Planning Commission Minutes 1 December 19, 2024
PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, RICHMOND CITY HALL
Council Chambers
December 19, 2024
6:30 p.m.
COMMISSION MEMBERS
Chair – Jonathan Harrison Alexander
Golovets
Vacant
Bruce Brubaker, Vice Chair Rachel Lockett Vacant
Gay Timmons, Secretary
The regular meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Harrison at 6:33 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Jonathan Harrison; Vice Chair Bruce Brubaker; Secretary Gay Timmons
Absent: Commissioner Alexander Golovets; Commissioner Rachel Lockett
INTRODUCTIONS
Staff Present: Planning Staff: Senior Planner Matt Neuebaumer; James Atencio, City Attorney’s office; Acting Planning Manager Avery Stark
Absent: None.
MINUTES –
October 17, 2024 and November 7, 2024
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Brubaker, Timmons) to approve October 17, 2024 and November 7, 2024 draft meeting minutes, which carried by the following vote: 3-0-2 (Ayes: Harrison, Brubaker, Timmons Noes: None; Absent: Golovets, Lockett).
AGENDA
CONSENT CALENDAR –
Chair Harrison stated there were no Consent Calendar items on the Agenda. [The Commission moved to the Brown Act – Public Forum]
BROWN ACT – Public Forum
Cordell Hendler, resident, reminded the Planning Commission to direct staff to let applicants discuss projects with the applicable Neighborhood Council. [The Commission moved to Item 1]
Planning Commission Minutes 2 December 19, 2024
NEW ITEMS
1. PLN24-273: Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer Relief Application PUBLIC HEARING to consider a relief request to connect a new Single-Family dwelling to the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer line per Section 8 of Ordinance No. 03-23 at 707 Golden Gate Avenue (APN: 558-242-012) RL-2, Single Family Low Density Residential District.
Stephen Parker, owner/applicant
Planner: Matthew Neuebaumer
Tentative Recommendation: Conditional Approval
Chair Harrison announced the item and called for staff’s report.
Senior Planner Matt Neuebaumer stated the item was for the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer Relief Application. It is a public hearing to consider a Relief Request to connect a new single- family dwelling to the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer (KBSS) Line per Section 8 of Ordinance No. 03-23.
The sewer line was constructed in 1959 and is approximately 5,392 linear feet. It is located off Keller Beach within the San Francisco Bay, and it is submerged during average tides. Approximately 290 parcels are connected to the existing sewer line. In 2021, the City received a Commission study and assessment on the Keller Beach System. The study indicated that the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer Line had reached the end of its useful design life , vehicular access to the beach was challenging , limited walkability due to existing terrain, and development of private property. As a result, the City Council adopted four ordinances over the past three years establishing and extending a moratorium on the issuance of building permits requiring sewer connections to the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer Line. Ordinance No. 03-23 was adopted by the City Council on Aprill 4, 2023, and it was an interim ordinance establishing a twenty-two month and fifteen-day extension of the Urgency Ordinance No. 02-23. The ordinance is currently in effect until Tuesday, February 19, 2025. Section 8 of Ordinance 03-23 states that any person who has applied for a permit from the City to construct a project requiring a Keller Beach sewer connection on or before February 21, 2023, may submit to the Planning Commission an application requesting relief from the moratorium currently in effect. The Historic Preservation Commission approved the single-family home on October 13, 2020, and those entitlements are active and remain valid. The applicant also submitted a Building Permit on September 26, 2022, and paid the associated building permit plan check fees on January 17, 2023.
Staff has verified that only two properties meet the requirements in Section 8 of Ordinance No. 03- 23 for sewer relief from the current moratorium. Staff coordinated with the Deputy Director of Public Works, who indicated that due to only two single- family homes qualifying for the relief request, it would have a negligible impact. The Deputy Director of Public Works determined that the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer line would have the capacity to accommodate the new sewer connection without affecting stability or service to existing users. The Deputy Director’s findings are included as an attachment to the staff report. The Planning Commission shall make findings as to the applicant’s reasonable, investment -backed expectation; reasonable, economic use of subject property; the timing and impact of adding the KBSS connection; and if the impacts to the Project are reasonable under the circumstances. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 24-11, approving the proposed Relief Request, subject to conditions.
[Vice Chair Harrison opened the Public Hearing and called for the applicant’s presentation.]
Stephen Parker, applicant, stated that construction would ideally start around March or April of next year and should be completed in approximately ten months.
Planning Commission Minutes 3 December 19, 2024
PUBLIC COMMENT
A member of the public stated that she was signing in from a State of California device not representing the State but coming with technical knowledge and questions about the project. She stated that she was a new neighbor in the vicinity of the subject site, and expressed concerns about traffic planning, storm water drainage, seismic concerns of separation distances between the proposed building and existing buildings.
Chair Harrison explained that the Commission was strictly addressing whether or not the property can be connected to the sewer system through a variation from the ordinances controlling that.
[Chair Harrison closed the Public Hearing and brought the item back to the Planning Commission]
Vice Chair Brubaker commended the staff for a straightforward and clear depiction of the issues and the clear presentation of the findings.
[Chair Harrison closed the item and moved on to Item 2]
2. PLN23-360: CPSA Emergency Housing
PUBLIC HEARING to consider a Conditional Use Permit to allow the conversion of an existing office building into an emergency shelter with up to 25 beds at 207 37th Street (APN: 516-210-020) in the T5MS-O, Main Street Open District. This item is continued from the July 18th Planning Commission meeting.
Joanne Joey Tang, owner; Gregory VanMechelen, applicant Planner: Virginia Morgan, Contract Planner
Tentative Recommendation: Denial
Chair Harrison announced the item and advised that should the denial go forward, the applicant can appeal to the City Council by January 2, 2025.
Vice Chair Brubaker stated that the project agenda report was well put together, the findings are conclusive, and it is a good job of presenting all of the issues.
Chair Harrison stated that the challenge was getting the applicant and the neighborhood to dialogue with one another. Hopefully that dialogue can occur in the near future so the project can be resolved.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Brubaker, Timmons) to approve the Planning Application PLN24 - 273, subject to the recommended Conditions of Approval in the resolution, and that the Planning Commission allow the applicant to connect to the Keller Beach Sanitary Sewer System, vote: 3-0-2 (Ayes: Harrison, Brubaker, Timmons); Noes: None. (Absent: Golovets, Lockett)
ACTION: It was M/S/C ( Timmons, Brubaker) to adopt Resolution No. 24-06, denying the planning application PLN23-360, vote: 3-0-2 (Ayes: Harrison, Brubaker, Timmons); Noes:
None. (Golovets, Lockett)
Planning Commission Minutes 4 December 19, 2024
COMMISSION BUSINESS
3. Reports of Officers, Commissioners and Staff
Acting Planning Manager Avery Stark introduced Senior Planner Matt Neuebaumer, and he also introduced recently hired Planning Technicians Nino and Nora. Senior Planner Michelle Morris will be coming from the City of Oakland and will begin overseeing long- range planning and advanced planning on January 6, 2025
Commissioner Brubaker inquired about the possibility of asking for a staff update to the Commission on the status of Hilltop and include the item in it.
4. Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at 6:57 p.m.