Redwood City Planning Commission Regular Meeting – June 3, 2025
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Redwood City Planning Commission Regular Meeting – June 3, 2025
The Redwood City Planning Commission held a regular meeting on June 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included a staff presentation on the San Mateo County ADU Resource Center, appointments to advisory committees, and adoption of the commission's work plan for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. All seven commissioners were present.
Consent Calendar
- No items on the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made in person or received via email.
Discussion Items
- Minutes Approval (May 6, 2025): Approved 5-0 with a correction noting Vice Chair Koch was absent. Commissioners Koch and Bhat abstained.
- Appointments to Advisory Committees:
- Architectural Advisory Committee: Francisco Paredes appointed to the non-voting youth seat (term expiring May 31, 2029) by a roll call vote of 6-0 (Commissioner Bhat abstained).
- Historic Resources Advisory Committee: Roy Klebe appointed to the full-term seat (term expiring May 31, 2028) by a roll call vote of 5-1 (Commissioner Bhat abstained; Chair Crnogorac voted for Patrick Hoffman).
- ADU Resource Center Presentation: Anna Alekseyeva from the San Mateo County ADU Resource Center presented an overview of the center's services. Key statistics included: ADU permits in California have increased 15,000% since 2016; approximately 1 in 5 new housing units in California is an ADU; in San Mateo County, 1 in 4 new units in 2023 was an ADU; Redwood City historically permits 60-80 ADUs per year, with a housing element goal of 500 ADUs over eight years. A Berkeley study found that 70% of ADUs are used as rental units or for multi-generational housing, and 60% of rented ADUs are below 80% of area median income. The center offers free feasibility consults, a website (smcadu.org), and is working on an affordable ADU program with 10 jurisdictions, including Redwood City. Commissioners asked about financing, pre-approved plans, and junior ADUs.
- Work Plan for FY2025-2026 and FY2026-2027: Staff presented a status update on past work plans and proposed future projects. Discussion included the need for enhanced funding for commissioner training. Commissioner Hunter expressed that the city's policy of only paying registration for the League of California Cities’ Planning Commissioners Academy, but not travel and lodging, is "wrong" and that the city should fully fund training expenses. Other commissioners supported the sentiment, noting that other cities provide full coverage. Staff noted the budget cycle and suggested exploring options for future years. The commission also discussed the Greater Downtown Area Plan timeline (approximately three years, with existing conditions analysis coming to the next meeting).
Key Outcomes
- Minutes Approved: May 6, 2025 minutes approved with correction (5-0, Koch and Bhat abstain).
- Appointments: Francisco Paredes appointed to AAC (6-0), Roy Klebe appointed to HRAC (5-1).
- Work Plan Adoption: Motion (Crnogorac/Hunter) to recommend City Council approval of the Planning Commission Work Plan for FY2025-2026 and FY2026-2027, with an amendment to step 4, changing "there is a budget" to "augment the budget to facilitate attendance at planning commissioner training." Motion passed 7-0.
- Next Meeting: June 17, 2025, at 6:00 PM, featuring the Greater Downtown Area Plan existing conditions analysis.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, and thank you for joining our June 3rd, 2025 Planning Commission regular meeting. As a reminder, items will be taken in the order they're listed on the agenda. Before we get started, I wanted to briefly go over public comment procedures for the meeting for those who are maybe joining us for the first time. Public comments on the approval of minutes consent items, matters of commission commission interest and items not on the agenda will be taken during item number two tonight. Comments on the other agenda items will be taken only when that item is called. We're continuing to offer in-person remote options for planning commission meetings. However, due to the continued recent disruptions during public comment at open meetings throughout the region and state, we modified our public comment procedures. The city welcomes public comments on topics within the two cities subject matter jurisdiction. And this can be provided in person during the meeting or by email ahead of time ahead of time. At this time we're temporarily suspending public comment provided by Zoom. Our public comment procedures are as follows. Public comment will be taken in person during the meeting or in advance via email to PC at rebocity.org. In person speakers must turn in speaker card to our admin or staff liaison at a dais to be recognized to speak. Please be sure to indicate the agenda item you wish to speak on. In-person speakers will be called in order which they speaker cards are turned in. Comments that are emailed to PC at Reboxity.org by 5 p.m. 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 emailed comments are subject to the three-minute time limit. I will now turn it over to staff to call the roll. Commissioner Bott. Here. Commissioner Cornejo. Here. Here. Commissioner Hunter? Here. Uh Commissioner Robinson was joining us virtually. I'll see if he's had a chance to join yet. Commissioner Robinson, are you? Are you on see him right now? Uh Vice Chair Koch. Here. And Chair Surnagaretz. Present. And for the purpose of this meeting, I'm Sue Xline, the assistant community development director and staff liaison to the commission. Other city staff attending this evening are Jessica Goodall, Secretary meeting host, and Rick Jarvis, the consultant city attorney is joining us remotely. Thank you. Um before I move to agenda item number two, uh I wanted to uh welcome our new commissioner, Commissioner Bott to the planning commission and I will uh ask the I guess the day is to sh join me for a short round of applause. I don't know what else was appropriate, so but thank you for joining us. I don't know. But uh we are very excited to have the full compliment of seven people on the day as we were just saying how it has been many months, if not year, uh that we've had everyone on board. So it's wonderful to have you on. Um all right. Public item uh sorry, number two, item number two. Uh we will take public comments from those of us joining us in person only. We're temporarily suspending public comments provided by Zoom. If you have joined us in person, please fill out a speaker's card and bring it to staff. This is the public comments on the approval of minutes, consent items, matters of commission interest and items not on the agenda. There are no speaker cards. Are there any speakers online?
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