220 W . 20
th
Avenue
Multi
-
Family Residential Development
(PA
-
2025
-
063)
City Council Public Hearing
June 15, 2026
Stephanie B. Davis, AICP
Contract Principal Planner
Community Development Department
1 Presentation Overview
2 Leslie Creek
• PROJECT BACKGROUND
• Project History
• Location
• Project Description
• Entitlements
• CODE AND POLICY REVIEW
• General Plan and Zoning Code
• State Laws
• Transportation Analysis
• Impact Fees
• Environmental Review
• PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING &
RECOMMENDATION
• STAFF RECOMMENDATION
3 PROJECT
BACKGROUND
Project History
Location
Project Description
Entitlements
• Pre-Application
• SB330 Preliminary Application filed on April 9,
2025, deemed complete July 24, 2025
• Neighborhood Informational Meeting held on May
16, 2025 (35 attendees)
• Concerns of traffic, speeding, parking, building
size & design, loss of sunlight, water & sewage
infrastructure, dogs, emergency vehicle access,
site line from neighboring Corte Bella complex,
construction parking
• 12 additional outreach meetings with the
neighbors at Corte Bella, The Lark, Asiya
Shriners, Elks Lodge, Family Housing & Adult
Resources, Serra High School, & Beresford
Hillsdale Neighborhood Association.
• Refined project design
• Formal Planning Application
• Filed on August 1, 2025
4 Leslie Creek
PROJECT SITE -Exisiting
Office Building
Corte Bella (left side)
23' Common Area
Asiya Shriners (right side/across Elkhorn Ct.)
Office Bldg (front/across W. 20th) Lark Apts. (rear)
5 PROJECT
BACKGROUND
Project History
Location
Project Description
Entitlements
• 232 Residential Rental Units
• Seven-story building, approx. 357,588 SF
• Mix of urban-one, one-, two- & three-bedroom
apartments
• 31 Affordable Below Market Rate (BMR) housing units
• 23 for Very-Low Income & 8 for Moderate Income
households
6 Code and Policy
Review
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Local Regulations
Objective Design Standards
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Front (20th Ave.)
Right Side (Elkhorn Ct.)
7 Code and Policy
Review
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Local Regulations
Objective Design Standards
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Front (20th Ave.)
Front (W. 20th Avenue )
Left Side
8 Code and Policy
Review
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Local Regulations
Objective Design Standards
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Right Side (Elkhorn
Ct.) Rear
9 Code and Policy
Review
State Laws
General Plan and Zoning Code
Local Regulations
Objective Design Standards
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Project Description
10 Leslie Creek
• Parking
• Under AB 2097, no parking is required
• Vehicle access from Elkhorn Ct
• ODS 3.2.3 Parking Entrances and Curb
Cuts
• 277 parking spaces in 3-level
enclosed parking garage
• 1 level below grade
• 21 spaces via parking lift
• 8 on-site visitors parking
• Long-term and short-term bike
parking
• Existing 23' wide common area used
as Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) to
be improved with grasscrete & path
• Continued use of shared EVA
First Floor Plan
23' EVA
Garage Access
Project Description
11 Leslie Creek
• Open Space
• Private balconies
• Shared courtyards and patios,
swimming pool and clubroom
• On-site dog run
• Additional landscaping
• Public art at street corner
• Trees
• 27 removed (9 heritage trees)
• 63 new trees; includes 13 street
trees
Landscape Plan
12 PROJECT
BACKGROUND
Project History
Location
Project Description
Entitlements
Unit Mix
232 Units (201 Market Rate Units + 31 BMR Units)
Unit Type BMR
Units
(VLI)
BMR Units
(Moderate)
Market
Rate
Units
Total
Units
Urban 1-
BD
2 - 11 13
1-BD 14 8 123 145
2-BD 6 - 57 63
3-BD 1 - 10 11
Total
Units
23 8 201 232
13 PROJECT
BACKGROUND
Project History
Location
Project Description
Entitlements
• Site Plan and Architectural Review (SPAR)
• Multi-family Residential Development
• Site Development Planning Application (SDPA)
• Removal of Heritage Trees
• Grading
14 CODE AND POLICY
REVIEW
• General Plan: Residential Medium II
• Zoning: E1-1/R4 (Executive Park/Multiple
Family Dwellings/High Density
• City's Below Market Rate Housing
Program
• Objective Design Standards
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
15 Code and Policy
Review
• Housing Crisis Act (Senate Bill 330)
• Freezes development standards and fee structure
• Housing Accountability Act (HAA)
• Limits a local agency’s ability to deny, reduce the
density of, or render housing development projects
infeasible if objective standards are met
• Assembly Bill (AB) 130
• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
exemption for housing development projects
that meet certain criteria
• Assembly Bill (AB) 2097
• Removes minimum parking requirements for
projects within one-half mile from major public
