Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes – 10/24/23 1
COMMISSION MEMBERS
John Ebneter, Chair
Seema Patel, Vice Chair
Adam Nugent
Martin Wiggins
Margaret Williams
City of San Mateo
Regular Meeting Minutes
Planning Commission
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Hybrid 7:00 PM
Regular Meeting
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair John Ebneter, Vice Chair Seema Patel, Commissioners Adam Nugent, Martin Wiggins, and Margaret Williams
Absent: None
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Planning Commission 2024 Regular Meeting Calendar – Adoption Adopt the Planning Commission Regular Meeting schedule for the calendar year 2024.
2. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Approval
Approve the minutes of the Special Joint meeting of 8.22.2023.
Moved: Wiggins, Seconded: Williams
Ayes: Ebneter, Patel, Nugent, Wiggins, Williams
Noes: None
Absent: None
PUBLIC COMMENT:
None.
PUBLIC HEARING
3. Draft Objective Design Standards for Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Residential Development (PA-2019-016) Associate Planner, Laura Richstone, presented an overview of the Draft Objective Design Standards.
Commissioner Questions:
Commissioners asked clarifying questions on staff responsibilities, specific area plans, third party design review, developer paths, Measure Y, Housing Accountability Act, Senate Bill 9 standards, current Objective Design Standards for projects that are less than 2/3 residential, fence code amendment changes, and veneer return.
Public Comments:
Public commenters included Lisa Taner, Lisa Vande Voorde, Dianne Whitaker, Laurie Watanuki, Rich Kozono, Olya, and Jordan Grimes. Public commenters expressed concern for building height, building stories, massing, material requirements, architectural styles, building transitions and matching neighborhood character, alignment with the
Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes – 10/24/23 2
General Plan, maximum growth alternative, and zoning laws. Comments were also received in support of the new Objective Design Standards.
Commissioner Comments:
Commissioners expressed concern with the document’s clarity, articulation details, massing breaks, height requirements, building elevation, wall planes, and grade separation of residential entries. Commissioners discussed combinations of different building colors and materials, building additions and different uses, building façades, requirements for balconies, and landscape regulations for trees.
Recommended modifications included: Reduce the minimum depth of façade articulations to 12 inches, reduce the minimum window recess depth and horizontal moulding depth to 3 inches, add trim as alternative recess window option, reduce minimum colors/materials to 2 and allow roof and trim to contribute to this minimum, amend veneer requirement to not end at an outside corner or end at a wall plane break; for low-rise buildings remove the massing break requirement and allow a flat plane variation option, include balconies as an option to differentiate, clarify that a grade separation is only required for ground floor residential units; amend the standard for similar building treatment to be objective, revise the tree planting interval to a maximum of 15 feet, remove Section 4.5.2 related to roof forms, remove bay windows from horizontal and vertical window requirements, allow flat roofing materials and all types of singles and fiber cement board, permit different window sizes, provide more language on window alignment, and update several images within the document.
The Commission moved to recommend the City Council adopt a Resolution to establish Objective Design Standards (ODS) with the recommended modifications, for multi-family and mixed-use residential projects; adopt an Ordinance to amend the Zoning Code (Title 27) related to ODS and review processes for multi-family and mixed-use residential projects, and to align fence height standards to match building code standards; and determine the ODS and Zoning Code amendments are exempt from further environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15061(b)(3).
Moved: Patel, Seconded: Williams
Ayes: Ebneter, Patel, Williams, Nugent
Noes: Wiggins
Absent: None
REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Planning Manager, Manira Sandhir, provided updates on items for future Planning Commission meetings, including the cancellation of the 11.14.2023 Regular meeting and addition of the 11.28.2023 Regular meeting. There were no other reports from Commissioners or the City Attorney.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 12:02 am.
APPROVED BY:
___________________________________
John Ebneter, Chair
SUBMITTED BY:
___________________________________
Ashley Snodgrass, Administrative Assistant