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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

South San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting – April 21, 2022

Planning Commission — Thursday, April 21, 2022

BodySouth San Francisco, California

SessionPlanning Commission

DateThursday, April 21, 2022

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:56:49

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:05

Welcome to the Thursday, April 21st, 2022, regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission.

0:13

This meeting is being held in accordance with the Brown Act as currently in effect under the provisions of Assembly Bill 361, which allows attendance by members of the Planning Commission, city staff, and the public to participate and conduct the meeting by teleconference.

0:33

Teleconference locations are not open to the public.

0:39

To provide a comment tonight during the meeting, please use the raise hand function indicating you would like to speak, and you will be unmuted in order during the task reserved for public comment.

0:56

You will have three minutes to make your comments.net or call 8294669 and we will read into the record emails or message message comments that you provide.

1:19

Please note that all commission time limits and rules of decorum will apply to public comments.

1:47

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

2:00

Yes, Chair.

2:01

Chair Sihade.

2:03

Here Vice Chair Zhang.

2:07

Here Commissioner Faria.

2:10

Here.

2:12

Commissioner Evans.

2:14

Here.

2:15

Commissioner De Paz Fernandez.

2:20

Commissioner Funes.

2:23

Here.

2:25

And Commissioner Murphy has an excused absence.

2:32

Are there any changes to the agenda?

2:36

No changes, Chair.

2:40

Does any member of the public wish to address the commission on an item that is not on the agenda tonight at this time?

2:49

Please raise, please use the raise hand feature to indicate that you would like to provide a comment.

2:56

At this time, I will ask the clerk if there are any members of the public who would like to provide comments or if there are any comments received by email or voicemail.

3:08

Chair, no email or voicemails received on general comments, and I don't see any hands raised.

3:18

Next on the agenda is a disclosure of ex parte communications.

3:22

If any commissioner has had any communication with applicants, did any site or project visits had interaction with third parties or has any conflicts regarding any item on the agenda?

3:37

You may disclose them at this time.

3:40

If you would like to recuse yourself or any for an item, you can also do that at this time.

4:12

Thank you.

4:15

Next on the agenda is a consent calendar.

4:20

Chair, just one item, approval of the regular planning commission meeting minutes for March 17th 2022.

4:28

Correct, my mistake.

4:30

Any motions to accept minutes?

4:33

I make a motion we approve the minutes.

4:35

Second.

4:36

Second.

4:41

Any seconds?

4:42

Second.

4:50

Commissioner Freeum.

4:53

Yes.

4:54

Commissioner Evans.

4:56

Yes.

4:57

Commissioner Funes.

5:00

Yes.

5:01

Commissioner De Paz Fernandez.

5:04

Yes.

5:05

Vice Chair Zeng.

5:07

Yes.

5:08

And Chair Shiade.

5:10

Yes.

5:12

Motion passes.

5:19

Next on the agenda is a consent calendar.

5:22

May we have a listing of the consent calendar items?

5:25

Please.

5:27

Sure.

5:28

Administrative business.

5:30

Item number two is a report regarding an eight-month review of an approved use permit to allow extended business hours, indoor live entertainment, and private events at Hometown Bull, located at 237 El Camino Real in the El Camino Real Mixed Use Zoning District.

5:48

Stephanie Scangus, associate planner.

5:50

And now would be the time to log off, Chair, and we'll hand it over to the vice chair and I'll let you know when we're done with the item.

5:57

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Land Use Planning████████████████████████24%

Design Review████████████████████20%

Procedural██████████████████18%

Miscellaneous███████████████15%

Transportation Demand Management████████8%

Environmental Protection██████6%

Economic Development███3%

Community Benefits██2%

Transportation Safety█1%

Summary of Proceedings

South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting – April 21, 2022

The South San Francisco Planning Commission met remotely via teleconference on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 7:00 PM. Commissioners present: Chair Sam Shihadeh, Vice Chair Alex Tzang, Norm Faria, JulieAnn Murphy (excused absence), Michele Evans, Sarah Funes, and Luis De Paz Fernandez. The Commission approved the consent calendar, reviewed the eight-month Hometown Bowl use permit status, and held public hearings for two large office/R&D developments: 101 Gull Drive and 580 Dubuque Avenue. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

Approved the Regular Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of March 17, 2022, by unanimous roll call vote.

Administrative Business: Hometown Bowl Eight-Month Review

Staff (Associate Planner Stephanie Skangos) reported that police calls at Hometown Bowl (237 El Camino Real) had decreased by 75% since the four-month review. Most conditions of approval are now met; two remain outstanding: exterior mural painting and final noise testing. Staff recommended accepting the report, imposing no new conditions, and returning for a 12-month review.
Applicant Vincent and CFO Vince described community outreach, including a planned fundraiser for the mural, increased security staffing, installation of a five-foot fence in the back alley to control loitering, and improved garbage enclosure. They noted security is their largest monthly expense and has not been cut.
Commissioners commended the operators for their progress. Commissioner Faria suggested the mural condition might not need to remain a condition given fundraising plans. Commissioner Evans asked about security patrols and exterior maintenance, and received detailed responses. Commissioner Alex Tzang commented that bar-related police calls are inherent as long as they are not disproportionate to other establishments. No public comments were received.

