Redwood City Planning Commission Meeting - May 16, 2023
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Redwood City Planning Commission Regular Meeting - May 16, 2023
The Redwood City Planning Commission met on May 16, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers and via Zoom. Commissioners present: Alvarez, Chu, Espinoza (via teleconference under AB 2449), Lazarus, Vice Chair Crnogorac, and Chair Hunter. Commissioner Koch was absent. Staff provided presentations on three agenda items: a hotel project continuation, a townhouse development recommendation, and a study session on state housing laws. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Matt Regan, Senior Vice President of Policy at the Bay Area Council, spoke in support of the 505 East Bayshore project. He praised Redwood City's housing performance and urged the Commission to support the project, emphasizing the need to build housing for 56 families and noting the developer's maintenance of affordability and community commitments despite rising costs.
Discussion Items
- 6A: 1690 Broadway – Hotel Project (Planned Development, Use, and Architecture Permits): The Commission considered a proposal to demolish an existing two-story motel and construct a five-story, 112-guest-room hotel with 91 on-site parking spaces. Staff recommended continuance to a date uncertain. After opening and closing the public hearing with no speakers, Commissioner Crnogorac moved to continue, seconded by Commissioner Espinoza. The motion passed 6-0.
- 6B: 505 East Bayshore – Townhouse Project (EIR Certification, General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Vesting Tentative Map, Condominium Permit, Architectural Permit, and Affordable Housing Plan): The project proposes 56 for-sale townhomes (2–4 bedrooms, 1,200–1,700 sq ft) in nine three-story buildings, with 119 parking spaces (including tandem spaces) and 91 on-site spaces. The site is currently a commercial warehouse; the applicant seeks a General Plan Amendment to Mixed-Use Waterfront Neighborhood and a Zoning Map Amendment to Mixed-Use Waterfront. The project includes 8 moderate-income below-market-rate units (15% of total), a 10% density bonus (5 additional units), and requests a concession (building separation reduced from 20 ft to 15 ft for three front buildings) and a waiver (waterway setback reduced from 45 ft average 55 ft to 20 ft, to avoid losing 18 homes). Community benefits include 1% of building valuation ($230,000 estimated) for BMR buyer assistance and $5,000/year for four years plus $500 per home sale to the Redwood City Education Foundation. The Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) concluded all impacts can be mitigated to less-than-significant levels with measures such as bird-safe glazing, TDM plan, and sea-level-rise adaptation (site raised 5 ft, seawall). After staff and applicant presentations, and public comment from Matt Regan, the Commission unanimously supported the project. Two motions were passed:
- Motion 1 (Lazarus/Chu): To adopt Resolution 23-09 recommending City Council certify the EIR, adopt CEQA findings, and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Passed 6-0.
- Motion 2 (Espinoza/Lazarus): To adopt Resolution 23-10 recommending City Council approve the General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Vesting Tentative Map, Condominium Permit, Architectural Permit, and Affordable Housing Plan. Passed 6-0.
- 6C: Study Session on Housing Accountability Act, Housing Crisis Act (SB 330), and Streamlined Ministerial Review (SB 35): Consultant Jeff Schwob presented an overview of state housing laws that influence the Commission's review of housing projects. Key points included the requirement for objective standards, limits on denial of qualifying projects, timelines, and the SB 35 streamlined process for projects with at least 50% affordability. Staff outlined plans to review and refine the city's objective design standards, possibly including a discretionary review option for applicants. The Commission discussed hypothetical safety exceptions, parking standards, and the risk of overly prescriptive standards. No public comment was received, and no vote was taken; the Commission noted their appreciation for the information.
Key Outcomes
- Item 6A continued to a date uncertain (6-0).
- Item 6B: Commission unanimously recommended (6-0) that City Council certify the EIR and approve all entitlements for the 505 East Bayshore townhouse project, including the General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Vesting Tentative Map, Condominium Permit, Architectural Permit, and Affordable Housing Plan.
- Item 6C: Study session concluded with no formal action. The Commission provided feedback on the need for clear objective standards and expressed interest in balancing design quality with housing production.
- The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 6, 2023, with interviews for the Historic Resources Advisory Committee and Architectural Advisory Committee at 5:30 PM, followed by a regular meeting.
Meeting Transcript
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 items not on the agenda will be taken during item number three on this evening's agenda. Comments on other agenda items will be taken only when that item is called. In-person speakers will be called first, followed by virtual attendees. If you are here uh in person, please fill out a speaker's card, which is at the back of the council chambers and bring it to the staff. Uh Christina over there. Um for those joining virtually, you may use the raise hand feature on Zoom to speak. And if you're joining uh by phone, you may raise your hand by dialing star nine, and then when you're called upon, dial star six to unmute. Um ple please only raise your hand at the time that the agenda item uh on which you are speaking is called. Each speaker is allotted three minutes. Um for in-person speakers, there will be a light on the podium to know to uh let you know how much time is left. Um and thank you for your attention and consideration during this process. And we will now proceed with the roll call. Commissioner Alvarez. Here Commissioner Chu here. Commissioner Espinoza. Um we'll discuss that in the next item, I think. Um Commissioner Lazarus. Here. Vice Chair Sonagoratz. Here. And Chair Hunter. Here. Commissioner Koch is absent. And so for the purposes of this tonight meeting, um, I'm Sue Xline. I'm the staff liaison to the Commission. And the other staff in attendance this evening are Joshua, our consultants, community development and transportation director, Curtis Banks, consultant principal planner, Jennifer Byers, Assistant City Attorney, and Christina Mateo, Administrative Secretary and Meeting Host. Thank you. Um item number two on the agenda is AB 2449 notifications and considerations, meeting participation by teleconference. Um I'll ask our staff liaison if there's any notification if any notifications or requests for virtual meeting participation have been received from any members of the commission. Yes, Chair Hunter, uh Commissioner Espinoza. All right, thank you. Um just for everyone, this is for everyone's um benefit. This is the first time that we have uh gone through this procedure under this uh state law. So we are going to try to follow the um uh go go by the book here and the procedures that have been uh been uh prescribed for us. So um Commissioner Espinoza, would you please address the Commission? Thank you, Mr. Chair and my fellow uh colleagues on the planning commissioning and staff. Uh I am requesting that I attend the meeting virtually based on uh family emergency and I believe you are also um can you confirm that you'll have audio and video on throughout the meeting? And I do want to confirm, yes. I think you for saying that that I'll have audio and video throughout the meeting, and I have no individuals over the age of 18 present everyone. All right, thank you. Um Ms. Exline, uh I think you have some comments to make. I do, thank you. So there are at least four or a quorum of the other commissioners are present in the council chambers. Commissioner Espinoza has not exceeded the annual limits. So that's just cause of no more than two times a year. AB 2449 is no more than three months of 20 percent of regular meetings.
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