Redwood City Planning Commission Special Meeting - January 31, 2023
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Redwood City Planning Commission Special Meeting - January 31, 2023
The Redwood City Planning Commission held a special meeting on January 31, 2023, at 6:00 PM (adjourned at 7:40 PM) in Council Chambers and via Zoom. The meeting included two major public hearings: a use permit and architectural permit for a rock climbing gym at 801 Willow Street, and a series of General Plan Amendments (including the Housing Element, Safety Element, and Environmental Justice policies) to comply with state law. Both items were approved unanimously. The meeting also included approval of prior meeting minutes and a resignation announcement from a commissioner.
Consent Calendar
- No items were on the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- 801 Willow Street (Item 5A): Glenn Babbitt spoke in support of the project but suggested that the Planning Commission consider a condition of approval requiring a more robust landscaping plan to better tie the project to adjacent Hoover Park.
- General Plan Amendments (Item 5B): No public speakers.
Discussion Items
- 801 Willow Street – Use Permit and Architectural Permit: The applicant, Touchstone Climbing, proposed converting an existing 40,000 sq. ft. industrial building into a rock climbing gym with a 40-foot height increase (using translucent fiberglass panels) and a reduction in required parking from 158 to 99 existing spaces. Key statistics: 20,000 sq. ft. of climbing area, maximum 8 staff, operating hours 6 a.m.–11 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.–6 p.m. weekends; 19% of customers expected in pairs and 44% using alternative transportation. Staff recommended approval. Commissioners expressed strong support, citing the facility's benefits for an under-resourced area, affordable access programs, and the building's design. Vice Chair Crnogorac asked about missing trees along Spring Street and suggested planting two new trees. The applicant agreed.
- General Plan Amendments (Item 5B): Senior Planner Rojas presented the update to the Housing Element (2023–2031), Safety Element, Built Environment, Building Community, and Natural Resources Elements. The city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is 4,588 units, but the city set a 153% target (approximately 7,000 units) to provide a buffer and qualify for a pro-housing designation. The city received a letter of compliance from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on January 19, 2023—one of only three cities in the ABAG region to do so. The accompanying Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was certified on January 27, 2023. Staff also noted minor corrections to the land use map and language adjustments from the Airport Land Use Commission. Commissioners unanimously praised staff for extensive outreach (over 40 meetings) and the city’s leadership in exceeding state housing requirements.
Key Outcomes
- 801 Willow Street: Motion (Espinoza/Crnogorac) to approve Resolution 23-01, approving Architectural Permit AP2022-071 and Use Permit UP2022-12, subject to condition that two trees be planted along Spring Street in consultation with the City Arborist prior to certificate of occupancy. Motion passed 6-0.
- General Plan Amendments: Two motions (both Crnogorac/Espinoza):
- Approve Resolution 23-02 recommending City Council certify the Final EIR, adopt CEQA findings, and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Passed 6-0 (roll call).
- Approve Resolution 23-03 recommending City Council adopt the General Plan Amendments (including the Housing Element and other element updates), with the date on the resolution corrected to January 27, 2023. Passed 6-0 (roll call).
- Minutes Approval: Minutes of December 6, 2022, and December 13, 2022, were approved 5-0 (Commissioner Espinoza abstained on both).
- Commissioner Resignation: Commissioner Bondonno announced his intention to resign from the Planning Commission effective March 2023 due to relocation.
Meeting Transcript
And now I'm just welcome Alicia. Okay. It works. You're over there. Testing. Test. All right. Sorry for that delay, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening. And thank you for joining the January 31st, 2023 Planning Commission meeting. As a reminder, items will be taken in the order in which they are listed on the agenda. Before we get started, I wanted to briefly go over the public comment procedures for the meeting for those who may be joining us for the first time. Public comments on the approval of minutes, consent items, matters of commission interest, and any items not on the agenda will be taken during will be taken during item number two on this evening's agenda. Comments and other agenda items will be taken only when that item is called. So for in-person speaker, uh if you wish to speak and you haven't done this yet, please fill out a speaker card, which is available on the back, and hand them to uh Christina. Um she will pass them down and we will take those comments in order. If you're joining the teleconference by phone, you may raise your hand by dialing star nine and then star six to unmute your microphone when prompted. Um please only raise your hand at the time that the item that you're speaking about is called and each speaker will be allotted uh three minutes. Um if if you're calling if you if you're watching on Zoom, um you use the raise hand feature on the telephone, use the star nine feature. Um and lastly, we know that everyone brings different perspectives to the discussion, and we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to be heard without interruption and respectfully. So thank you in advance for that. And we will now proceed with the roll call. Commissioner Bondano? Here. Commissioner Chu here. Commissioner Espinoza? Here. Commissioner Koch. Commissioner Koch is absent. Vice Chair Shonogaratz? Here. And Chair Hunter. Here. And I would just announce for the purposes of the teleconference that I am Sue Xline, the staff liaison for this commission. And the other city staff that are in attendance this evening are Apollo Rojas, senior planner, John Francis, Principal Planner, Jonathan Turner, assistant planner, Lynn Lancaster, housing manager, Jennifer Byers, Assistant City Attorney, and Christina Mateo, administrative secretary, and meeting host. And uh since I just did roll call, I'm going to um amend the roll call uh for Commissioner Koch. Here, thank you. Sorry. All right, thank you. Um I have no um speaker cards for item number two, which is public comments on items not on the agenda. Are there any uh raised hands um online? I do not see any raised hands. Okay. Then we will proceed to item three, which is approval of minutes. Um the first minutes to approve are those of December sixth, twenty twenty-two. And I will ask if there's a motion to approve the uh minute meeting minutes of December sixth. Still moved. Second. Second. All right.
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