South San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting - July 16, 2020: General Plan Update Land Use Alternatives Presentation
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South San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting - July 16, 2020
The Planning Commission held a regular meeting via teleconference on July 16, 2020, at 7:00 PM. The meeting featured a consent calendar item and an extensive informational study session on the General Plan Update Land Use Alternatives. All seven commissioners were present: Chair Alan Wong, Vice Chair Michele Evans, and Commissioners Norm Faria, JulieAnn Murphy, Alex Tzang, Sam Shihadeh, and Robert Bernardo. No public comments were made.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Design Review for a Type "C" sign permit allowing more than 100 square feet of total building wall signage at 681 Gateway Boulevard in the Gateway Specific Plan Zoning District, with a determination that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA. The motion to approve passed unanimously (7-0).
Discussion Items
- General Plan Update Land Use Alternatives: Eric Yerkovich of Ramian Associates, the lead consultant, presented the three land use alternatives developed through community engagement. Key points included:
- The current baseline (2018) shows 22,000 housing units and 57,000 jobs in South San Francisco, with pre-COVID data.
- Over the past five years, approximately 977 housing units have been permitted, nearing half of the 2023 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) target.
- Future RHNA allocations may require 3,700–4,700 units by 2030, and the General Plan horizon (2040) projects 11,000–22,000 new housing units.
- The three alternatives test trade-offs between job growth (primarily biotech and life sciences), industrial preservation, housing production, and transit-oriented development. All alternatives maintain roughly 100,000 total jobs but vary the location and intensity of uses.
- Alternative 1: modest update, adds jobs in Lindenville and East of 101, housing increases but jobs-housing balance worsens.
- Alternative 2: strengthens downtown, adds housing near Caltrain, improves jobs-housing balance.
- Alternative 3: maintains industrial focus in Lindenville, allows mixed-use residential, also improves balance.
- Each alternative examines sub-areas: Downtown, East of 101, Lindenville, and El Camino Corridor, with specific place types and intensity levels.
- Background analysis includes traffic modeling, fiscal impact assessment, and equity considerations (displacement, environmental justice).
- Upcoming engagement: sub-area meetings on July 20 (East of 101 and Downtown) and July 28 (Lindenville and El Camino), plus a joint study session with City Council on August 19, 2020.
- Commissioners praised the outreach and requested additional information on traffic patterns and post-COVID uncertainties. Chair Wong noted that the alternatives are not a final selection; a preferred land use scenario is expected by October/November 2020.
Key Outcomes
- No formal vote was taken on the land use alternatives; the session was informational.
- Staff will provide commissioners with a comprehensive project pipeline list and hard copies of the alternatives upon request.
- The Hometown Bowl project (previously heard by the Commission) had its City Council call-up rescinded, allowing entitlements to proceed.
- The Commission acknowledged the evolution of technology, noting the transition from paper binders to iPads for meeting materials.
Meeting Transcript
I'll give another minute for it to just uh in case anybody was having some technical disclosure. And then Daniel, let me know if you need to uh mute everyone or do whatever or start the recording or do whatever you need to do to I guess start the uh uh the the meeting part of it. Yeah, uh we are ready to go ahead and uh whenever you're ready. All right, I'll just wait until Norm pops. Uh Norm, can you hear us? Hey Norm, just so you know you're muted yourself if you are there. We all think we have it all figured out, and then never quite we'll just make him have to use the chat function. Yeah. Norm, I'm not sure if you can hear us or not, but uh if you can, you may want to un uh unmute yourself and uh turn on your camera. Can you hear me now? Here you go. Yeah, we can hear you. Probably can't see me, but that's okay. That's fine, okay. At least you're uh at least you can speak with us. Then I can I could do just okay. Go ahead. Sorry for the delay. No worries. Okay, uh Salish and Clear, you guys ready to go? All right, perfect. So why don't we go ahead and call this meeting to order uh for the planning commission meeting for July 16th. Uh again, before we do the Pledge of Allegiance, let me uh go ahead and read some disclaimers here. Uh this meeting is being held in accordance with the Brown Act as currently in effect under State Emergency Service Act, the governor's emergency declaration related to COVID 19 and the governor's executive order and 2920 issued on March 17th, 2020, that allows attendance by members of the planning commission, city staff, and public to participate and conduct the meeting by teleconference. Uh teleconference locations are not open to the public uh to provide a live remote public comment. Uh join the Zoom um app from your computer or mobile device. The meeting number ID for this meeting is eight one five zero two five three zero six one one and the password is two zero five nine nine seven. Please note you may need to install the zoom app on your device prior to joining the meeting uh to provide comment, use the chat function indicating you would like to speak. Please wait your turn and once staff unmute you, state your name, city of residence for the record. You will have three minutes to make the comments. Uh you may also email to PC Comments at SSF.net. Uh again, that's PC comments at SSF.net, or you can call six five zero eight two nine four six six nine, and we will read into the record emails or message comments that you provide. Please note that all commission time limits and rules of decorum will apply for uh will apply to public comments. And uh with that, will you please all join me for the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to their hold. Well, it just stands one nation, under God, indivisible for liberty and justice for all. With that, can we have uh roll call, please? Commissioner Murphy. Commissioner Shahade? Here, Commissioner Zhang? Yes, Commissioner Faria. Norm, you're uh muted if you're trying to say your presentation. Okay. Commissioner Bernardo. Here Vice Chair Evan here. Chair Wong. Here. And I'm here. Thank you. Okay.
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