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Ordinance adopting a Development Agreement to construct a life science campus totaling approximately 1,700,000 square feet on a 17.67-acre site at 131 Terminal Court and the previously entitled 101 Terminal Court Project in accordance with Title 19 and 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, US 131 Terminal Court Owner, LLC (“Applicant”) has submitted an application requesting approval to redevelop a 17.67-acre industrial site in the Lindenville Sub-Area with up to 1.7 million square feet of R&D / office development, commercial amenities, open space improvements, and on- and off-site infrastructure improvements at 131 Terminal Court, which would require approval of Design Review, Vesting Tentative Map, Transportation Demand Management Plan and a Development Agreement, as well as amendments of the General Plan, Lindenville Specific Plan, and Zoning Map to change the existing land use and zoning designations from Mixed Industrial High (“MIH”) to Business Technology Park - High (“BTP-H”) (“Infinite 131 Project”); and
WHEREAS, in addition to the 131 Terminal Court site, five parcels north of the project site at 120 Terminal Court, 196 Produce Avenue, 160 Produce Avenue, and 140 Produce Avenue would also be redesignated and rezoned from MIH to BTP-H (“Off-Site Redesignation Parcels”); and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments to the General Plan, Lindenville Specific Plan, and Zoning Map would also be consistent with the adjacent office /R&D project at 101 Terminal Court (“Infinite 101 Project”) that was entitled by the Planning Commission in September 2023; and
WHEREAS, the terms of the Development Agreement also apply to the previously entitled 101 Terminal project (“Infinite 101 Project”) that was entitled by the Planning Commission in September 2023; and
WHEREAS, approval of the entitlements for the Infinite 131 Project and the Off-Site Redesignation Parcels is considered a “Project” for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act, Pub. Resources Code §21000, et seq. (“CEQA”); and
WHEREAS, in accordance with CEQA, the City has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) which evaluates the significant and potentially significant impacts of the Project, the growth inducing impacts of the Project, the cumulative impacts of the Project, and alternatives to the proposed Project; and
WHEREAS, the DEIR was circulated for the required 45-day public comment period from June 20 to August 5, 2024; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a lawfully noticed public hearing on August 1, 2024, to solicit public comment on the DEIR; and
WHEREAS, the Design Review Board reviewed the Infinite 131 Project at its July 23, 2023 meeting and recommended approval of the project; and
WHEREAS, the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission reviewed the proposed legislative enactments associated with the Project on June 12, 2025, and found them consistent with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.
WHEREAS, on September 4, 2025, the Planning Commission for the City of South San Francisco held a lawfully noticed public hearing at which time interested parties had the opportunity to be heard, to review the Project, and to consider the Project EIR as well as supporting documents. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council certify the Project EIR and to approve the Project and its associated General Plan Amendments, Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments, and Zoning Map Amendments; and
WHEREAS, the City Council reviewed and carefully considered in the information in the DEIR and FEIR (EIR), and by separate resolution, certified the EIR and adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations; and
WHEREAS, the City Council reviewed and carefully considered the proposed Specific Plan Amendments, General Plan Amendments, and Zoning Map Amendments; and,
WHEREAS, on September 24, 2025, the City Council of the City of South San Francisco held a duly noticed public hearing at which time interested parties had the opportunity to be heard, to review the Project and the Project EIR, and to receive public comments; and
WHEREAS, the City Council exercised its independent judgment and analysis, and considered all reports, recommendations, and testimony before making a determination on the Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that based on the entirety of the record before it, which includes without limitation, the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§21000, et seq.) (“CEQA”) and the CEQA Guidelines (14 California Code of Regulations §§15000, et seq; the South San Francisco 2040 General Plan and General Plan EIR; the South San Francisco Municipal Code; the Project applications; the Project Plans, as prepared by SOM Architects, dated August 25, 2025; the Draft Transportation Demand Management Plan prepared by Fehr & Peers, dated March 2024; the Infinite 131 Project EIR, including the Draft and Final EIR and all appendices thereto; the draft General Plan Amendments; the draft Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments; the draft Zoning Map Amendments; draft Development Agreement; all reports, minutes, and public testimony submitted as part of the Planning Commission’s duly noticed September 4, 2025 public hearing; all reports, minutes, and public testimony submitted as part of the City Council’s duly noticed September 24, 2025 public hearing; and any other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby finds as follows:
SECTION 1 FINDINGS
A. General Findings
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution.
