Redwood City Planning Commission Approves 1 Twin Dolphin Drive Project on October 3, 2023
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Redwood City Planning Commission Regular Meeting – October 3, 2023
The Redwood City Planning Commission met on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers and via Zoom, adjourning at 8:15 PM. All seven commissioners were present; Chair Hunter recused herself from the main item due to prior service on the Subdivision Committee. Staff presentations and public testimony focused on the proposed 1 Twin Dolphin Drive research and development project. The Commission approved the project with amendments encouraging safer bike infrastructure and a raised crosswalk.
Consent Calendar
- None.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bryan Shields, field representative for Carpenters Local 217, expressed concerns about labor practices at previous developments by Prince Street Partners, citing low wages and lack of response to union outreach. He urged the Commission to ensure workforce protections and requested a meeting with the developer.
- Georganne Morin, Executive Director of Healthy Cities Tutoring, spoke in support, praising Prince Street Partners for funding that expanded tutoring services to Taft Community School in the Fair Oaks neighborhood.
- Ilana Garcia, Development Director at PAL Center, expressed strong support, highlighting the developer’s financial contributions and engagement with the PAL Center.
- Tony Gapastione, founder of Bravemaker, endorsed the project, noting Prince Street Partners as the 2022 Film Fest presenting sponsor and their multi-year commitment to emerging filmmakers.
- The minutes also list Rona Gundrum as a Zoom speaker, but her remarks were not captured in the provided transcript.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Minutes (September 5, 2023): Motion by Commissioner Chu, seconded by Vice Chair Crnogorac, passed 5–2. Commissioners Espinoza and Koch abstained.
- 1 Twin Dolphin Drive – Architectural Permit, Vesting Tentative Parcel Map, and Planned Development Permit:
- Consultant Principal Planner Jana Wismer presented the staff report. The project includes demolition of two existing office buildings and construction of a five-story, 197,520-square-foot research and development/laboratory building with a two-level parking podium, 456 parking spaces (vs. 526 required), 38,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space, off-site bike lane and crosswalk improvements, and a $576,976 contribution to Dolphin Park. The project also requests a floor area ratio (FAR) bonus to 1.0 and modifications to side setbacks and parking. A Class 32 CEQA infill exemption was recommended.
- Applicant architect Rob Zirkle presented design details, emphasizing public amenities, a food truck program, a publicly usable conference center, bike parking, and connection to the Bay Trail. The existing buildings at 100 Marine Parkway will remain, and tenants of the existing buildings are expected to have opportunity to move into the new building.
- Commissioner questions covered setback standards, the vesting map, an estimated $3.2 million affordable housing impact fee, existing parking count (377 spaces), TDM shuttle details, bike lane safety, tree replacement, and biohazard safety levels (BSL-1 and BSL-2 expected).
- Public comment and Commission deliberation raised concerns about bicycle safety and road design, with several commissioners urging a raised crosswalk across Lagoon Drive and a protected Class 4 bikeway rather than standard striped bike lanes.
Key Outcomes
- The Commission approved Resolution No. 23-21, as amended, by a vote of 6–0 (Chair Hunter recused). Amendments included:
- Revising Condition of Approval 49 to encourage the applicant to work with the City to implement a Class 4 protected bike lane and a raised crosswalk across Lagoon Drive.
- Correcting the resolution title to include the vesting tentative parcel map.
- The Commission encouraged the applicant to continue discussions with City engineers regarding final design of bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
- The meeting adjourned to the next regular Planning Commission meeting on October 17, 2023, which was noted as likely to be cancelled.
Meeting Transcript
Excuse me. Um good evening, and thank you for attending and joining our October third, twenty twenty-three planning commission meeting. As a reminder, items will be taken in the order that they are listed on the agenda. Comments on other agenda items will be taken only when that item is called. For those joining virtually, you may use the raise hand feature on Zoom to speak. If you're joining the teleconference by phone, you may raise your hand by dialing star nine and then dial star six to unmute your microphone when prompted. Please only raise your hand at the time that the item on which you are speaking is called. Each speaker will be allotted three minutes. And for in-person speakers, there will be a light on the podium to let you know how much time you have left and a buzzer when the time is up. For virtual speakers, there will be a timer on the screen. Lastly, we know that we each bring different perspectives to the discussion. And we want to be sure that everyone has a chance to be heard without interruption. Planning Commission welcomes public comment on items within our purview. Any speaker whose comments are on topics not under the Commission's purview will be warned and then removed if necessary in order to allow the planning commission to conduct its business. Thank you for your attention and consideration during this process. We will now proceed with roll call. Commissioner Alvarez. Here. Commissioner Chu. Here. Commissioner Espinoza. Here. Commissioner Koch. Here. Commissioner Lazarus? Present. Vice Chair Surnagaretz? Here. And Chair Hunter. Here. And so for tonight, I will also say that I'm Sue Xline, Assistant Community Development and Transportation Director, and Staff Liaison to this Commission. Other staff attending this evening, William Chu, Senior Planner. Janna Wismer, Consultant, Principal Planner. Rick Jarvis, consultant attorney. And Jessica Goodall, Secretary, and meeting host. Thank you. Item number two is AB 2449 notifications and considerations. Meeting participation by teleconference. Do we have any remote participation notifications or requests from the Commission to consider? No, we do not. Thank you. Item three is public comments on the approval of minutes, consent items, matters of commission interest, and items not on the agenda. At this time, we'll take public comments from those joining us in person and through Zoom. As a reminder, public comment should be on topics within the Planning Commission's purview. If you have joined us in person, once again, please fill out a speaker, fill out a speaker's card and bring it to staff. And at this point, I have no speaker cards on this item number three. If you have logged into Zoom through your computer, please click the raise hand button now. And if you dialed in, please enter star nine now and star six to unmute your microphone when prompted. In order to see how many speakers we have for general public comment, I ask that everyone who wishes to speak on an item not on the agenda, please complete a speaker's card or raise your hand on Zoom now. Do we have any remote uh participants?
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