Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Belmont Planning Commission Meeting – December 16, 2025: Lion Avenue Design Review Approved

City Council — Tuesday, December 16, 2025

BodyBelmont, California

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, December 16, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 19:06

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:36

Okay, we're good.

0:38

Alright, good evening, everyone.

0:39

Welcome to tonight's uh Planning Commission meeting for the City of Belmont.

0:44

Today is Tuesday, December 16th.

0:46

It is 701, and we're gonna get going.

0:49

I will start with some instructions on how to participate and comment uh for tonight's meeting.

0:55

Um of course this is uh this meeting is being broadcast live on Comcast Cable 27.

1:03

Uh it is also streamed live uh via the city's website at Belmont.gov and of course it's available um over Zoom and one can access the meeting via Zoom by following the instructions on the agenda.

1:17

Uh with regard to public comment, um uh a member of the public can comment in chambers by submitting a speaker slip to our clerk.

1:25

You'll then have two minutes uh to comment, uh actually three minutes to comment by stepping up to the lectern.

1:33

Um one can also comment um via Zoom by again following the instructions in the agenda and uh speakers will have three minutes also to comment uh over Zoom and finally um uh public comment can be submitted via our C dev at Belmont.gov email address so long as the comment is received by 4 p.m.

1:56

Uh the day of the meeting.

1:59

So those are the the instructions uh for participation, and we'll next turn to a roll call.

2:04

Please, Adam Clerk.

2:06

All right, roll call.

2:07

Um Commissioner Adam Kevich here.

2:09

Chair Coolidge here.

2:12

Twig?

2:12

Yeah, Jadala?

2:14

Here.

2:15

Perfect.

2:15

And uh tonight we have absent is Commissioner Majeski and Commissioner Kramer.

2:20

Great, thank you.

2:21

We do have a quorum, so we can move forward.

2:22

Uh item two is next, the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:25

Please rise and we'll pledge the flag, which is here.

2:30

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

2:47

Great, thank you, everyone.

2:50

Uh next is item three, which is our community forum.

2:53

Uh, this portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address uh the body on any matter not on the agenda within our purview.

3:03

Uh and again, um uh public comment is limited to three minutes per speaker.

3:09

We'll turn first to uh chambers and see if anyone in chambers uh would like to make a public comment.

3:16

Um public uh comment slips for in-house.

3:20

Great.

3:20

How about uh over Zoom?

3:22

Um no raise hands on Zoom.

3:25

And I'll see if there's any comments that were submitted for this item three before 4 p.m.

3:29

today.

3:30

There were no items uh submitted before 4 p.m.

3:33

today for this portion of the agenda.

3:34

Thank you.

3:35

Okay, that concludes our community forum portion of the agenda.

3:39

Thank you.

3:40

Next is item four, which is uh commissioner announcements and agenda amendments.

3:45

I'll turn first to see if there's any uh announcements from uh my colleagues up on the dais.

3:50

No, no.

3:52

Nope.

3:52

Uh any announcements from staff or agenda amendments for us to consider.

3:56

None from staff, Chair Coolidge.

3:58

Great, thank you so much.

3:59

Uh now uh on to item five, which is our consent business.

4:05

Um there's one item uh it's item 5A, which is the approval of meeting minutes for the November 4th 2025 minutes.

4:15

And I'll see first there's any comments, questions, or corrections regarding uh the minutes.

4:20

No, not no comment.

4:23

Okay.

4:24

So uh I will now entertain a motion uh for approval of uh item 5A.

4:30

I will put forward the motion to approve the minutes for the November 4th meeting 2025.

4:34

Great.

4:35

Is there a second?

4:36

Second.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Land Use Planning█████████████████████████████████████████████52%

Procedural██████████████████████████████████████████48%

Summary of Proceedings

Belmont Planning Commission Meeting – December 16, 2025

The Belmont Planning Commission met on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 7:01 PM and adjourned at 7:19 PM. The commission approved a single-family design review for 2028 Lion Avenue and received updates on upcoming meetings. Commissioners Majeski and Kramer were absent; a quorum of four members was present.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Meeting Minutes (November 4, 2025): The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the November 4, 2025 meeting (4-0 vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were made in chambers, via Zoom, or submitted in writing for any agenda item.

