South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting – February 2, 2023
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South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting Summary – February 2, 2023
The South San Francisco Planning Commission held a virtual regular meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023, beginning at 7:00 PM, under the Brown Act/AB 361 rules. Chair Alex Tzang presided; Commissioner Sarah Funes was absent. The Commission approved routine items, reviewed the Lindenville Specific Plan draft preferred alternative, recommended approval of a vesting tentative map for 889 McClellan Road, and appointed a Chapter 8.70 appeals subcommittee.
Consent Calendar
- Draft minutes from the January 19, 2023 Planning Commission meeting were approved by roll-call vote, with Vice Chair Faria and Commissioners DePaz Fernandez, Evans, Shihadeh, and Chair Tzang voting yes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- During oral communications, Cynthia Makoulis and Tom Carney spoke about the Municipal Services Building (MSB) at 33 Arroyo. They asked the Commission to encourage the City Council to preserve the MSB as a senior/multi-use center rather than sell it to help fund a fire station. Carney noted that seniors make up over 26% of South San Francisco's population and that the MSB social hall can hold roughly 250–300 people, and he highlighted recent public investment in the building.
- On the Lindenville item, Tom Carney said he supported the plan but urged the Commission to prioritize open/green space, include mandatory child care provisions, clean up Colma Creek, and ensure clear community benefits from new development.
- On the 889 McClellan Road item, Carney questioned the real affordability of some “low-income” units, citing a nearby project listed at $700,000 for a two-bedroom unit.
- Near the end of the meeting, Carney also cautioned commissioners about potential conflicts of interest when serving on appeal panels involving property owners and tenants.
Discussion Items
- Lindenville Specific Plan Preferred Land Use Alternative: Principal Planner Billy Gross and consultant Eric Yerkovich presented a draft preferred land use map developed from the General Plan, three earlier urban design alternatives, and community engagement. The draft map concentrates mixed-use residential in about 130 acres along Colma Creek, South Spruce, and Centennial Way Trail, while retaining industrial areas, adding an arts/makers overlay on South Linden, and allowing more office/life science uses in focused locations. The stated goal is to maintain capacity for approximately 5,600 housing units. Staff noted that office/life science capacity could increase by up to about two million square feet at maximum buildout. Commissioners asked about the percentage of land for housing, height limits, transitions to existing residential neighborhoods, open space connections, and the risk that life science uses could outcompete other businesses. Several commissioners stressed the need to reinforce green space, pedestrian/bicycle connectivity, and compatibility with existing residents and businesses. The Commission voted by roll call to adopt the staff recommendation and advance the preferred alternative to the City Council for its February 22, 2023 meeting.
- 889 McClellan Road Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map: Staff reported that the application relates to a previously entitled mixed-use project at 889 McClellan Road with 20 residential condominium units and approximately 5,200 square feet of commercial space. The 2011 City Council entitlements were still in place, but the original tentative subdivision map had expired before final map approval because of project setbacks. The submitted vesting tentative map does not substantially change the project, complies with Title 19 and city standards, and remains within the environmental parameters of the 2000 SEIR Addendum. Staff confirmed that four inclusionary condominiums are required, with affordability levels at 60%, 90%, 100%, and 110% of area median income. The Commission recommended that the City Council determine the project is covered by the 2000 SEIR Addendum and approve the vesting tentative map subject to the attached conditions of approval.
- Appointment of Chapter 8.70 Appeals Panel Subcommittee: Assistant City Attorney Alexandra Wolf requested that the Chair appoint three Planning Commissioners to serve as the appeals panel for appeals under Chapter 8.70 of the Municipal Code, which addresses property owner obligations to tenants displaced from unsafe or substandard units. The city has received one appeal since the ordinance was adopted in 2019. Chair Tzang appointed Vice Chair Faria, Commissioner Evans, and Commissioner Shihadeh to the panel for 2023.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar minutes approved.
- Lindenville Specific Plan Preferred Land Use Alternative recommended to the City Council.
- Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map for 889 McClellan Road recommended to the City Council.
- Appeals panel subcommittee appointed for 2023, with Vice Chair Faria, Commissioner Evans, and Commissioner Shihadeh serving.
Meeting Transcript
7 o'clock, I'm ready. But let me know. All right. Let me start the webinar and let folks in and I'll press record. Oh, no. You know what? I'm gonna get my water full. And where I am. No problem. Thank you, guys. Just starting the webinar now to let folks come in. I'm gonna press record. Recording in progress. Great. Shall I go? We just promote uh Commissioner DePaz Fernandez. Good evening. Welcome to the Thursday, February 2nd 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 a meeting by Tally Conference. Teleconference locations are not open to the public. To provide a comment during the meeting, please use the raise hand function indicating you would like to speak and you will be unmuted in order during the times reserved for public comments. You will have three minutes to make your comments.net or call 6508294669, 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 to public comments. Here commissioner Funes will be absent tonight. Are there any changes to the agenda? No proposed changes, Chair. Thank you. So we will have our oral communications right now. Does any member of the public wish to address the commission on an item that is not on tonight's agenda at this time? Please use the raise hand feature to indicate that you would like to provide a comment. At this time, I would like to the clerk to tell me 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. Sure, it looks like I've got two raised hands. Let me just prep our timer. The planning commission submitted for adoption the entire 700-page housing element, and it was adopted in its entirety by the city council on January 25th. The municipal services building is still included in this housing element for potential high density low-income housing. Rezoning the MSB in 2017 for mixed use as it had always been zoned to housing so that the community campus could be constructed was an unwelcome sacrifice to be sure for our residents and our community. We are being told don't worry about the MSB. It will never happen. But then again, it might happen to be developed if we have a very ambitious city manager who, like Mike Fouquel told me personally that because a development was approved, he was going to implement it. Not just the senior center, but a community center because the community campus has shared use with the library, park and wrecking council chambers. The outdated Magnolia Center serves one side of the city with its limited parking. We are asking that you present to the city council the rezoning of the MSB back to mixed use, so it will serve not only our aging community, but for the residents of all ages on this side of the city. It can be used for all other groups as well, a senior and multi-use center for our teens and young people. It can also house the Historical Society, the Cultural Arts Commission, where artists can rent rooms. The social hall can be continued to be rented for memorable events and family celebrations, and the atrium as a place of for socializing with friends and neighbors. The child care can operate out of the former police station, leaving Orange Library for other needs of the city and the MSB can serve as an overflow for classes and meetings due to the limited space at the community campus. We are asking for one slice of this parcel, the MSP for the community. Not only is development important, but so is a sense of community and community building. This is what we have with the MSB. It has historical significance for all South San Francisco residents.
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