transit stop
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
16 Code and Policy
Review
• State Density Bonus Law
• Up to a 70% Density Increase
• Reduced Parking Standards
• Three (3) Concessions
• Unlimited Waivers
• Proposed Project
• 15% at Very Low-Income category (23 units) & 5%
to Moderate Income (8 units)
• 51% density bonus
• No Concession request
• Waivers from Development Standards:
• Building Height
• Setbacks
• Open Space Dimensions/Square Footage’
• Parking Dimension Standards
• Objective Design Standards
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Code and Policy
Review
Density Bonus Waivers
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Standard
Building Height – SMMC Section 27.42.010
Front Setback – SMMC Section 27.22.070
Side Setback – SMMC Section 27.22.080
Rear Setback – SMMC Section 27.22.090
Open Space Dimensions – SMMC Sections 27.22.100(b), (c) and (d) Parking Standard, Clear – SMMC Section 27.64.125
Parking Standard, Ramp – SMMC Section 27.64.130
Parking Standard, Width – SMMC 27.64.120
Massing Breaks, Generally – ODS 4.1.4
Massing Breaks, Mid Rise, Horizontal Wall Plane Break – ODS 4.1.6(B)(1) Massing Breaks, Mid Rise, Vertical Wall Plane Break – ODS 4.1.6(B)(2) Massing Breaks, Entries – ODS 4.2.2
18 Code and Policy
Review
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
• Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
• Exempt under AB 130
• Projects within one-half mile of a major
transit stop
• Less than significant impact for CEQA
• City’s Transportation Analysis Guidelines
• Local Transportation Analysis
• Trip Generation: 995 daily new, net
vehicle trips
• Pedestrian improvements, including a
new crosswalk at W. 20
th & Elkhorn Ct.
• Transportation Demand Management
(TDM)) Plan achieves a 26% trip
reduction
19 Code and Policy
Review
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
Estimates
Child Care Development Fee $782,643
Park Impact Fee $4,743,936
Wastewater Capacity Charge $1,669,652
School Impact Fees TBD by School District
Landscape Unit In-Lieu Fee $21,222
Transportation Improvement
Fee
$598,449
Public Art Fee 1.19% of the
total building valuation
(unless
public art installed)
20 Code and Policy
Review
General Plan and Zoning Code
State Laws
Transportation Analysis
Impact Fees
Environmental Review
• Project subject to the provisions of the
California Environmental Quality Act
• Exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public
Resource Code 21080.66 (AB 130):
• The Project meets all eligibility
requirements
• Tribal Consultation - Muwekma Ohlone
• No balconies facing the freeway within
500 feet of the freeway
• No significant effects on the environment
per AB 130
Planning Commission Summary
• Planning Commission public hearing May 26, 2026
• 5 written comments received + 14 speakers
• Planning Commission recommended City Council approval of the project, by unanimous vote (5-0)
• Planning Commission recommendationto provide flexibility from the City’s Street Tree Master Plan on final species of street trees • Applicant prefers this approach to final street tree selection 21 Post Planning Commission Meeting
• June 11, 2026 meeting between City staff, applicant and Asiya Shriners • 3 items of concern discussed:
• Pedestrian Safety – during child and adult care drop off / pick up along Elkhorn Ct. • Related to existing, narrow travel lanes
• Travel lanes will become wider as a result of project red curb striping • Parking – project residents parking on Asiya Shriners lot post construction • Tenant Disruption during Construction – disruption from construction noise to child and adult tenants
• City staff offered to meet again with Asiya Shriners on operational parking concerns
22 Recommended Condition of Approval
23 STREET TREES – Any tree installed as a result of this project within the public right-of-way abutting this site shall comply with the City’s Street Tree Master Plan. Alternative species must be approved by the City, and when approved, the property owner will assume all maintenance for the trees, and a private maintenance agreement must be prepared to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director.
Recommendation
24 Adopt a Resolution to approve the Site Plan and Architectural Review (SPAR) and Site Development Planning Application (SDPA) for the construction of a new multi-family residential building with 232 units and associated improvements at 220 W. 20th Avenue, and find that the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Assembly Bill 130 Public Resource Code 21080.66, based on the Findings for Approval and subject to Conditions of Approval, including the condition recommended by Planning Commission.
Thank You
Stephanie B. Davis, AICP , Contract Principal Planner
Community Development Department
[email protected]
(650) 773-7249