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City of Brisbane
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 5:30 PM ● Hybrid Meeting ● 50 Park Place, Brisbane, CA The public may observe/participate in City Council meetings using remote public comment options or by attending in person. The City Council may take action on any item listed in the agenda.
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September 29, 2026 -2- 5:30 PM
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5:30 PM Call to Order – Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
A. Remote Attendance Under the Just Cause Provisions of the Brown Act Adoption of Agenda
Continued Public Hearings
B. Consideration of proposed Baylands Specific Plan and related actions, including amendments to the Brisbane General Plan Land Use and Circulation Elements, amendments to Title Section 17 of the Brisbane Municipal Code to establish zoning regulations, adoption of the Bayshore Mobility Plan, and certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) prepared for this project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Adjournment
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR – Meeting 2 Page 1 of 6
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: September 29, 2026
From: Kevin Gardiner, Interim Community Development Director Subject: Baylands Subarea; Environmental Review 2021-ER-1, Specific Plan 2021-SP-1, Zoning Amendment 2021-RZ-3, General Plan Amendment 2021-GPA-2; Proposed Baylands Specific Plan including 2,200 residential units; 6.5 million square feet of commercial, office, retail, conference, life science, and office campus uses; 500,000 square feet of hotel use (approximately 800 rooms); a grade 6–8 middle school; 157 acres of open space/open area, parks, and trails; water, recycled water, sewer, drainage, electrical, and other utilities improvements on approximately 680.1 acres generally situated easterly of Bayshore Boulevard and west of Highway 101; Related actions include amending the Brisbane General Plan Land Use and Circulation Elements, Amending Title Section 17 of the Brisbane Municipal Code to establish zoning regulations, and adopting the Bayshore Mobility Plan. A Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) has been prepared for this project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Baylands Development Inc., applicant; Sunquest Properties, majority owner; see Attachment 1 for a complete list of owners.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council certify that the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Brisbane Baylands Specific Plan has been prepared in accordance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15090 and that the Council approve the project entitlements, which include:
• Amend the General Plan Land Use Element in accordance with Government Code sections 65350 to 65362.
• Amend the General Plan Circulation Element in accordance with Government Code sections 65350 to 65362.
• Adopt the Staff-Recommended Baylands Specific Plan, dated May 2026, with clarifying edits, in accordance with Government Code sections 65450 and 65850 as a zoning ordinance. • Amend Title 17, Zoning, of the Brisbane Municipal Code (BMC) to implement the Baylands Specific Plan for Modified Alternative 1, in accordance with Government Code sections 65800 to 65912.
• Approve the Bayshore Mobility Plan, which will enhance mobility of Brisbane residents along the corridor within the City of Brisbane, consistent with the Brisbane General Plan Circulation Element.
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR – Meeting 2 Page 2 of 6
Introduction
Tonight is the second meeting in a series of meetings the Council is anticipated to hold on the Brisbane Baylands Specific Plan, Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), and related approvals that began on September 14, 2026. The Council will continue to consider the project materials through a structured series of hearings organized around Measure JJ requirements and the major components of the Baylands Specific Plan and FEIR, allowing both the Council and the public to review the material in manageable segments while tracking how the project is consistent with Measure JJ’s various requirements.
After concluding the discussion of air quality and GHG impacts that began on September 14, 2026, tonight’s new topics include discussions of:
• Land Use Plan — distribution and intensity of land uses in the Baylands Specific Plan (Measure JJ Topics 1 and 2); location of open spaces and amenities (Measure JJ Topic 3.H); and the Specific Plan’s interface with sea level rise (Measure JJ Topic 3.J); • Design Topics — Objective Standards and Design Guidelines in the Baylands Specific Plan; and the Roundhouse (Measure JJ Topic 3.I).
• Topics anticipated for discussion on future dates are outlines in Attachment 2 to this report.
Background
The September 14, 2026 staff report (Attachment 1) is attached for reference and includes a summary of the project's history, including the Planning Commission's review process and recommendations, , which the Council should refer to for the complete analysis and record on the topics discussed; staff does not repeat that analysis here. At the Council’s first meeting on September 14, 2026, staff presented an overview of the 2026 staff recommended Baylands Specific Plan and the Planning Commission’s review process and recommendations; Measure JJ and General Plan requirements that govern the Specific Plan; the Plan’s sustainability measures, including energy use and consistency with Measure JJ Topic 3.G; and air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and energy impacts and mitigation measures identified in the FEIR. The City Council also heard a presentation from the applicant, Baylands Development Inc. (BDI). After opening the public hearing, the Council also received testimony and questions from the public related to the project, organized into three topical segments.
The Council began, but did not conclude, its discussion of air quality, GHG emissions, and energy impacts and mitigation measures, and will resume that discussion tonight.
