Redwood City Planning Commission Approves 920 Shasta and 901 El Camino Projects on April 15, 2025
Redwood City Planning Commission Regular Meeting - April 15, 2025
The Redwood City Planning Commission met on April 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road. The meeting focused on two significant development projects: a 100-unit affordable housing project at 920 Shasta Street / 122 Buckeye Street and a large mixed-use office and lab development at 901 El Camino Real. Both projects were recommended for City Council approval unanimously (5-0). The meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.
Consent Calendar
- No items were on the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- 920 Shasta (Item 5A): No in-person speakers. One email comment from Michael Arruza Cruz was read into the record, expressing strong support for the project and urging approval to avoid further delays (project had been in the gatekeeper process since October 2020).
- 901 El Camino (Item 5B): In-person speakers included:
- Nadine Fogarty (Director of Real Estate, Caltrain/Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board), who stated Caltrain's support, noting a three-way property exchange approved by Caltrain's board and executed in February 2025.
- Thomas Gomez (Vice President, IBW Local 617) and Max Schaumkel (Business Representative, IBW Local 617) spoke on behalf of over 300 union construction workers residing in Redwood City. They expressed support for the project's community benefits but raised concerns that the development agreement lacks a binding commitment to local workforce hiring and apprenticeships.
- Email comments: Michael Arruza Cruz repeated his supportive comment (also applicable to 901 El Camino). Elton Wu (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) noted that the SFPUC's Alameda Water Transmission Pipeline is adjacent to the project site and requested coordination regarding excavation; staff later confirmed the line is inactive and poses no constraint.
Discussion Items
- 5A: 920 Shasta / 122 Buckey – Staff (Senior Planner William Chui) presented an affordable housing project: 99 deed-restricted units (48 very-low-income, 51 low-income) plus 1 manager's unit, 74 vehicle parking spaces, 112 bicycle spaces, and amenities. The applicant, Abode Communities (Lara Regus) and David Baker Architects (Carley Leckie), presented design and community outreach. The project includes a density bonus with 5 concessions and 1 waiver (parking). Commission discussed parking allocation (lottery, no parking fees allowed by tax credit rules), relocation assistance for existing tenants (offered first right of refusal), and the flexibility to adjust incomes based on future financing. Staff recommended approval with conditions.
- 5B: 901 El Camino Real – Staff presented a mixed-use project with approximately 305,225 sq. ft. of office/R&D lab space, a 6,450 sq. ft. teen center, a public plaza, and improvements including a creek restoration. The project required amendments to the General Plan and Downtown Precise Plan to add office capacity (from ~870,000 to ~1.1 million sq. ft.), a land swap with Caltrain, a street vacation (California Street), and a development agreement. Applicant Kenson Ventures/Minkoff Group (John Fong) and HGA (Rob Zirkle) detailed the complex land assembly, the teen center's design co-created with teens, and the community benefits, including a $10 million land donation for the 920 Shasta affordable housing project (exceeding the $7.2 million fee alternative). Commission discussed lab biosafety levels (limited to 1-2), parking ratios (513 spaces, with valet stackers to reach ~1,000), the teen center's operation schedule (2 p.m.–midnight weekdays, 7 a.m.–midnight weekends), and the maintenance of Little River Park (restored as a visual amenity but not programmable due to steep slopes and flood risk).
Key Outcomes
- Resolution No. 25-01 (920 Shasta): Motion by Cornejo/Koch to recommend City Council approval of the project, CEQA review (Section 15183), architectural permit, vesting tentative parcel map, density bonus, affordable housing plan, conditions, and land donation agreement. Passed 5-0.
- Resolution No. 25-02 (901 El Camino): Motion by Hunter/Cornejo to recommend City Council approval of the project, CEQA review (Sections 15168 and 15183), General Plan/DTPP amendments, affordable housing plan/partner/land donation, permits, vesting map, and development agreement. Passed 5-0.
- The City Council is anticipated to review both projects on April 28, 2025.
- The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for May 6, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Uh, good evening, everybody. Um, and thank you for joining us for our April fifteenth planning commission meeting as a reminder. Items will be taken in the order that are listed on the agenda. Before we get started, I wanted to briefly go over 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 two on this evening's agenda agenda. Comments on the other agenda items will be taken only when the item is called. We're continuing to offer in-person remote options for a planning commission meetings. However, due to the continued recent disruptions during public comments at open meetings throughout the region and state, we've modified a public comment procedures. The city welcomes public comments on topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction. And this can be provided in person during the meeting or by email ahead of the meeting. At this time, we're temporarily suspending public comment provided by Zoom. We want to ensure that the city can continue to conduct city's business in a manner that allows all residents to participate and will continue to evaluate our public comment procedures. Um during the meeting or in advance via email to PC at rebut city dot org. And comments that were emailed to PC uh to our email by five PM today may be read into the record by the staff liaison and will be made part of the final meeting record. Both in-person and email comments are subject to the three minute limit. And now I will turn it over to staff to call the roll. And Chair Sonaga Ratz. And the other city staff that are attending this evening, Alexander Barnhell, Consultant City Attorney, William Chu, Senior Planner, Melinda Hugh, Principal Planner, and Christina Mateo, administrative secretary. We also have Alyn Lancaster, our housing leadership manager. Um Parks and Rec staff, Lucas Wilder, and Adila. I'm so sorry, I'm gonna need to double check your last name, but I'll get a Dila's full last name in a second, are all here for comments and um answering questions later. Thank you. Uh one second. All right, we're moving on to our item number two, which is public comments on the approval of minutes, consent items and matters of commission interests or items not on the agenda. Um do we have anyone uh listed on Zoom? We do not. And do we have any uh in-person public comment speaker cards? We do not. Okay. All right. Um if there's no objection, I will now close the public comment and move on to item number three, approval of minutes. Um is there a motion to approve the draft special joint planning commission at HRAC meeting amendments from February 18th, 2025. Uh Commissioner Hunter? Hunter. Uh should we do these separately or both at once? There were two meetings that evening. Yeah, you can do them separately. Okay, then I will uh move to approve the meeting of the uh joint PC and HRAC uh on February 18th. Do I have a second? Second. Um Commissioner Koch. Commissioner Cornejo. Yes. Commissioner Finch? Yes. Commissioner Hunter? Yes. Vice Chair Koch. Yes.
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