South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting - June 15, 2023

The South San Francisco Planning Commission held a hybrid in-person/virtual regular meeting on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive. Vice Chair Norman Faria presided in the absence of Chair Alex Tzang and Commissioner Michele Evans. Commissioners Sam Shihadeh, Sarah Funes, Aysha Pamukcu, and John Baker were present. The meeting covered the consent calendar and a public hearing on the proposed 800 Dubuque Avenue office/R&D development, including its CEQA analysis. All motions passed unanimously (5-0).

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Draft minutes from the May 18, 2023 Planning Commission meeting were approved.
• Item 2 & 2a: A report and resolution finding that the proposed fiscal year 2023-24 Capital Improvement Program is consistent with the City's General Plan under Government Code Section 65401 were approved. The Commission voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the entire consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Written comment (Consent Calendar item 2): Olga Perez, on behalf of Comunidad Immigrante del Pueblo Viejo, submitted a written comment requesting addition of playground improvements at the Pine and Cypress playground in the old town area. The comment characterized the community as a hardworking immigrant community that faces disadvantages and barriers to equal education and social opportunities, stating residents have been overlooked and have paid a "very dear and inexplicable price with the loss of many young children and young adults." The comment requested equitable investment in the neighborhood's playground and recreational programs.
• Public Hearing (Item 3): No members of the public spoke during the public hearing for the 800 Dubuque Avenue project; no raised hands or speaker cards were identified.