Discussion
September 14 Meeting Follow Up: Schedule Adjustments
In response to Council feedback at the September 14 meeting, the ad hoc Baylands subcommittee (Mayor pro tem Davis and Council member Lentz) coordinated with staff to adjust the sequence of topics for the upcoming Baylands hearings, which proposes reducing the number of topics per meeting and adding two additional meeting dates to ensure all topics are discussed before closing the public hearing. The revised schedule is included in Attachment 2.
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR – Meeting 2 Page 3 of 6
Land Use Plan
Distribution and intensity of land uses
Baylands Specific Plan Chapter 2 (Land Use Program and Planning Districts) establishes the overall development program and its distribution across the site, organized into five planning districts and a defined block structure. The highest-intensity, mixed-use development is concentrated near the Bayshore Caltrain station in the northern portion of the site, transitioning to lower-intensity residential, commercial, and open space uses toward the south and site edges. The 2026 Staff-Recommended Specific Plan recognizes a potential future area for the California High-Speed Rail Authority's Light Maintenance Facility, and — as a staff-recommended modification discussed at Planning Commission — clarifies minimum development density and commercial intensity standards, expressed as average targets by land use designation (rather than block-by-block minimums), to ensure the housing and development program is actually achieved over the life of the Plan.
Residential building types range from duplex and single‑family units up to high‑density multifamily buildings, allowing flexibility in form while ensuring the Plan meets its overall housing targets. High‑rise development is limited to four towers (two residential and two commercial), located near the Bayshore Caltrain station and oriented perpendicular to the rail corridor.
Specific Plan Section 2.3.1 establishes residential density and commercial intensity standards. Within one‑half mile of the Caltrain station, FEIR Mitigation Measure MM LUP‑2 requires a minimum average density of 25 dwelling units per acre for residential areas and a minimum commercial FAR of 2.01 .
Sitewide, the Plan applies minimum average densities by land‑use designation – 25 du/acre for Low Density Residential, 75 du/acre for Mid Density Residential, and 95 du/acre for High Density Residential – and minimum average FARs of 0.5, 1.25, and 3.5 for Low, Mid, and High Density Commercial, respectively. These standards are applied on an average basis rather than block‑by‑block, giving projects flexibility while ensuring the full 1,800–2,200 housing units and 6.5 million square feet of commercial development are achieved throughout buildout of the plan.
The Commission also reviewed staff-recommended revisions to the allowed-use table (Table 3.4.1) repositioning hospitality (hotel) uses within the High and Mid Density Commercial designations and removing them from Low Density Commercial. Both this clarification and the density-averaging clarification are included in the Commission's final recommendation to the Council.2 Location of open spaces and amenities (Measure JJ Topic 3.H) Measure JJ Topic 3.H (General Plan Policy BL.1(H)) requires that “key habitat areas, including Icehouse Hill and Brisbane Lagoon and adjacent habitat as identified in the 2001 City Open Space Master Plan, shall be preserved, enhanced, and protected.”3 Specific Plan Chapter 5 (Conservation and Open Space) establishes an interconnected open space network – linear parks, wetlands, trails, upland habitat, and 1 2026 Staff-Recommended Specific Plan, Chapter 2, §2.3.1 (pp. 2-7 to 2-8) and Table 2.3.1 (p. 2-9); FEIR Mitigation Measure MM LUP-2 (Volume 5, Chapter 15, p. 15-61). 2 July 23, 2026 Planning Commission Memorandum, Attachment 6 to the September 14, 2026, City Council staff report and August 13, 2026 Planning Commission Memorandum, Attachment 5 to the September 14, 2026 (both included in this report as part of Attachment 1). 3 Specific Plan Table 1.4.1, p. 1-13; General Plan Amendment GP-1-18, Chapter V, Item 3.H.
