South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting – October 6, 2022

The South San Francisco Planning Commission met on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The commission unanimously approved a consent calendar, heard three public hearing items, and took action on two projects: a use permit for a self-storage conversion and a major office/R&D development near the Caltrain station. Items included approvals for parking reductions, design review, and environmental determinations. The meeting lasted approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The commission unanimously approved the draft minutes from the September 15, 2022, Planning Commission meeting and the August 9, 2022, Joint City Council and Planning Commission Study Session. No public comments or commissioner requests to pull items were made. Motion passed 7-0.

Public Hearings

Item 3: Use Permit for Personal Storage at 1349 San Mateo Avenue

• Staff Presentation: Victoria Kim, Associate Planner, presented a request to convert an existing indoor warehouse (two-story, 20-foot-tall building) into a personal storage facility with 129 units and an office. The site is in the Mixed Industrial zoning district. The project is categorically exempt from CEQA (Class 1, Section 15301). An errata was added to include fire department conditions of approval.
• Applicant Statement: Emilio Arco, owner of Arco's Auto Body and the adjacent self-storage facility (operating for nearly 40 years in South San Francisco), expressed strong support. He cited community need due to high-rise residential construction, high occupancy rates at existing facilities, and the building's concrete construction and lack of parking needs. He emphasized his track record of maintaining clean, secure operations with over 120 cameras and a keypad entry system.
• Commission Questions: Commissioner Faria asked about security coverage during off-hours. The applicant explained that the site has extensive camera monitoring and tenant gate codes. Other commissioners noted support for the project's fit and the applicant's reputation.
• Public Comment: No public comments were received.
• Outcome: The commission voted 7-0 to approve the Use Permit subject to the attached conditions, including the errata. (Motion by Commissioner Faria, seconded by Commissioner De Paz Fernandez.)

Item 4: Conditional Use Permit, Design Review, and Parking Reduction at 201 Baden Avenue

• Staff Recommendation: The item was continued to the November 3, 2022, meeting upon request of the applicant. Commissioner De Paz Fernandez moved to continue to November 3, seconded by Commissioner Murphy. The commission voted 7-0 to continue.

Item 5: 100 East Grand Avenue Office/R&D Project – Entitlements and CEQA Determination

• Project Summary: Adena Friedman, Principal Planner, presented a proposal by Alexandria Real Estate to build two office/R&D buildings totaling approximately 541,000 square feet, a 780-space parking garage, open space amenities, and infrastructure improvements. The site is directly adjacent to the Caltrain station in the Transit Office/R&D (TO/RD) zoning district. The project requires a Use Permit for a parking reduction, Design Review, Tentative Parcel Map, Master Sign Program, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan, and CEQA determinations.
• Parking: Proposed 1.44 spaces per 1,000 square feet (780 spaces) compared to current requirement of 2 spaces per 1,000 (1,070 spaces). The reduction aligns with the new General Plan's parking maximum policies; the proposed ratio is below the future maximum of 812 spaces.
• TDM Plan: Target of 45% non-single-occupancy-vehicle mode share (drive-alone rate of 55%). Measures include shuttles, bike repair, carpool/vanpool programs, on-site amenities, TDM coordinator, and annual reporting.
• Design: Braulio Baptista of ZGF Architects presented the concept, inspired by a DNA helix, with carved terraces, pedestrian-focused Sylvester Road, a new signalized intersection at East Grand and Sylvester, and all-electric buildings.
• CEQA: The project is within the scope of the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan Program EIR (CEQA Guidelines Section 15168), statutorily exempt per Public Resources Code Section 21155.4 (transit priority area, FAR >0.75, implements specific plan), and subject to all relevant mitigation measures.
• Public Comment: No public comments were received.
• Commission Discussion: Commissioners praised the architectural design (describing it as non-rectangular, eye-catching, and a gateway landmark). Commissioner Tzang noted the excellence of the carved forms. Commissioner Faria expressed optimism about TDM but urged monitoring. Commissioner Murphy highlighted the parking reduction's alignment with new General Plan. Commissioners asked about all-electric lab space (applicant confirmed it's their second all-electric building in South San Francisco and supports tenant carbon goals) and construction coordination with nearby projects (121 East Grand). Staff noted a Construction Coordination Committee will manage traffic and disruptions.
• Votes: Two separate motions.
  1. Adopt Resolution for CEQA determination (motion by Chair Shihadeh, seconded by Vice Chair Tzang) – passed 7-0.
  2. Adopt Resolution approving all entitlements (Use Permit, Design Review, Tentative Parcel Map, Master Sign Program, TDM Plan) (motion by Commissioner Faria, seconded by Commissioner De Paz Fernandez) – passed 7-0.

Items from Staff

• The October 20, 2022, Planning Commission meeting was canceled.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Use Permit for personal storage at 1349 San Mateo Avenue (7-0).
• Continued: Item at 201 Baden Avenue to November 3, 2022 (7-0).
• Approved: 100 East Grand Avenue project – CEQA determination (7-0) and all entitlements (7-0).
• Canceled: October 20, 2022, meeting.
• Next Steps: Project at 100 East Grand must comply with all conditions, coordinate with neighboring developments, and implement TDM measures with annual reporting. Final detailed traffic signal design and construction management to be developed collaboratively.