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Record of Proceedings

South San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting: November 2, 2023 – Aquatic Center Approval and Consent Items

Planning Commission — Thursday, November 2, 2023

BodySouth San Francisco, California

SessionPlanning Commission

DateThursday, November 2, 2023

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 53:48

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0:20

Okay.

0:22

Welcome to the Thursday, November 2nd, regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission.

0:29

This meeting is being held in person at the LPR building, not the municipal service building anymore.

0:37

So to provide a comment during the meeting, please feel a speaker card.

0:41

You will have three minutes to make your comments.

0:44

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

0:50

This meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission is hereby called to order.

0:54

Will you please stand and join the pledge of allegiance?

1:00

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America into the Republic for which sends one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:14

Thank you.

1:16

May we have the roll call, please.

1:22

Chair Zhang.

1:24

Here.

1:25

Vice Chair Faria.

1:27

Commissioner Shahade.

1:29

Here.

1:30

Commissioner Evans.

1:31

Here.

1:32

Commissioner Funes Az Turk.

1:36

Just got in.

1:37

Here.

1:39

Right here, Sarah.

1:42

Um Commissioner Pomaku is absent.

1:46

Commissioner Baker.

1:47

Here.

1:48

Thank you.

1:50

Thank you.

1:50

Are there any changes to the agenda?

1:53

We have no changes to the agenda.

1:55

Thank you, Adina.

1:57

Item from staff.

1:59

Any item or announcement.

2:02

So only announcement is that we will likely be canceling my mic straight.

2:07

Likely be canceling the November 16th planning commission, and we will be sending out a cancellation next week.

2:15

And that we're very happy to be in the new building.

2:17

We are.

2:20

Okay, public comments.

2:23

Does any member of the public wish to address the commission on an item that is not on tonight's agenda?

2:29

Please fill out a speaker card.

2:35

Okay.

2:35

These are for other items then.

2:39

And uh if there's no speaker card, I'm gonna move forward with the next item.

2:45

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

2:49

If any commissioner has had any communication with applicants, did any site or project visits, had interactions with third parties, or has any conflict regarding any items on the agenda?

3:01

You may disclose them at this time.

3:04

If you would like to recuse yourself for any item, you can do so at this time as well.

3:11

Seeing no eye signal, I'm assuming we can move on to the next item, the consent calendar.

3:19

Um may we have a listing of the consent calendar, please.

3:22

Yes, the consent calendar item number one is consideration of draft minutes from the October 19th, 2023 Planning Commission.

3:31

Item number two is report regarding consideration of master sign program and design review for Gateway Campus at 901 Gateway Boulevard in the Business and Technology Park High and East of 101 Transit Core Zoning Districts in accordance with Title 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code and determination that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA.

3:55

Thank you, Adina.

3:57

Uh does any commissioner wish to pull any item from the consent?

4:03

Seeing none, does any member of the public wish to address to the commission on any item on the consent calendar?

4:12

And hearing none.

4:18

I'll make a motion to accept the consent calendar.

4:21

I'll second.

4:23

Thank you.

4:24

Okay.

4:25

Uh roll call, Chair Zhang.

4:27

Yes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████63%

Procedural██████9%

Public Comment██████8%

Environmental Protection█████7%

Public Safety████5%

Engineering And Infrastructure███4%

Disability Rights█2%

Community Engagement█1%

Public Engagement█1%

Summary of Proceedings

South San Francisco Planning Commission Regular Meeting – November 2, 2023

The Planning Commission met on Thursday, November 2, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at 901 Civic Campus Way. The meeting included approval of the consent calendar and a public hearing on a proposed new Aquatic Center at Orange Memorial Park. The commission unanimously recommended that the City Council adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Design Review permit for the project.

Consent Calendar

Item 1: Draft minutes from the October 19, 2023 Planning Commission meeting were approved.
Item 2: A Master Sign Program and Design Review for Gateway Campus at 901 Gateway Boulevard (BTP-H and ETC Zoning Districts) was approved as categorically exempt from CEQA.
The consent calendar passed 6–0 (Commissioner Pamukcu absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were made on non-agenda items or on the consent calendar.
During the public hearing for the Aquatic Center, no members of the public spoke; the hearing was closed after commissioner questions.