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naturalized stormwater facilities – linking the site to surrounding neighborhoods, and specifically incorporates Icehouse Hill and Brisbane Lagoon habitat restoration consistent with the 2001 Open Space Master Plan. Per the June 25, 2026, Agenda Report4 , the Plan exceeds the General Plan's 25% open space/open area requirement by preserving approximately 148.4 acres (27.9%) of open space, categorized into urban plazas, active recreation areas, community greens, and ecological greenspace, and excluding areas expected to be inundated by sea level rise by 2100 (see discussion below). A 7.2- acre naturalized detention area and bioswale network integrates stormwater management with habitat function. In addition, the Planning Commission recommended that conservation easements beyond those presently envisioned in the Specific Plan be required for all open space areas, consistent with the Sierra Club’s June 10 letter.5
Interface with Sea Level Rise (Measure JJ Topic 3.J)
Measure JJ Topic 3.J (General Plan Policy BL.1(J)) requires that “development shall be designed to protect uses from the 100-year flood, including 100 years of projected sea level rise (SLR) as determined based on regulatory standards or guidelines in effect at the time of Project construction,” with referenced guidelines and projections approved by the Director of Public Works/City Engineer6 . Specific
Plan Chapter 7, Sections 7.3.4 through 7.3.6, addresses this requirement. The Specific Plan’s policies protect uses from the 100-year flood, including end-of-century (2100) SLR, based on the Ocean Protection Council and California Natural Resources Agency's 2024 State Sea-Level Rise Guidance Update. Section 7.3.6 (“The Baylands Grading Sequence”) sets the grading criteria for development parcels, historic structures, open space, wetlands, and streets to maintain that minimum level of protection from sea level rise. The 2026 Staff-Recommended Specific Plan would result in a building freeboard 2 feet.
In the Visitacion Creek and Lagoon Park open space areas, the 2026 Specific Plan’s grading plan adds topographic diversity that emphasizes tidal wetlands and supports long-term habitat transition as sea levels rise (illustrated at 0, 3.1, and 6.5 feet of SLR in the June 11, 2026, Planning Commission workshop materials). Approximately 26 acres of existing land area are expected to experience daily tidal inundation by 2100 and are therefore excluded from the Plan’s developable and open‑space acreage counts.
Design Topics
Objective Standards and Design Guidelines
Specific Plan Chapter 3 (Development and Design Standards) organizes controls at the district, block, and building scale so that development achieves a cohesive form while allowing variation between neighborhoods. It includes Building Standards (setbacks, height, parking, etc.), Performance Standards that apply project-wide, establishes Allowable Land Uses in each district (Table 3.4.1), and provides development standards for Existing Use Areas. Building-break, ground-floor activation (“active ground floor”, including integration of residential flex space), and parking-podium standards were likewise 4 June 25, 2026 Planning Commission Agenda Report, page 9, Attachment 4 to the September 14, 2026, City Council staff report (included in this report as part of Attachment 1). 5 , Attachments 5 and 14 to the September 14, 2026, City Council staff report (included in this report as part of Attachment 1).
6 Specific Plan Table 1.4.1, p. 1-13; General Plan Amendment GP-1-18, Chapter V, Item 3.J.
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR – Meeting 2 Page 5 of 6
refined and clarified in the 2026 version.7 The Planning Commission also recommended amending Chapter 3 land use regulations to require Conditional Use Permit approval for laboratory uses classified as BSL‑3 and above, ensuring that higher‑risk laboratory facilities receive appropriate discretionary review and conditions of approval.8 In addition, the Planning Commission recommended that the Council allow the existing nursery to remain in its current location unless or until a feasible relocation option can be identified.
Roundhouse (Measure JJ Topic 3.I)
Measure JJ Topic 3.I states: “The historic Roundhouse shall be protected and preserved. The required specific plan shall ensure rehabilitation of the Roundhouse for adaptive reuse at the developer's cost.”9 The Roundhouse is a former Southern Pacific Railroad locomotive roundhouse, built in 1910 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 (and therefore automatically listed in the California Register). It is significant under National Register Criterion C as an early-20th-century transportation building. Despite fire damage in 2001 and ongoing deterioration, the applicant’s historic resources consultant (Page & Turnbull) concludes the building retains sufficient integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and feeling to remain eligible for listing.
The Specific Plan designates the Roundhouse as the centerpiece of Roundhouse Park, a 3.9-acre open space at the southern terminus of Baylands Park within the Bayshore District (Chapter 2, Section 2.5.1; Chapter 5, Section 5.3.5.3.2). The restored building's footprint counts toward the Plan's open space acreage and is not counted toward the 6.5-million-square-foot commercial maximum.
Specific Plan Chapter 4, Section 4.10 (Culture and Heritage) requires that the five-stage plan for restoration and adaptive reuse of the Roundhouse, set out in Appendix D of the Specific Plan (the Baylands Bayshore Roundhouse Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plan, prepared by Page & Turnbull, November 2020) must be implemented in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation10. That plan recommends severing the building from its existing slab, lifting it 6 to 8 feet to accommodate sea level rise, and setting it on a new slab and stem walls – an approach the consultants concluded is both physically feasible and preservation-appropriate, and preferable to dismantle-and-reconstruct on both cost and preservation grounds.
