RESOLUTION 22-31
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY/COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF
GOVERNMENTS OF SAN MATEO COUNTY, ACTING AS THE SAN MATEO COUNTY AIRPORT LAND
USE COMMISSION, DETERMINING THAT THE PROPOSED SOUTHLINE SPECIFIC PLAN, INCLUDING GENERAL PLAN, SPECIFIC PLAN AND ZONING AMENDMENTS FOR A 28.5-ACRE SITE LOCATED
THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH MAPLE AND TANFORAN AVENUES, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, IS
CONDITIONALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE AIRPORT LAND USE COMPATIBILITY PLAN FOR THE ENVIRONS OF SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
RESOLVED, by the Board of Directors of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), in its capacity as the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission, that,
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65302.3 states that a local agency General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and/or any affected specific plan must be consistent with the applicable airport/land use criteria in the relevant adopted Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) and furthermore, per Policy GP-10.1 of the Comprehensive Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for the Environs of San Francisco International Airport (SFO ALUCP), if a jurisdiction has not made its local plans consistent with the ALUCP all proposed development projects within AIA B may be subject to ALUC review; and
WHEREAS, the City of South San Francisco has received an application for the Southline Project, including General Plan, Specific Plan and Zoning Amendments to allow for construction of a
2.8 million sq. ft. transit-oriented office/R&D campus on a 28.5-acre site located at the intersection of South Maple and Tanforan Avenues, (the “Project”) which is located within Airport Influence Area B of San Francisco International Airport (SFO); and
WHEREAS, the City of South San Francisco has referred the Project to C/CAG, acting as the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission, for a determination of consistency with the SFO ALUCP; and
WHEREAS, three sets of airport/land use compatibility policies and criteria in the SFO ALUCP relate to the Project: (a) noise compatibility policies and criteria; (b) safety policies and criteria; and (c) airspace protection policies, as discussed below:
(a) Noise Policy Consistency Analysis - The 65 dB CNEL (Community Noise Equivalent Level) aircraft noise contour defines the threshold for airport noise impacts established in the SFO ALUCP. All land uses located outside this contour are deemed consistent with the noise policies of the SFO ALUCP. Per SFO ALUCP Exhibit IV-6, the entire Project site is located within the 65 dB CNEL contour, while the southwestern half of the site is also within the 70 dB CNEL contour. According to the SFO ALUCP Table IV-1 (Noise/Land Use Compatibility Criteria), commercial land uses, including office, business, and professional, and general retail uses, in addition to industrial and production uses, are considered compatible uses within the CNEL 65 - 75 dBA contours. However, other uses are identified in the proposed Land Use Regulations that may be either conditionally compatible or not compatible with the Noise Policies in the ALUCP, so a condition is included in this consistency determination to ensure compliance with the Noise Policies of the SFO ALUCP
(b) The SFO ALUCP includes five safety zones and related land use compatibility policies and criteria. Per SFO ALUCP Exhibit IV-7, the southwest corner of the Specific Plan area is located within Zone 4, the Outer Approach/Departure Zone, while the remainder of the Specific Plan area is not within any of the ALUCP’s Safety Compatibility Zones.
ALUCP Policy SP-2 and Table IV-2 define incompatible uses within each Safety Compatibility Zone. Proposed development within the portion of the site located within Zone 4 includes streetscape, open space, and a commercial amenities building which are not restricted under the ALUCP so the project is consistent with the Safety Compatibility policies.
(c) Airspace Protection – Pursuant to the SFO ALUCP, airspace protection compatibility of proposed land uses within its AIA is evaluated in accordance with the following criteria: (1) 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 77 (FAR Part 77), “Safe, Efficient Use and Preservation of the Navigable Airspace”, which establishes the standards for determining obstructions to air navigation; and (2) FAA notification surfaces. By definition, any object that penetrates one of the imaginary surfaces of the FAR Part 77 exhibit is deemed an obstruction to air navigation.
In order to be deemed consistent with the ALUCP, the maximum height of a new building must be the lower of (1) the height shown on the SFO Critical Aeronautical Surfaces map or (2) the maximum height determined not to be a “hazard to air navigation” by the FAA in an aeronautical study prepared pursuant to the filing of Form 7460-1.
As depicted on Exhibit IV-17 of the SFO ALUCP, the critical aeronautical surfaces above the Proposed Project range between approximately 138 and 152 feet above mean sea level (AMSL), with the lower elevation at the southeast corner and the higher elevation at the northwest corner. Site elevations range generally between 22-28 feet above mean sea level. As shown on the site plan options, the closest building surface to the critical aeronautical surfaces is Building 7, with a maximum elevation of 141 feet AMSL to the top of roof mounted vents.
This proposed elevation would be at least 0.08 feet (less than one inch) below the lowest critical airspace surface and therefore would be compatible with the SFO ALUCP.
Additionally, as shown on SFO ALUCP Exhibit IV-11, the Project is located in an area that requires FAA notification for projects greater than 65-100 feet tall, and a determination from the FAA that the project will not be a hazard to air navigation.