Discussion Items

Orange Memorial Park Aquatic Center (Public Hearing, Item 3)

Presentation: Deputy Director Philip Vitale and architect Clarence Mamayuk presented plans for a new state-of-the-art aquatic center. The facility will replace the existing 1970 pool and includes:
- An indoor 7-lane, 25-yard pool with zero-beach entry and water features (heated to ~85°F).
- An outdoor 10-lane pool (25 yards by 25 meters) for competition and fitness (heated to ~78–79°F).
- A flexible activity room (capacity ~50+ people), locker rooms, family changing rooms, and a veterans memorial with flagpole.
- All-electric building with solar panels (via Peninsula Clean Energy), LED lighting, and drought-tolerant landscaping (20+ new trees).
- A 15-foot windscreen (first 10 feet solid, top 5 feet 50% perforated) designed based on wind tunnel studies to reduce wind speeds from 24 mph to under 10 mph in the pool area.
- Parking: 9 stalls at the Orange/Tennis Drive corner (reduced from 22) with EV charging and accessible spaces, plus refreshed parking on Tennis Drive and shared use of existing lots. Staff cited a parking study from the Park Master Plan.
CEQA Review: Chief Planner Adena Friedman reported that an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (ISMND) was prepared and circulated for 30-day public review (Sept 8–Oct 9, 2023). Two comments were received but did not require recirculation. Mitigation measures were identified for biology, cultural resources, geology, hazardous materials, noise, and tribal cultural resources. A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) will be implemented.
Commissioner Questions: Topics included windscreen design, accessibility (no stairs, pool lift), parking adequacy, transit access (existing bus route on West Orange, shuttle suggestion), security cameras (coordinated with PD), temperature management, activity room uses, and construction safety while keeping the old pool operational. Staff and architect addressed these, citing similar projects at Stanford and USC.
Commissioner Comments: All commissioners expressed strong support for the project, praising the design, community engagement, and expanded programming (e.g., learn-to-swim, water polo, swim therapy). Some noted increased park usage but found parking sufficient. Concerns about wind and security were resolved by the design features.

Key Outcomes

Resolution 3a (CEQA): The commission voted 6–0 to adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council adopt the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (ND23-0005) for the Aquatic Center, in accordance with CEQA guidelines.
Resolution 3b (Design Review): The commission voted 6–0 to adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the Design Review permit (DR23-0037) for the new Aquatic Center at Orange Memorial Park, subject to the attached Conditions of Approval.
The project schedule targets bid by end of 2023, construction start early 2024, new pool opening summer 2025, and demolition of the old pool and completion of parking/veterans memorial later in summer 2025.
Administrative Business: Staff announced the likely cancellation of the November 16, 2023 Planning Commission meeting.

Note: Commissioner Pamukcu was absent for all votes.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Welcome to the Thursday, November 2nd, regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission. This meeting is being held in person at the LPR building, not the municipal service building anymore. So to provide a comment during the meeting, please feel a speaker card. You will have three minutes to make your comments. Please note that all commission time limits and rule of decorum will apply to public comments. This meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission is hereby called to order. Will you please stand and join the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America into the Republic for which sends one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May we have the roll call, please. Chair Zhang. Here. Vice Chair Faria. Commissioner Shahade. Here. Commissioner Evans. Here. Commissioner Funes Az Turk. Just got in. Here. Right here, Sarah. Um Commissioner Pomaku is absent. Commissioner Baker. Here. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any changes to the agenda? We have no changes to the agenda. Thank you, Adina. Item from staff. Any item or announcement. So only announcement is that we will likely be canceling my mic straight. Likely be canceling the November 16th planning commission, and we will be sending out a cancellation next week. And that we're very happy to be in the new building. We are. Okay, public comments. Does any member of the public wish to address the commission on an item that is not on tonight's agenda? Please fill out a speaker card. Okay. These are for other items then. And uh if there's no speaker card, I'm gonna move forward with the next item. Next on the agenda is the disclosure of ex parte communications. If any commissioner has had any communication with applicants, did any site or project visits, had interactions with third parties, or has any conflict regarding any items on the agenda? You may disclose them at this time. If you would like to recuse yourself for any item, you can do so at this time as well. Seeing no eye signal, I'm assuming we can move on to the next item, the consent calendar. Um may we have a listing of the consent calendar, please. Yes, the consent calendar item number one is consideration of draft minutes from the October 19th, 2023 Planning Commission. Item number two is report regarding consideration of master sign program and design review for Gateway Campus at 901 Gateway Boulevard in the Business and Technology Park High and East of 101 Transit Core Zoning Districts in accordance with Title 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code and determination that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA.

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