Discussion Items

• Item 3: 800 Dubuque Avenue Development (Design Review Permit, TDM Plan, Community Benefits Program, and CEQA Analysis)
  • Staff presentation (Christopher Espiritu, Senior Planner): The project site is approximately 5.89 acres and approximately 257,000 square feet, currently occupied by three existing buildings (office/R&D, manufacturing, warehousing, and storage). The site is bounded by Costco to the north, a PG&E easement and former Lowe's site to the south, US 101 to the west, and Caltrain tracks to the east. Access is solely via Dubuque Avenue. The project proposes approximately 857,000 square feet of new office and lab/R&D space across three buildings, with a maximum height of approximately 195 feet (10 stories plus mechanical) for the north building, and six and nine stories for the other buildings. Parking would be provided in a four-story below-grade garage with 1,335 vehicle spaces (142 EV-capable), meeting the code-required ratio of 1.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet. The project provides 190 bicycle parking spaces (166 long-term, 24 short-term), exceeding the required 66. The project requests an FAR of 3.3, which requires a community benefits program approved by City Council. Office/R&D is a principally permitted use in the East of 101 (ETC) Transit Core district, and the project conforms with all development standards except the FAR. The Design Review Board reviewed the project twice (May 17 and August 16, 2022), requested changes to massing, ground-floor active space, circulation, and wind/vibration effects, and was unanimously supportive after the second review. The project is classified as a Tier 4 large development under the TDM ordinance, requiring a maximum drive-alone commute share of 50%, enhanced shuttle commitments, 100% subsidized transit passes, transit capital improvements, on-site amenities, bike repair stations, annual monitoring, and a site-specific trip cap. The Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (ND22-0004) was circulated beginning March 29, 2023, with a 30-day comment period ending April 28, 2023. Comments were received from PG&E (two letters), San Francisco International Airport, and the California Geologic Survey; none required recirculation or an EIR. Significant impacts were identified for air quality, biological resources, cultural/tribal cultural resources, geology/soils, hazards/hazardous materials, and transportation, all mitigable to less-than-significant levels. Estimated development impact fees total approximately $51.3 million.
  • Applicant presentation (Carrie Algazi, IQHQ Director of Development): IQHQ is a life science real estate developer with approximately 10 million square feet in its portfolio across the Bay Area, Boston, San Diego, and the UK, and 50% of its employees are women. The company's priorities are transit-oriented development, sustainability (LEED Gold on all projects), community engagement, and equity, including union labor for major subcontractors. This is IQHQ's second South San Francisco project; the first, Spur at 580 Dubuque, is under construction and includes enhanced pedestrian connections, undergrounding of utility lines, improved landscaping and lighting to strengthen Caltrain connectivity. The 800 Dubuque project is less than half a mile from the Caltrain station. Ryan Boussard of Perkins and Will described the design: two primary entries (south for commuters/pedestrians connecting to Caltrain, and a drop-off area for ride-hailing), primary loading on the east side adjacent to Caltrain tracks, building heights consistent with or slightly below existing buildings to the east, a courtyard with native/adaptive vegetation, multiple amenity spaces including an event center, and a high-performance curtain wall system with solar shading to mitigate glass reflection. The project targets LEED Gold and Fitwel multi-tenant base building certifications, all-electric HVAC, space for future rooftop PVs on 15% of roof area, bioswales, and bioretention. Construction is anticipated to start Q2 2024 with completion in Q3 2027.
  • Commissioner questions and concerns:
    • Commissioner Shihadeh asked about solar reflection studies on the US 101 frontage (answer: vertical fins mitigate reflection and provide occupant shading), courtyard sunlight studies (answer: building massing was lowered to allow sun penetration, gaps between buildings tuned to drive light in, and portions of the courtyard elevated to create sunny pockets), parking adequacy (applicant stated 1,335 spaces is compliant at 1.5/1,000; with ~3,000 expected employees, parking is about half of typical demand, but lower supply would hurt competitiveness), and Dubuque Avenue one-lane traffic concerns (applicant cited TDM measures and varied life science work hours; mitigation measures include working with PG&E to improve site visibility).
    • Commissioner Faria asked about narrow street visibility (mitigation measures include removing obstructions and working with adjacent property owner PG&E to increase sight distance), whether the gym and event center would be accessible to residents (gym is a tenant amenity; event center will be open to the public for a fee), and who manages the event center and pricing (CBRE manages the property; pricing not yet determined). Commissioner Faria also expressed concern about community access and discounts for underprivileged residents.
    • Commissioner Funes asked about the developer's ongoing role in TDM compliance (developer retains ultimate compliance responsibility, implements infrastructure measures, and will monitor and adjust as needed).
    • Commissioner Baker asked about local hiring commitments (applicant stated commitment to union labor and local hiring as a priority, but no specific percentage was given).
  • Commissioner closing comments:
    • Commissioner Baker expressed support for the project and encouraged use of the event/conference space by community members, local nonprofits, and those with less means.
    • Commissioner Funes appreciated the local hiring section and reduced parking, but expressed concern about TDM enforcement and suggested making transit options (Caltrain, BART, ferry connections, Clipper cards) convenient and well-communicated to employees.
    • Commissioner Shihadeh appreciated the design but expressed concern that residents east of 101 see growth as displacement and lack access to these spaces. He recommended community engagement, resident discounts, and making the community aware of the space's existence (noting his own recent wedding planning experience). He also raised concerns about Dubuque Avenue traffic during construction and the need for coordination between the developer and city.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (5-0) (Commissioner Evans absent; Chair Tzang absent).
• Resolution 3B (CEQA): The Commission voted unanimously (5-0) to adopt a resolution making findings and recommending that the City Council adopt the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (ND22-0004) in accordance with Section 21080 of the California Public Resources Code and CEQA Guidelines Section 15070 et seq.
• Resolution 3A (Entitlements): The Commission voted unanimously (5-0) to adopt a resolution making findings and recommending that the City Council approve the Design Review Permit and Transportation Demand Management Plan for the 800 Dubuque Avenue Office/R&D development, subject to draft conditions of approval. The Community Benefits Program is to be considered by City Council.
• Appeal period: Any interested party has 15 calendar days from the date of the decision to appeal to the City Council (appeal cost: $1,725; $862 for adjacent property owners).
• The meeting was adjourned following the votes, with no further administrative business or public comments.