To ensure the South San Francisco General Plan and Southline Specific Plan reflect the processes and requirements to maintain consistency with the Airspace Policies of the SFO ALUCP as they relate to the project, conditions are included in this consistency determination to modify the documents to provide additional clarity; and WHEREAS, the Project site is located within the Airport Influence Area A (AIA A) of SFO, the real estate disclosure area. Pursuant to Policy IP-1, notification is required, prior to sale or lease of property located within the AIA, of the proximity of the airport and that the property may be subject to some of the annoyances or inconveniences associated with proximity to airport operations. As neither the Project application materials nor South San Francisco’s ordinances address this requirement, it is included herein as a condition of the consistency determination; and WHEREAS, at its meeting on April 28, 2022, based on the factors listed above and subject to the conditions identified, the Airport Land Use Committee recommended that the C/CAG Board of Directors, acting as the Airport Land Use Commission, determine that the Project is consistent with the SFO ALUCP; and,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Directors of the City/County Association of Governments for San Mateo County, acting as the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission, that subject to the conditions contained in Exhibit A, attached, the Project is determined to be consistent with the applicable airport land use policies and criteria contained in the Comprehensive Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for the Environs of San Francisco International Airport.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED, THIS 12TH DAY OF MAY 2022.
Davina Hurt, Chair
EXHIBIT A
Resolution 22-31 – Conditions of Consistency Determination:
1. Prior to approval of the Southline Specific Plan, the City of South San Francisco shall incorporate language into the Plan and/or related Zoning Amendments to address the following:
a. Include footnotes on Specific Plan Table 2-2, Land Use Regulations, clarifying that uses (esp. lodging, commercial recreation, community assembly, and park and recreation facilities) must comply with the provisions of SFO ALUCP Policy NP-2 and Table IV-1, which identify Noise/Land Use Compatibility Criteria. For uses identified in Table IV-1 as “Conditionally Compatible”, sound insulation and the grant of an avigation easement to the City and County of San Francisco as operator of SFO are required.
b. Include a process to address the requirements of SFO ALUCP Policy AP-1.2, whereby a project sponsor of a development project that would exceed the FAA notification heights, must file a Form 7460-1 with the FAA, and provide to the City of South San Francisco an FAA determination of no hazard to air navigation prior to issuance of a building permit. This process should also recognize construction related activities, such as cranes, that may create temporary obstructions that also require FAA review pursuant to FAR Part 77. c. Include a process to address and incorporate the requirements of SFO ALUCP Policy AP-3, Maximum Building Heights, into the related planning documents and project review procedures to ensure projects do not encroach into critical airspace or otherwise present a hazard to air navigation.
1) Include references in the General Plan and throughout the Specific Plan (especially Section 2.4 & Table 2-1 Development Standards and Section 6.3.4 Implementation), to clarify that the maximum height of any new building on the project site is governed not only by the maximum height determined not to be a “hazard to air navigation” by the FAA, but also must be below the height shown on the SFO Critical Aeronautical Surfaces map (SFO ALUCP Exh. IV-17); and
2) Remove all references to height exceptions allowed elsewhere in the South San Francisco Municipal Code to clarify that they would not pertain to this project. d. Reference the real estate disclosure requirements outlined in Policy IP-1 of the SFO ALUCP.
C/CAG
CITY/COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS
OF SAN MATEO COUNTY
Atherton • Belmont • Brisbane • Burlingame • Colma • Daly City • East Palo Alto • Foster City • Half Moon Bay • Hillsborough • Menlo Park • Millbrae • Pacifica • Portola Valley • Redwood City • San Bruno • San Carlos • San Mateo • San Mateo County •South San Francisco • Woodside 555 County Center, 5th Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063 PHONE: 650.599.1406 www.ccag.ca.gov
May 18, 2022
Tony Rozzi, Chief Planner/Acting Economic & Community Development Director City of South San Francisco
P.O. Box 711
South San Francisco, CA 94083
RE: Southline Specific Plan – ALUCP Consistency Determination Dear Mr. Rozzi,
At its April 28, 2022 meeting, the Airport Land Use Committee considered a request from the City of South San Francisco to review the proposed Southline Specific Plan and related land use policy amendments and make a recommendation regarding consistency with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for San Francisco International Airport (SFO ALUCP). While the Committee ultimately voted to forward a positive recommendation to the C/CAG Board/Airport Land Use Commission, which recommendation was subsequently adopted on May 12, 2022 via the attached resolution, it also requested that a letter be forwarded to the City of South San Francisco to outline specific concerns that the Committee wanted to bring to the City’s attention with regard to the proximity of the planned structures to critical airspace surfaces and with the overall airport noise environment.
As identified in the ALUC staff report and the accompanying comment letter provided by SFO Planning staff, the closest building to the critical aeronautical surfaces is Building 7, and as currently designed the roof-mounted exhaust stacks on this building fall less than one inch below the lowest critical airspace. While the ALUC determined the project compliant with the letter of SFO Airspace Protection Policy 3 - Maximum Compatible Building Height (subject to adding some clarifying language as outlined in the determination resolution), there was much concern noted that such a miniscule buffer leaves no margin of error for surveying and construction factors. As a result, if the project is built and is surveyed as being too tall, the exhaust stacks would have to be lowered immediately, as they then would not be in compliance with the ALUCP. The Committee wanted to be clear that the City and developer understand the need to ensure not only that the building permits/construction documents are exact, but also that, in fact, the as-built structures comply, as the critical airspace must not be breached.
With respect to noise, although the proposed project is comprised generally of uses that are not identified in the ALUCP as “noise sensitive”, the Committee noted that the site nevertheless lies within an extremely high noise environment (65-75 dB CNEL) which will likely result in discomfort to occupants and visitors to the property. They wanted to encourage the City to require the developer to incorporate whatever noise mitigation is possible into final building and site planning efforts.
The Airport Land Use Committee understands and respects the limitations of its purview, but requests that South San Francisco’s decisionmakers give due consideration to these concerns as they further deliberate on the matter.
Thank you for your consideration,
_____________________________
Sean Charpentier, C/CAG Executive Director
Attachment: Resolution 22-31
Cc: South San Francisco Planning Commission