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Home My WebLink AboutMin - PC - 2025.12.08BURLINGAME CITY HALL 501 PRIMROSE ROAD BURLINGAME, CA 94010 City of Burlingame Meeting Minutes Planning Commission Chris Horan, Chair Walker Shores, Vice-Chair Sean Lowenthal Jennifer Pfaff John Schmid Audrey Tse 7:00 PM Council Chambers/ZoomMonday, December 8, 2025 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. Staff in attendance: Community Development Director Neda Zayer, Planning Manager Ruben Hurin, Senior Planner Catherine Keylon, and Assistant City Attorney Tamar Burke. 2. ROLL CALL Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, and TsePresent4 - Lowenthal, and ShoresAbsent2 - 3. REQUEST FOR AB 2449 REMOTE PARTICIPATION There were no requests. 4. REVIEW OF AGENDA Item 7a - 1406 Drake Avenue has been continued to the January 12, 2026 Planning Commission meeting due to a lack of quorum. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS, NON-AGENDA There were no public comments for non-agenda items. 6. CONSENT CALENDAR a.Approval of November 10, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Draft November 10, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting MinutesAttachments: Commissioner Schmid made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Pfaff,to approve the November 10, 2025 meeting minutes. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, and Tse4 - Absent:Lowenthal, and Shores2 - b.Adoption of 2026 Planning Commission Calendar Page 1City of Burlingame December 8, 2025Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Staff Report 2026 Planning Commission Calendar Attachments: Item 6b - Adoption of 2026 Planning Commission Calendar was pulled off the Consent Calendar for discussion. Commissioner Tse made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Schmid, to approve the 2026 Planning Commission Calendar. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, and Tse4 - Absent:Lowenthal, and Shores2 - c.Major Design Review, Hillside Area Construction Permit and Special Permits at 1385 Hillside Circle - Lot 3 (Project No. DSR24-0025) Application for Major Design Review, Hillside Area Construction Permit, and Special Permits for declining height envelope and attached garage to construct one new single-unit dwelling and attached garage on a newly created lot in the R -1 (Low Density Residential) zoning district. Recommendation: That the Planning Commission, by resolution, approve the Major Design Review, Hillside Area Construction Permit and Special Permits to construct a two-story single-unit dwelling on Lot 3 of the newly created lots, as conditioned. CEQA Determination: This project is Categorically Exempt from review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per Section 15303 (a) of the CEQA Guidelines. Staff: Catherine Keylon, Senior Planner Applicant and Designer: James Chu; Chu Design Associates, Inc. Property Owners: Sherman Chiu and Jen Ngo Staff Report Area Map Arborist Report CEQA Memorandum CEQA Appendices Resolution Renderings Proposed Plans Previous Plans Attachments: Item 6c - 1385 Hillside Circle, Lot 3 was pulled off the Consent Calendar for discussion. Commissioner Pfaff made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Schmid, to approve Planning Page 2City of Burlingame December 8, 2025Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Commission Resolution 2025-12.08-6C, as presented and subject to the conditions. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, and Tse4 - Absent:Lowenthal, and Shores2 - 7. ACTION ITEMS (PUBLIC HEARING) a.Major Design Review at 1406 Drake Avenue (Project No. DSR25-0015) Application for Major Design Review for a new, two -story single-unit dwelling with an attached garage in the R-1 (Low Density Residential) zoning district. Recommendation: That the Planning Commission, by resolution, approve the Major Design review as conditioned. CEQA Determination: This project is Categorically Exempt from review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per Section 15303 (a) of the CEQA Guidelines. Staff: Emma Goldsmith, Associate Planner Applicant: Richard Sargent, Sargent Development Architect: James Chu, Chu Design Associates, Inc. Property Owners: Amitabh and Karuna Chibber Staff Report Area Map Arborist Report Resolution Renderings Proposed Plans Previous Plans Attachments: Item 7a - 1406 Drake Avenue was continued to the January 12, 2026 Planning Commission meeting due to a lack of quorum. 