OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Walnut Creek Planning Commission Meeting on Mitchell Town Homes - February 26, 2026

City Council — Thursday, February 26, 2026
BodyWalnut Creek, California
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, February 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:00:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

Good evening.

0:13

Welcome to the February 12th, a regular meeting of the Walnut Creek Planning Commission.

0:18

I'll ask the Secretary to take the roll.

0:21

Thank you, Chair.

0:22

Commissioner Moran?

0:24

Here.

0:24

Commissioner Cound.

0:25

Here.

0:26

Commissioner Strongman.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Commissioner Kwok.

0:28

Here.

0:28

Commissioner Klopp.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Vice Chair Knighting?

0:31

Here.

0:32

And Chair Anderson.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Commission's all here.

0:36

We have quorum.

0:37

Thank you.

0:38

Do we have anything on the consent calendar tonight?

0:41

Staff has no recommendations for consent.

0:43

Okay.

0:44

And we will pass on to the public communications.

0:49

Let me take a little minute to explain that because I have a hunch.

0:52

We're going to have a lot of public communications tonight.

0:57

Two opportunities to speak, if you wish.

1:02

You get a chance to speak on either of the hearings when those hearings come up on the agenda.

1:08

You'll also have a chance right now during the public communications portion to comment on anything which is not on the agenda.

1:16

So if you have something to talk about Mitchell Townhomes or Porsche, you can that has to wait until those hearings come up.

1:25

If you have something else to do, you can do it then.

1:29

Is there anybody who has a comment on something not on the agenda?

1:35

Seeing none.

1:38

Okay.

1:39

All right.

1:42

There seems to be no one wishing to speak in public communications.

1:50

Closer.

1:51

Closer.

1:52

Okay.

1:52

I would move this, but it doesn't move.

1:57

So when the time comes, since there's a lot of people here tonight, just try to explain it once.

2:05

Since we don't have any comments now, but we will have during the hearings.

2:10

When the hearing comes up, the applicant will have uh time to present.

2:14

I'm sorry, the staff report first to kind of lay out what the the hearing is about.

2:19

The applicant has a chance to describe his project.

2:24

Then each of you who has filled out a yellow um speaker card can get to speak.

2:32

Each of you will have two minutes.

2:34

We have a lot of cards already.

2:36

Um so that will take uh some time, even at two minutes apiece.

2:39

Um so uh do try to be succinct in what you say.

2:43

Um no one is obligated to take all of their time, applicant or other speakers.

2:48

Um if you want to speak less, that's always welcome.

2:51

Um if you uh if someone else has said exactly what you feel uh you can say they said it right, I believe that too.

2:58

Um that works fine as well.

3:01

Uh at the end the applicant has a chance to uh respond to uh some of the comments and uh during any of those comments uh the commission uh can ask questions of the speaker.

3:14

Uh so I think that covers it.

3:17

Um we'll move along uh to 3B as it were.

3:22

Uh disclosure of Ex parte Communications.

3:24

Anyone had ex parte communications this week?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning and Planning████████████████████████████28%
Housing Development Considerations██████████████████████22%
Transportation Safety██████████████14%
Environmental Protection████████████12%
Housing████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Education██2%
Public Transit██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Walnut Creek Planning Commission Meeting on Mitchell Town Homes - February 26, 2026

The Walnut Creek Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider the Mitchell Town Homes project, a 422-unit residential development at the Shadelands Business Park. The meeting included staff and applicant presentations, commissioner questions, and discussion of CEQA compliance, builder's remedy, and state housing laws. No votes were taken as the hearing was ongoing at the end of the available transcript.

Consent Calendar

  • No items were placed on the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke during the non-agenda public communications portion. The public hearing was opened for the Mitchell Town Homes project, but the transcript ends before any public testimony was delivered. The chair noted that many speaker cards had been submitted.

Discussion Items

  • Mitchell Town Homes Design Review (Project Y24026): The commission reviewed a proposal to demolish 11 existing office buildings and construct 422 townhomes (19 du/ac), with 55 low-income units (13%), 542 new trees, and off-site improvements including a roundabout and bike lanes. The project is processed under SB 330, the Housing Accountability Act, and builder's remedy; the applicant requests 10 density bonus waivers.
    • Staff Presentation: Senior Planner Simmer Gill presented the site, background (preliminary application submitted Oct 18, 2023, six days before HCD certified the city's housing element), CEQA findings (no significant unavoidable impacts), and requested entitlements: EIR certification, major subdivision, design review, tree removal permits, and density bonus waivers.
    • Commission Questions: Commissioners asked about waiver standards (city attorney clarified that waivers must physically preclude the project at the proposed density), school district boundaries (not a city decision), mitigation monitoring (construction-related only), builder's remedy applicability (finding depends on housing element certification status at time of submission), and traffic analysis. Traffic consultant Mark Spencer explained VMT analysis and that the project generates fewer trips than existing office use but with reversed patterns; the site is in a lower VMT area due to transit proximity.
    • Applicant Presentation: Jonathan Fern of Signature Development Group presented project highlights, including two architectural neighborhoods, 20-foot setbacks from curbs, use of Silva Cells to improve central open space, widened pedestrian connections, and safety improvements (raised crosswalk, roundabout). He noted revisions based on Design Review Commission comments and community input (e.g., relocating balconies to front elevations).

Key Outcomes

  • No decisions were reached. The public hearing was opened, and the applicant's presentation concluded near the end of the available transcript. The hearing was expected to continue with public testimony and commissioner deliberations.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Welcome to the February 12th, a regular meeting of the Walnut Creek Planning Commission. I'll ask the Secretary to take the roll. Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Moran? Here. Commissioner Cound. Here. Commissioner Strongman. Here. Commissioner Kwok. Here. Commissioner Klopp. Here. Vice Chair Knighting? Here. And Chair Anderson. Here. Commission's all here. We have quorum. Thank you. Do we have anything on the consent calendar tonight? Staff has no recommendations for consent. Okay. And we will pass on to the public communications. Let me take a little minute to explain that because I have a hunch. We're going to have a lot of public communications tonight. Two opportunities to speak, if you wish. You get a chance to speak on either of the hearings when those hearings come up on the agenda. You'll also have a chance right now during the public communications portion to comment on anything which is not on the agenda. So if you have something to talk about Mitchell Townhomes or Porsche, you can that has to wait until those hearings come up. If you have something else to do, you can do it then. Is there anybody who has a comment on something not on the agenda? Seeing none. Okay. All right. There seems to be no one wishing to speak in public communications. Closer. Closer. Okay. I would move this, but it doesn't move. So when the time comes, since there's a lot of people here tonight, just try to explain it once. Since we don't have any comments now, but we will have during the hearings. When the hearing comes up, the applicant will have uh time to present. I'm sorry, the staff report first to kind of lay out what the the hearing is about. The applicant has a chance to describe his project. Then each of you who has filled out a yellow um speaker card can get to speak. Each of you will have two minutes. We have a lot of cards already. Um so that will take uh some time, even at two minutes apiece.

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