The FEIR evaluates the Specific Plan’s impacts to Roundhouse under Impact CUL-1 (Substantial Adverse Change in the Significance of a Historic Building or Structure), and concludes that impacts would be less than significant with mitigation. The FEIR carries forward the 2018 Program EIR Mitigation Measure MM CUL-1a (Design Guidelines), which requires any development within 50 feet of the Roundhouse (or the Machinery & Equipment Building) to be architecturally compatible – including a minimum 50-foot structural setback, height limits at or slightly above the Roundhouse's existing height (~25 feet, up to 15 feet taller), brick cladding, and massing that mirrors the building's curve – subject to City design permit review by a qualified historic preservation professional. Mitigation measure CUL-1b further requires the 7 Excerpt from the Baylands Specific Plan regarding active ground floor uses, Attachment 4 to the August 13, 2026 Planning Commission memorandum (included in this report as part of Attachment 1). 8 September 14, 2026, City Council staff report (included in this report as part of Attachment 1). 9 Specific Plan Table 1.4.1, p. 1-13. 10 2026 Staff-Recommended Specific Plan, Chapter 2 §2.5.1 (p. 2-17), Chapter 4 §4.10 (p. 4-10), Chapter 5 §5.3.5.3.2 (pp. 5-34 to 5-35), and Appendix D (Roundhouse Restoration Plan, Page & Turnbull, Nov. 2020).
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR – Meeting 2 Page 6 of 6
Roundhouse Restoration Plan's initial Safety and Security Phase measures (fencing, security, hazard abatement, pest/plant removal) to be completed within three months of Specific Plan approval, and Initial Stabilization Phase measures (including “mothballing” the structure) within six months thereafter, both reviewed by a qualified historic preservation professional at the developer's expense. Mitigation Measure CUL-1c requires immediate work stoppage and professional damage assessment if the Roundhouse is damaged during stabilization or restoration, with the developer bearing all associated costs11.
Fiscal Impact
Measure JJ requires that Baylands development be revenue positive to the City on an annual basis, where all City costs are exceeded by Project-generated revenues to the City during all phases of development and upon final buildout (Measure JJ Topic 3.E). The applicant has prepared a fiscal impact analysis for the project, which is undergoing peer review by the City’s consultant and will be discussed during a future meeting as the hearing is continued. This analysis is undergoing peer review by the City’s consultant, Keyser Marston Associates.
Environmental Impact
A Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) (SCH #2006022136) has been prepared for this project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The FEIR includes the Draft EIR (DEIR), revisions to the DEIR, comments received on the DEIR, a list of commenters, the City’s responses to significant environmental points raised during the DEIR comment period, and any other information added by the City. Should the Council act to certify the Final EIR, it will need to make Findings and Statements of Overriding Considerations, as well as adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, consistent with CEQA statutory requirements.
Attachments
1. September 14, 2026 City Council Staff Report and its attachments (link)
2. Revised Schedule and Organization for Public Hearing on the Baylands Project Kevin Gardiner Jeremy Dennis
___________________________________ ______________________________ Kevin Gardiner Jeremy Dennis, City Manager
Interim Community Development Director
11 FEIR Volume 1, Executive Summary, Impact CUL-1 and Mitigation Measures MM CUL-1a/1b/1c (pp. ES-53 to ES55).
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR - Meeting 2
ATTACHMENT 1
1 Attachment 1: September 14, 2026 City Council Agenda Report September 14, 2026 City Council Agenda Report
https://brisbaneca.portal.civicclerk.com/event/6965/files/report/3249
Baylands Specific Plan and EIR- Meeting 2
ATTACHMENT 2
Revised Schedule and Organization for Public Hearing on the Baylands Project Meeting Date & Time Topics
Tuesday Sept 29, 5:30 PM
AQ/GHG/Energy impact Q&A/comments
Land Use Plan
● Distribution and intensity of land uses (Measure JJ Topics 1 and 2) ● Location of open spaces and amenities (Measure JJ Topic 3.H) ● Interface with sea level rise (Measure JJ Topic 3.J)
Design Topics
● Objective Standards and Design Guidelines
● Roundhouse (Measure JJ Topic 3.I)
Tuesday Oct 6, 5:30 PM
Transportation and Transit Topics (Measure JJ Topic 3.D) ● Street sections
● Interface with regional transportation network
● Geneva Avenue Extension
● Mobility Plan
Thursday Oct 15, 5:30 PM Phasing and Remediation (Measure JJ Topic 3.A, 3.C, 3.D, 3.F, 3.K) Tuesday Oct 20, 5:30 PM Water Infrastructure (Measure JJ Topic 3.B) Tuesday, October 26, 5:30 PM
Financing and Revenue-Positive Development (Measure JJ Topics 3.D and
3.E)
Development Agreement and Public Financing Mechanisms
Consider closing public hearing
Monday, Nov 9, 5:30 PM
Presentation of responses to any questions posed during the public hearings per Council's direction
Deliberations