8. STUDY SESSION (PUBLIC HEARING) a.Amendments to the Downtown Specific Plan and Zoning Code, Major Design Review, Special Permit, Lot Merger, and Tentative Condominium Map at 1430 Chapin Avenue (Project No. CDSR23-0001) Application for Amendments to the Downtown Specific Plan and Zoning Code to increase the maximum building height in the Chapin Avenue Area, Major Design Review, Special Permit for building height, Lot Merger, and Tentative Condominium Map for a Page 3City of Burlingame December 8, 2025Planning Commission Meeting Minutes new five-story commercial building with two levels of below -grade parking in the CAC (Chapin Avenue Commercial) zoning district of the Downtown Specific Plan. Staff: Erika Lewit, Senior Planner Applicant: Neal Yung Property Owner: JP Morgan Chase Bank Architect: Jonathan Heppner, Lever Architecture Staff Report Area Map Study Session Staff Report Responses to Planning Commission Comments Slide Deck Feasibility Study of Chapin Avenue Proposed Plans Previous Plans Attachments: SPEAKERS: Staff: Erika Lewit, Senior Planner Applicant: Neal Young Members of Public: Pam Waddington, 1435 Bellevue Ave Maryanne Stagnaro, 1435 Bellevue Ave Resident, 1435 Bellevue Ave Christine Fleming, 1435 Bellevue Ave Emails: None Documents: PowerPoint by Staff Ex-Parte Communication: None. Commissioner Schmid made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Tse, to place the item on Action with the following direction to the applicant: >Concerned about the design of the rear elevation; consider incorporating more terracing similar to what is proposed on the front elevation or reduce the amount of clear glass and add more solid material. >Provide more detailed information about the proposed wall along the rear property line including the height and material and height/material of the existing wall to be removed. >Look more carefully at landscaping at the rear of the site to create a visual break and privacy between the proposed office building and residential building to the rear. >Investigate moving the balconies proposed on the west elevation to the rear elevation as an opportunity to provide additional setback and relief on that elevation. >Interior shading for the building doesn’t necessarily need to be opaque, but there needs to be some sensitivity on how to reduce the transparency of the building for both the office tenants and neighboring properties. Page 4City of Burlingame December 8, 2025Planning Commission Meeting Minutes >Provide an attractive mechanical screening. >Request staff study the minimum required setbacks in the Chapin Avenue Area within the Downtown Specific Plan and bring back options to consider. Would like to see setbacks increased to at least 15-20 feet along El Camino Real. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, and Tse4 - Absent:Lowenthal, and Shores2 - b.Consideration of Text Amendments to Title 25 (Zoning) and to Chapter 26.32 (Condominium Conversion Permits) of the Burlingame Municipal Code to correct references and typographic errors, update definitions, streamline procedures and development review, implement Housing Element policies, and implement Metropolitan Transportation Commission Transit -Oriented Communities policies. (Project No . ZOA25-0001) Staff Report Article 1 - General Provisions Article 2 - Zoning Districts, Allowable uses, and Development Standards Article 3 - Regulations and Standards Applicable to all Zoning Districts Article 4 - Regulations for Specific Land Uses and Activities Article 5 - Nonconformities Article 6 - Permit Processing Procedures Article 7 - Zoning Code Administration Article 8 - Definitions Attachments: SPEAKERS: Staff: Neda Zayer, Community Development Director Brittany Xiao, Associate Planner Joseph Sanfilippo, Economic Development & Housing Specialist Applicant: None Members of Public: None Emails: None Documents: PowerPoint by Staff Ex-Parte Communication: None. The Planning Commission asked questions of staff and discussed the proposed amendments. Topics that were discussed in more detail included: >The proposed changes to plate height restrictions from 9 feet to 9 feet 6 inches. The discussion included if 9 feet 3 inches was more appropriate or if the limit should be modified at all. Page 5City of Burlingame December 8, 2025Planning Commission Meeting Minutes >To further clarify the language in the view description in the Hillside Overlay description to identify which interior spaces qualify. >If a 10 foot reduced setback incentive should be included in the housing incentives menu. Alternative approaches and ideas were discussed such as reduced parking, fee reductions, a 5 foot setback reduction, and exclusions when adjacent to single-unit dwellings. The Planning Commission was asked to send any further comments, feedback, comments to staff prior to the Action hearing. This item will be brought back to the Planning Commission for further discussion and recommendation to City Council on January 12, 2026. 9. STAFF/COMMISSION REPORTS There were no staff or commission reports. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:06 p.m Page 6City of Burlingame