Public Hearing: 101 Gull Drive Project

Project description: A new seven-story office/R&D building (approximately 166,613 square feet, 40% office / 60% R&D) with an attached 4.5-story parking garage containing 419 stalls, on a vacant 3.8-acre lot at 101 Gull Drive in the Business Technology Park Zoning District. The project required a Use Permit for increased FAR (from 0.5 to 1.0 via a 0.4 TDM bonus and 0.1 design/green bonus) and a parking reduction (524 spaces required, 419 proposed, a 105-space or approximately 20% reduction), Design Review, a Transportation Demand Management Plan, and certification of an EIR with a Statement of Overriding Considerations.
Staff noted the TDM requires a minimum 28% alternative mode shift; the project commits to 35%. The Draft EIR was circulated for 45 days (December 29 to February 11); one comment letter was received from San Francisco International Airport. The final EIR identified one significant and unavoidable impact: vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per employee above target levels. Mitigation includes crosswalk restriping, Class II bike lanes on Eccles Avenue, and a fair-share contribution to shuttle improvements.
Applicant team (Mike Sanford, Niall Malcolm of DGA Architects, and others) presented the design, emphasizing the steep slope constraints and the creation of two interlocking structures around a landscaped courtyard.
Commissioner comments: Norm Faria asked about the potential need for a stoplight at the Oyster Point egress; Michele Evans echoed concerns about rush-hour egress; Sarah Funes urged above-code sustainability measures, including solar panels and EV charging; the applicant noted LEED certification effort and acknowledged consideration of solar on the parking garage. No public comments were received.
Key outcomes: The Commission unanimously adopted a resolution certifying the EIR, including the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Statement of Overriding Considerations. The Commission then unanimously adopted a resolution approving the Use Permit, Design Review, and TDM, with a revised Condition 26 reflecting corrected TDM publication dates.

Public Hearing: 580 Dubuque Avenue Project

Project description: A new eight-story office/R&D building (approximately 265,000 square feet) on a 1.93-acre vacant site at 580 Dubuque Avenue, adjacent to the South San Francisco Caltrain station. The project includes an approximate 180-foot height, a FAR of about 3.2, and a three-story below-grade garage with 345 parking spaces (1.3 spaces per 1,000 square feet). Entitlements sought: General Plan Amendment, rezoning to a Planned Development District, Design Review, TDM Plan, and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) under CEQA.
Staff (Senior Planner Christopher Espiritu) explained that the site is within the East of 101 Area Plan and currently zoned Freeway Commercial. The PD zoning would apply Transit Office/R&D District (TORD) standards. The TDM plan aims for a 40% reduction in drive-alone trips, exceeding the city's 28% minimum. The IS/MND was circulated for 30 days ending February 17; comments were received from agencies including Caltrans, DTSC, and SFO but no recirculation was required. Mitigation measures address air quality, biological/cultural resources, hazards, transportation, and hydrology.
Applicant team (IQHQ and Perkins&Will) presented the design, which is branded as "SPR," highlighting salt-pond-inspired landscaping, active ground-floor uses, public plazas, and sustainability commitments including LEED Gold certification, all-electric building, 10% EV charging, and ground-floor bike parking. Community benefits include approximately $13.9 million in impact fees and contributions to Caltrain Station Plaza improvements and undergrounding power lines.
Commissioner comments: Norm Faria praised the architecture and location but noted traffic and access challenges on Dubuque Avenue; Michele Evans asked about traffic mitigation; staff and applicant described conditions including a 25 mph speed limit sign, reduced fencing for visibility, and coordination with Caltrain on signage; Sarah Funes expressed appreciation for bike parking and asked that it be prominently placed; Luis De Paz Fernandez and others voiced strong support.
Key outcomes: The Commission unanimously adopted a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (EIR22-0002). The Commission then unanimously adopted a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the General Plan Amendment, Rezoning to Planned Development, Design Review, and TDM Plan. Staff noted that an additional resolution regarding the East of 101 Area Plan amendment would be brought to the Commission on May 5, 2022.

Items from Staff, Commission, and Public

Staff announced a brief May 5, 2022 meeting to address the East of 101 Area Plan amendment and a possible TDM update. No items were raised from the Commission or public.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the Thursday, April 21st, 2022, regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission. This meeting is being held in accordance with the Brown Act as currently in effect under the provisions of Assembly Bill 361, which allows attendance by members of the Planning Commission, city staff, and the public to participate and conduct the meeting by teleconference. Teleconference locations are not open to the public. To provide a comment tonight during the meeting, please use the raise hand function indicating you would like to speak, and you will be unmuted in order during the task reserved for public comment. You will have three minutes to make your comments.net or call 8294669 and we will read into the record emails or message message comments that you provide. Please note that all commission time limits and rules of decorum will apply to public comments. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Yes, Chair. Chair Sihade. Here Vice Chair Zhang. Here Commissioner Faria. Here. Commissioner Evans. Here. Commissioner De Paz Fernandez. Commissioner Funes. Here. And Commissioner Murphy has an excused absence. Are there any changes to the agenda? No changes, Chair. Does any member of the public wish to address the commission on an item that is not on the agenda tonight at this time? Please raise, please use the raise hand feature to indicate that you would like to provide a comment. At this time, I will ask the clerk if there are any members of the public who would like to provide comments or if there are any comments received by email or voicemail. Chair, no email or voicemails received on general comments, and I don't see any hands raised. Next on the agenda is a disclosure of ex parte communications. If any commissioner has had any communication with applicants, did any site or project visits had interaction with third parties or has any conflicts regarding any item on the agenda? You may disclose them at this time. If you would like to recuse yourself or any for an item, you can also do that at this time. Thank you. Next on the agenda is a consent calendar. Chair, just one item, approval of the regular planning commission meeting minutes for March 17th 2022. Correct, my mistake. Any motions to accept minutes? I make a motion we approve the minutes. Second. Second. Any seconds? Second. Commissioner Freeum. Yes. Commissioner Evans. Yes. Commissioner Funes. Yes. Commissioner De Paz Fernandez. Yes. Vice Chair Zeng. Yes. And Chair Shiade. Yes.

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