2. The Exhibit attached to this Ordinance, the draft Development Agreement (Exhibit A), is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Ordinance, as if set forth fully herein.
3. The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are located at the Planning Division for the City of South San Francisco, 315 Maple Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080, and in the custody of the Chief Planner.
4. By separate resolution, the City Council, exercising its independent judgement and analysis, has found that an EIR was prepared for the Project in accordance with CEQA, and the EIR adequately discloses and analyzes the proposed Project’s potentially significant environmental impacts, its growth inducing impacts, its cumulative impacts, and analyzed alternatives to the Project. For those impacts that could potentially exceed CEQA thresholds of significance, where feasible, the City has identified and imposed mitigation measures that avoid or reduce the impact to a level of less-than-significant. The City Council has further found that the benefits of approving the Project outweigh the Project’s significant and unavoidable impacts. Accordingly, the City Council certified the EIR for the Project and adopted a statement of overriding considerations, in accordance with CEQA.
B. Development Agreement
1. The Applicant and City have negotiated a Development Agreement pursuant to Government Code section 65864 et seq. The Development Agreement, attached hereto as Exhibit A, sets forth the duration, property, project criteria, and other required information identified in Government Code section 65865.2. The Development Agreement, as proposed, is consistent with the objectives, policies, general land uses, and programs specified in the General Plan and the Lindenville Specific Plan (both as proposed with minor amendments), both of which envision a high-quality transit-oriented employment development adjacent to the U.S. Highway 101 corridor. Further, the land uses, development standards, densities and intensities, buildings, and structures proposed are compatible with the goals, policies, and land use designations established in the General Plan, as proposed with minor amendments, (see Gov’t Code, § 65860), and none of the land uses, development standards, densities and intensities, buildings, and structures will operate to conflict with or impede achievement of the any of the goals, policies, or land use designations established in the General Plan.
2. The Development Agreement, as proposed, is compatible with the proposed high intensity, transit-oriented employment use and the regulations prescribed for the land use district (Business Technology Park - High) in which the real property is located and complies with all applicable zoning, subdivision, and building regulations and with the guiding policies of the General Plan and Lindenville Specific Plan, both as proposed with minor amendments.
3. The Development Agreement, as proposed, remains in conformity with public convenience, general welfare, and good land use practice, since the project would provide adequate parking, conform to the height, density, and floor area ratio (FAR) standards set forth in the Zoning Ordinance as proposed to be amended, and confirm the land use goals of both the General Plan and the Lindenville Specific Plan that support redevelopment adjacent to the U.S. Highway 101 corridor.
4. The Development Agreement, as proposed, will not adversely affect the orderly development of property or the preservation of property values since the project must conform to the City’s development standards. New circulation, open space, and infrastructure improvements are proposed that will enhance the existing City infrastructure in the area, the Project will not preclude similar development from occurring on adjacent parcels, and the Project will enhance property values since long-term underutilized parcels will be redeveloped.
SECTION 2 APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
1. The City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby approves the Development Agreement with US 131 Terminal Court Owner, LLC attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference.
2. The City Council further authorizes the City Manager to execute the Development Agreement, on behalf of the City, in substantially the form attached as Exhibit A, and to make revisions, corrections, and minor modifications to such Agreement, subject to the approval of the City Attorney, which do not materially alter or substantially increase the City’s obligations thereunder.
SECTION 3 Severability
If any provision of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Ordinance, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, provisions of this Ordinance are severable. The City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase hereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases be held unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforceable.
SECTION 4 Publication and Effective Date
Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 36933, a summary of this Ordinance shall be prepared by the City Attorney. At least five (5) days prior to the City Council meeting at which this Ordinance is scheduled to be adopted, the City Clerk shall (1) publish the Summary, and (2) post in the City Clerk’s Office a certified copy of this Ordinance. Within fifteen (15) days after the adoption of this Ordinance, the City Clerk shall (1) publish the summary, and (2) post in the City Clerk’s Office a certified copy of the full text of this Ordinance along with the names of those City Council members voting for and against this Ordinance or otherwise voting. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days from and after its adoption.
Introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of South San Francisco held the 24th day of September 2025.