uh up to three minutes to submit uh comment, and then um there is a uh way to comment uh over Zoom virtually using the raise hand feature. Again, the uh instructions for doing so are included in tonight's agenda. Um uh we have uh an option to submit written comment on the C dev uh at Belmont dot gov um uh website slash email. Uh so long as those written comments are received by four PM today, uh uh they'll be read uh or at least summarized uh for the record. Um, and I think with that, we can take a roll call, please. Okay, roll call. Uh Commissioner Adam Kavich? Here. Chair Coolich? Here. Uh Commissioner Majeski? And Commissioner Twig. Okay, and absent tonight is Commissioner Kramer and Jadala. We have a quorum. All right, uh, thank you for that. Uh next uh item two is a Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. And the flag is here. And justice for our all. This is our community forum. Um this is the point uh in the meeting where um persons wishing to address uh this body uh can do so on any matter not on the agenda that is within the purview of the commission. Um, the period for public comment for this portion of the agenda uh again is is up to three minutes per speaker. Uh and for those wishing to comment in chambers, I think we'll take that first and then we'll turn to Zoom. Okay. And I do see one raised hand on Zoom. Great. Arvind, go ahead. You'll have three minutes. Yes. Hi, this is Arunchandra. Good evening, Company Commissioners. I'm reaching out as a particular and it's a bit flowered right in Belmont. I'm talking to Carlos DeMondo and be having a meeting with him next week. I guess we're gonna make sure that I don't have to go to the certificate of compliance process. Also, I would like to have some sort of approval that I can build once uh I work on any preliminary steps that I'll be spending time and money. So that's that was it. Just a comment. Great. Thank you very much. Any further raised hands on Zoom? No further raised hands. Great.
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