Discussion Items

Single-Family Design Review – 2028 Lion Avenue: Staff Planner Ruiz presented the proposal for an 893-square-foot addition (65 sq ft ground floor, 828 sq ft new upper story) on a 4,016 sq ft lot with 14% slope. The proposed gross floor area of 2,061 sq ft is below the maximum of 2,072 sq ft. Setbacks: front 20 ft (required 15 ft), right side 6 ft (required 6 ft), left side 5 ft 6 inches (permitted under Section 9.6.3.B for legal nonconforming walls), rear 20 ft 1 inch (required 15 ft). The design features a standing seam metal roof, gray and navy blue cement board siding, black-framed windows, and articulation using daylight planes and prescribed articulation (50% front, 30% side/rear). Staff recommended approval. The applicant, a long-time resident, expressed excitement to add space for their family of four. Commissioners praised the thorough neighborhood outreach, considerate use of the nonconforming side setback only for the stairwell, and inclusion of neighboring properties in all renderings.

Key Outcomes

Approval of 2028 Lion Avenue Design Review: The commission voted 4-0 to approve the single-family design review (Application No. 2025-0029). The decision is appealable within 10 calendar days.
Next Meeting Announcement: The next meeting is scheduled for January 6, 2026, with a single item: the Charles Armstrong School project. The agenda packet will be released on December 23, 2025, due to the holiday shutdown. Public comment deadline for that meeting is 4:00 PM on January 5, 2026.
Commissioner Recruitment: Application deadline for commission vacancies (including terms of Commissioners Twig and Adam Kevich) is January 9, 2026. Applications can be filed through the City Clerk’s office.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, we're good. Alright, good evening, everyone. Welcome to tonight's uh Planning Commission meeting for the City of Belmont. Today is Tuesday, December 16th. It is 701, and we're gonna get going. I will start with some instructions on how to participate and comment uh for tonight's meeting. Um of course this is uh this meeting is being broadcast live on Comcast Cable 27. Uh it is also streamed live uh via the city's website at Belmont.gov and of course it's available um over Zoom and one can access the meeting via Zoom by following the instructions on the agenda. Uh with regard to public comment, um uh a member of the public can comment in chambers by submitting a speaker slip to our clerk. You'll then have two minutes uh to comment, uh actually three minutes to comment by stepping up to the lectern. Um one can also comment um via Zoom by again following the instructions in the agenda and uh speakers will have three minutes also to comment uh over Zoom and finally um uh public comment can be submitted via our C dev at Belmont.gov email address so long as the comment is received by 4 p.m. Uh the day of the meeting. So those are the the instructions uh for participation, and we'll next turn to a roll call. Please, Adam Clerk. All right, roll call. Um Commissioner Adam Kevich here. Chair Coolidge here. Twig? Yeah, Jadala? Here. Perfect. And uh tonight we have absent is Commissioner Majeski and Commissioner Kramer. Great, thank you. We do have a quorum, so we can move forward. Uh item two is next, the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise and we'll pledge the flag, which is here. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Great, thank you, everyone. Uh next is item three, which is our community forum. Uh, this portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address uh the body on any matter not on the agenda within our purview. Uh and again, um uh public comment is limited to three minutes per speaker. We'll turn first to uh chambers and see if anyone in chambers uh would like to make a public comment. Um public uh comment slips for in-house. Great. How about uh over Zoom? Um no raise hands on Zoom. And I'll see if there's any comments that were submitted for this item three before 4 p.m. today. There were no items uh submitted before 4 p.m. today for this portion of the agenda. Thank you. Okay, that concludes our community forum portion of the agenda. Thank you. Next is item four, which is uh commissioner announcements and agenda amendments. I'll turn first to see if there's any uh announcements from uh my colleagues up on the dais. No, no. Nope. Uh any announcements from staff or agenda amendments for us to consider. None from staff, Chair Coolidge. Great, thank you so much.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com