South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting – November 4, 2021

The South San Francisco Planning Commission held a regular meeting on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 7:00 PM via teleconference. The meeting covered a consent calendar, two public hearings on development projects, and a study session on a draft environmental impact report. Commissioners heard public testimony and approved recommendations to the City Council on three agenda items.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of October 21, 2021, Meeting Minutes: Unanimously approved by roll call vote (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 2 (434 N. Canal Street parking reduction): Four speakers addressed the commission. Eric Webbostead (Chief of Staff, Leveritas Biosciences) expressed support, stating that his company's current parking demand is low and that the applicant's space is critical for startups. Leslie Fong asked the applicant whether future in-office requirements could exceed parking supply; the applicant clarified that the space physically limits occupancy to seven to nine people. Tom Rodriguez (Community Bank of the Bay) supported the reduction, citing the environmental benefits of reusing underutilized space. Julie Charrington (biotech executive and entrepreneur) voiced strong support, noting the extreme shortage of affordable lab space for early-stage companies in South San Francisco.
• Item 3 (124 Airport Boulevard / 100 Produce Avenue): One public commenter, Leslie Fong, asked for clarification on how the affordable housing percentage was calculated and requested details on the tunnel design and slip lane removal. No other written or email comments were received for this item during the meeting.
• Item 4 (Southline Specific Plan Draft EIR): No public comments were offered during the study session; staff noted that two written comments had been received prior to the meeting and were posted online.

Discussion Items

Item 2 – Conditional Use Permit for Parking Reduction (3 spaces) at 434 N. Canal Street, Suite 7
Senior Planner Christy Usher presented the application. The site is a 3,500-square-foot industrial condominium in the Mixed Industrial district. A parking study by Hexagon estimated demand of five spaces for the proposed R&D use, below the seven spaces to be provided. No exterior changes are proposed. The applicant, Santosh Jairam, described his business model of providing affordable space for early-stage biotech startups. He noted that many potential employees are millennials and Gen Z who do not own cars, and that he would offer bike racks, BART/Caltrain passes, a Zipcar program, and encourage remote work. Commissioners asked about the risk of future parking overflow; the applicant explained that all parking spaces are deeded and strictly enforced, limiting use to seven spaces. Commissioner Funes highlighted broader generational trends toward lower car ownership. The item was approved unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Faria, seconded by Commissioner Zhang (Vice Chair Shihadeh recused himself due to a conflict of interest).

Item 3 – 480-Unit Multi-Family Development at 124 Airport Boulevard and 100 Produce Avenue
This item included two resolutions: Resolution 3a recommending City Council adoption of a Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment (SCEA) consistent with Plan Bay Area 2040, and Resolution 3b recommending approval of a General Plan Amendment, Downtown Station Area Specific Plan Amendment, Rezoning to a Planned Development District, Design Review, Transportation Demand Management Plan, and Affordable Housing Agreement. Senior Planner Christopher Espiritu and Chief Planner Tony Rozzi presented the project details. The project would demolish existing commercial buildings and construct two seven-story buildings (294 units at 124 Airport Blvd, 186 units at 100 Produce Ave) for a total of 480 units. The applicant, Hanover Company, proposed 15% affordable units (40 low-income, 20 moderate-income) as a community benefit, exceeding the city’s inclusionary ordinance that took effect after application submission. The project also includes substantial off-site improvements: removal of slip lanes at the Airport/San Mateo intersection, pedestrian tunnel lighting and paint upgrades, new bike parking, and participation in a proposed Community Facilities District. The Design Review Board had reviewed the project twice and recommended approval with minor landscape and lighting conditions. The SCEA relied on the regional Plan Bay Area EIR and identified potentially significant impacts but determined mitigation measures would reduce them. Public commenter Leslie Fong asked about the calculation of affordable units and the specifics of the slip lane removal. Commissioners expressed support for the housing but raised concerns about traffic congestion during construction, long-term transportation impacts, approval before the General Plan update, and the definition of affordability. Despite these concerns, the commission voted unanimously to recommend both resolutions to the City Council (7-0).

Item 4 – Study Session on Draft EIR for Southline Specific Plan
Principal Planner Adena Friedman presented an overview of the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Southline Specific Plan, which would redevelop a 26.5-acre industrial site in the Lindenville sub-area with up to 2.8 million square feet of office/R&D uses, near the San Bruno BART station. The draft EIR identified three potentially significant and unavoidable impacts: air quality, noise (during construction), and transportation (an intersection in San Bruno would meet a signal warrant). Three alternatives were analyzed, including a reduced project alternative of 1.4 million square feet, which was identified as the environmentally superior alternative. No action was required; the purpose was to receive public and commission comments to inform the final EIR. The applicant, Lane Partners, gave a presentation highlighting site cleanup, transit-oriented design, and community benefits such as improved pedestrian/bike connections to BART and a new parklet. Commissioners commented that while the project is architecturally attractive and would clean up contaminated land, the significant CEQA impacts were alarming and required more definite mitigation before they could fully support it. Commissioner Zhang specifically noted the impacts on neighboring San Bruno residents. Commissioner Murphy asked whether the site could accommodate housing in the future; staff replied that housing is not currently permitted under the existing or future General Plan due to environmental constraints.

Key Outcomes

• Item 2: Approved the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and CEQA exemption for a parking reduction of three spaces at 434 N. Canal Street, Suite 7, on a roll call vote (6-0, with Vice Chair Shihadeh recused).
• Item 3: Adopted Resolution 3a (recommending City Council approve the SCEA) and Resolution 3b (recommending approval of all entitlements for the 480-unit development) on unanimous roll call votes (7-0 for both). The matter will advance to the City Council for final decision.
• Item 4: No formal action taken; the commission provided oral comments on the Draft EIR. The public comment period closes November 12, 2021. A final EIR and full entitlement request will return to the commission for a recommendation in a future meeting.
• Administrative: The next regular meeting on November 18, 2021, was canceled.