South San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting - December 2, 2021

The meeting was held virtually via Zoom. The commission approved a major Safeway/Steelwave development at 180 El Camino Real, including a parking reduction and 24-hour operations, and reviewed the 2021 Genentech Master Plan Annual Report.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (November 4, 2021): Motion passed 6–0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made on any agenda items. One attendee raised a hand but did not speak.

Discussion Items

• Item 2: Safeway Project at 180 El Camino Real

  • Staff (Billy Gross) presented a proposal for a 74,600-square-foot commercial development: a 60,000-square-foot Safeway grocery on the second floor above podium parking, plus 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The project required a parking reduction from 298 spaces (code requirement) to 197 spaces (137 covered, 60 uncovered), a use permit for 24-hour operations, a design exception for frontage depth, and a tentative parcel map to split the site into a 3.29-acre development parcel and an 11.21-acre remainder parcel. The applicant (Ben Yu, Steelwave; Natalie Matte, Safeway) emphasized the iconic design, 180 new union jobs, and a Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM) targeting 28% alternative mode share. Commissioners questioned the parking reduction, with concerns about adequacy given the site’s urban context and lack of on-street parking. Staff and Safeway responded that the reduction is justified by proximity to BART/SAMTrans, nearby residential neighborhoods, and TDM programs; Safeway noted similar successful podium stores in Millbrae and Los Altos. The 24-hour operation was supported for shift workers and delivery flexibility. The CEQA determination relied on the 2014 IS/MND and infill exemption (CEQA 15332, 15183). Two errata sheets corrected project area to 74,600 square feet and revised engineering conditions. Public hearing opened and closed with no speakers. Motion to approve the resolution and entitlements passed 6–0.

• Item 3: 2021 Genentech Annual Report

  • Sophie Martin (Genentech) presented the first annual report under the updated Master Plan (approved December 2020). Key highlights: a net decrease of ~95,000 square feet due to demolition of Building 4 (137,000 sq ft) and completion of the 40,000-sq-ft Clinical Supply Center (Building 50). Campus site improvements included pedestrian safety upgrades, two new traffic signals at East Grand/DNA Way and East Grand/Allerton, Bay Trail signage refresh, and ADA upgrades. During the pandemic, about 30% of staff (3,000 people) remained on-site; 84% drove alone, but overall trips were low. No cordon count was conducted. Genentech made its first Development Agreement payments: $3 million for commercial linkage fee (affordable housing) and $2 million for citywide transportation, plus a $100,000 community fund distributed to six local organizations. Commissioners commended the safety improvements, especially at the Allerton intersection, and took the report as informational.

Key Outcomes

• Approved entitlements for the Safeway project (Design Review, Transportation Demand Management Plan, Tentative Parcel Map, Use Permit for parking reduction and 24-hour operations) with conditions as modified by errata. Motion passed 6–0.
• Accepted the 2021 Genentech Annual Report for informational purposes.
• Cancelled the December 16, 2021 Planning Commission meeting.

Vote on Safeway Project:

• Commissioner Murphy: Yes
• Commissioner Faria: Yes
• Commissioner Zhang: Yes
• Commissioner Funes: Yes
• Vice Chair Shihadeh: Yes
• Chair Evans: Yes
• Motion carried 6–0.