HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Meeting 11-07-19 (Reso 2847-2019) - 494 Forbes RESOLUTION NO. 2847-2019
PLANNING COMMISSION, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
RESOLUTION DETERMINING THAT A PROJECT TO ALTER THE SITE PLAN AND
EXTERIOR APPEARANCE OF A PREVIOUSLY ENTITLED PROJECT TO
CONSTRUCT TWO NEW OFFICE/R&D BUILDINGS (ONE 4- AND ONE 5-STORIES)
TOTALING 326,020 SF, AND A 3-LEVEL PARKING STRUCTURE ON A 7.48 ACRE
SITE AT 494 FORBES BOULEVARD IN THE BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PARK (BTP)
ZONE DISTRICT IS FULLY WITHIN THE SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
IN THE 2012 PARTIAL RECIRCULATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND
NO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW WOULD BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15164 AND 15162; AND APPROVING A DESIGN
REVIEW MODIFICATION FOR THE PREVIOUSLY ENTITLED PROJECT.
WHEREAS, HCP Forbes, LLC (“Owner”) and HCP, Inc. (“Applicant”) own property located at
494 Forbes Boulevard (“Project Site”) in the City of South San Francisco; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council of South San Francisco approved the 494 Forbes Boulevard project,
consisting of the construction of two new office/research and development buildings, one four
stories and one five stories, totaling 326,020 square feet, a three-level parking structure, and
surface parking areas (“Project”) on December 12, 2012, including a Use Permit, Preliminary
Transportation Demand Management Plan, Design Review, and Development Agreement; and,
WHEREAS, Applicant seeks approval of a Design Review Modification for the Project; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), environmental
review has been conducted, certified and adopted evaluating the impacts of the Project resulting
in certification of a 2012 Partial Recirculated Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and it was
found the 2012 Partial Recirculated EIR as an objective and accurate document that reflects the
independent judgement and analysis of the City in the discussion of the Project’s environmental
impacts; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA, changes to projects for which an EIR has been certified do not
require subsequent EIRs, unless the lead agency determines that the changes will result in new
significant impacts or mitigation measures, or substantially more severe impacts than those
analyzed in the previous EIR; and
WHEREAS, the intensity and density of the Project will remain the same, the land uses will remain
the same, the location of structures will remain the same, the proposed parceling will remain the
same, and therefore there will be no new or increased impacts associated with the Design Review
Modification; and,
WHEREAS, the prior certified EIRs, including the 2012 Partial Recirculated EIR, fully analyzed
all potentially significant impacts and proposed mitigation for said impacts; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council previously adopted a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
for the project and a Statement of Overriding Considerations for the project’s significant and
unavoidable impacts, both of which remain in full force and effect; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission considered the proposed Design Review Modification at
its duly noticed public hearing on November 7, 2019.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that based on the entirety of the record before it, which
includes without limitation, the California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code
§21000, et seq. (“CEQA”) and the CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regulations §15000,
et seq.; the California Subdivision Map Act; the project plans prepared by Flad Architects; the
South San Francisco General Plan and General Plan EIR, including all amendments and updates
thereto; the South San Francisco Municipal Code; all reports, minutes, and public testimony
submitted as part of the Planning Commission’s duly noticed November 7, 2019 meeting and any
other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the
Planning Commission of the City of South San Francisco hereby finds as follows:
SECTION 1 FINDINGS
I. General Findings
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution.
2. The Exhibits attached to this Resolution, including the Conditions of Approval attached
as Exhibit A and the Modified Precise Plan project drawings attached as Exhibit B, are
incorporated as if set forth fully herein.
3. The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are
located at the Planning Division for the City of South San Francisco, 315 Maple
Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080, and in the custody of Chief Planner, Sailesh
Mehra.
II. CEQA Findings
1. Based upon the testimony and information presented at the hearing and upon review
and consideration of the environmental documentation provided, the Planning
Commission, exercising its independent judgement and analysis, finds that the Project
falls within the environmental parameters analyzed in the 2012 Partial Recirculated
EIR, and that the Project would not result in any new significant environmental effects
or a substantial increase in the severity of any previously identified effects beyond those
disclosed an analyzed in the EIR certified by City Council, because the intensity and
density of the Project will remain the same, the land uses will remain the same, the
location of structures will remain the same, and the proposed parceling will remain the
same. Therefore there will not be any substantial changes to the project’s circumstances
and would not result in new or increased impacts associated with the proposed Design
Review Modification, and no further environmental analysis would be required
pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15164 and 15162.
III. Design Review
1. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with Title 20 of the South San
Francisco Municipal Code because the Project meets or exceeds all of the general
development standards of the Business Technology Park (BTP) Zoning District, with
the exception of the parking and on-site loading requirement, for which exceptions
were granted by the City Council as part of the previous project entitlements.
2. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the General Plan because the
proposed Research and Development buildings are consistent with the policies and
design direction provided in the South San Francisco General Plan for the BTP land
use designation.
3. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the design guidelines adopted
by the City Council in that the proposed Project is consistent with the Employment
District Standards included in Chapter 20.110.
4. The Project is consistent with the design guidelines adopted by the City Council in that
the proposed use is consistent with the Business and Technology Park District
Development Standards and Supplemental Regulations included in Sections
20.110.003 and 20.110.004.
5. The Project is consistent with the applicable design review criteria in Section
20.480.006 (“Design Review Criteria”) because the project has been evaluated against,
and found to be consistent with, each of the eight design review criteria included in the
“Design Review Criteria” section of the Ordinance.
SECTION 2 DETERMINATION
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission of the City
of South San Francisco hereby makes the findings contained in this Resolution, determines that
the proposed Design Review Modification at 494 Forbes Boulevard in the Business Technology
Park (BTP) Zone District is fully within the scope of environmental analysis in the 2012 Partial
Recirculated Environmental Impact Report and no further environmental review would be required
pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164 and 15162, and approves the Design Review
Modification, subject to the conditions of approval attached as Exhibit A.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its
passage and adoption.
* * * * * * *
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Planning Commission of the City
of South San Francisco at a regular meeting held on the 7th day of November, 2019 by the following
vote:
AYES: Chair Murphy, Vice-Chair Wong, Commissioner Faria, Commissioner Shihadeh,
Commissioner Evans, Commissioner Tzang, Commissioner Bernardo
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
Attest_/s/Sailesh Mehra__________
Secretary to the Planning Commission