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Resolution making findings and recommending that the City Council approve a General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Use Permit, Design Review, Tentative Parcel Map, Transportation Demand Management Plan and 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.
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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 in keeping 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, 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 Planning Commission reviewed and carefully considered in the information in the DEIR and FEIR (EIR), and by separate resolution, recommended that the City Council certify the EIR and adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission reviewed and carefully considered the proposed Specific Plan Amendments, General Plan Amendments, and Zoning Map Amendments; and,
WHEREAS, on September 4, 2025 the Planning Commission for the City of South San Francisco held a lawfully noticed public hearing to solicit public comment and consider the Project EIR and the proposed entitlements, take public testimony, and make a recommendation to the City Council on the Project; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission exercised its independent judgment and analysis, and considered all reports, recommendations, and testimony before making a determination on 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.
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; and any other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the Planning Commission 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 Exhibits attached to this Resolution, including the General Plan Amendments (Exhibit A), Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments (Exhibit B), Zoning Map Amendments (Exhibit C), the Project Plan Set (Exhibit D), 101-131 Terminal Vesting Tentative Map (Exhibit E), Draft Transportation Demand Management Program (Exhibit F), Development Agreement (Exhibit G) and Draft Conditions of Approval (Exhibit H), are each incorporated by reference and made a part of this Resolution, 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 Planning Commission, exercising its independent judgement and analysis, has recommended that the City Council find that an EIR was prepared for the Project in accordance with CEQA, which 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 Planning Commission has further recommended that the City Council find that the benefits of approving the Project outweigh the Project’s significant and unavoidable impacts. Accordingly, the Planning Commission has recommended that the City Council certify the EIR for the Project and adopt a statement of overriding considerations, in accordance with CEQA.
B. General Plan Amendment
1. The proposed General Plan Amendment for the Project, attached hereto as Exhibit A, will modify the Land Use Element Figure 6 (General Plan Land Use) on pgs. 62-63 and the Planning Sub-Areas Element Lindenville Figure on pg. 100 to reflect the land use redesignation from Mixed Industrial High to Business and Technology Park - High. The amendments are intended as minor alterations to the General Plan to reflect the revised land use designation as proposed in the amendments to the Lindenville Specific Plan.
2. As required under State law, the South San Francisco General Plan, and the South San Francisco Municipal Code, in support of General Plan Amendments, the Planning Commission finds that the proposed General Plan Amendments are otherwise consistent with the South San Francisco General Plan, do not obstruct or impede achievement of any General Plan policies, and furthers a number of important Goals and Policies set forth in the Land Use and Planning Sub-Areas Elements, including:
• Goal LU-5: South San Francisco remains a hub of R&D employment, operations, and innovation and is home to the largest worldwide cluster of life science uses.
• Policy LU-5.1: Maintain a critical mass of land zoned for R&D .
• Goal SA-27: There are safe, comfortable, and accessible pedestrian and bicycle facilities that connect people to Downtown, El Camino, and East of 101.
• Policy SA-27.4: Develop new roadway connections to better connect people to and within Lindenville.
C. Specific Plan Amendment
1. With minor revisions to the General Plan through the associated General Plan Amendments, the Lindenville Specific Plan as proposed to be amended, attached hereto as Exhibit B, will be consistent with the General Plan.
2. Adoption of the Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments will not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City because the Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments do not alter any of the previously adopted development, land use, and performance standards related to new development. More specifically, the Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments reflect the change in land use designation from Mixed Industrial High to Business and Technology Park – High, in keeping with other existing parcels in the immediate area.
3. The Lindenville Specific Plan area, as evaluated as part of the CEQA process, is physically suitable for the proposed land use designation(s) and the anticipated development will redevelop underutilized industrial sites with a high-quality employment campus proximate to multi-modal transit, will assist in the implementation of new bicycle and pedestrian connections through the Lindenville sub-area, will update infrastructure and utilities, will provide publicly-accessible open space, and will contribute to the City’s public services and amenities.
4. The Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments does not make any changes to the development and design standards adopted within the existing Lindenville Specific Plan, and therefore will continue to be superior to development otherwise allowed under conventional zoning classifications since the Lindenville Specific Plan provides additional development and design standards to promote a mixture of high density residential, industrial and life sciences development, and concurrently, proposes enhancements to circulation, parking, utilities, and public services to accommodate anticipated growth within the employment districts.
D. Zoning Map Amendment
1. The proposed Zoning Map amendments, attached hereto as Exhibit C, are consistent with the SSF 2040 General Plan, as amended per the General Plan Amendment, because the Zoning Map Amendments will rezone parcels from Mixed Industrial High to Business and Technology Park High, ensuring consistency with the General Plan and Lindenville Specific Plan.
2. The subject properties, including the Infinite 131 Project site and the Off-Site Redesignation Parcels, are suitable for the uses permitted in the Business and Technology Park High Zoning District in terms of access, size of parcel, relationship to similar or related uses, and other considerations deemed relevant by the Planning Commission and City Council because the proposed uses would redevelop large underutilized sites with high density life science developments in close proximity to the previously entitled Infinite 101 project, and all of the properties are in close proximity to the U.S. Highway 101 corridor.
3. The proposed Zoning Map Amendments are not detrimental to the use of land in any adjacent zone because the Zoning Map Amendments would provide for sufficient development, land use, and performance standards related to new development or alteration.
E. Design Review Findings
1. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with Title 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code because the Project has been designed as a high-quality R&D / office development, which will provide a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, transit-oriented environment, new bicycle and pedestrian connections to the South San Francisco Caltrain Station and the rest of the Lindenville Specific Plan area, updated utilities and public infrastructure, and sustainable building and landscape design.
2. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the General Plan (as proposed with minor amendments) and the Lindenville Specific Plan (as proposed with minor amendments) because the proposed high-intensity development is consistent with the policies and design direction provided in the South San Francisco General Plan for the Business Technology Park High (BTP-H) land use designation by developing high-density corporate headquarters, research and development facilities and offices within close proximity to the San Bruno BART Station and South San Francisco Caltrain Station.
3. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the applicable design guidelines adopted by the City Council in that the proposed Project is consistent with the BTP-H Zoning District development standards, and the Citywide development standards, as evaluated in the Zoning Ordinance Compliance analysis for the Project.
4. The Project is consistent with the applicable design review criteria because the Project has been evaluated by the Design Review Board on July 26, 2023 and found to be consistent with each of the eight criteria set forth in South San Francisco Municipal Code Section 20.480.006 (Design Review Criteria).
F. Transportation Demand Management Plan Findings
1. The Infinite 131 Project’s proposed TDM program, attached hereto as Exhibit F, is feasible and appropriate for the project, considering the proposed use or mix of uses and the project’s location proximate to the San Bruno BART station, South San Francisco Caltrain station and introduction of a commuter shuttles, and reduced on-site parking that will encourage alternative transportation modes and reduce single occupant vehicle use.
2. The proposed TDM program meets the points requirements for a Tier 4 office / R&D project (50 points)
3. The proposed performance measures will ensure that the target 50% alternative mode use established for the project will be achieved and maintained. Conditions of approval have been included to require that the Final TDM Plan, which must be submitted for review and approval prior to issuance of a building permit, shall outline the required process for on-going monitoring including annual surveys and trip cap reporting.
G. Vesting Tentative Map
1. The proposed Infinite 101 and Infinite 131 Projects’ vesting tentative map, prepared by Ware Malcomb and dated August 25, 2025, (attached hereto as Exhibit E) including the proposed designs and improvements, is consistent with the City’s General Plan (as proposed to be amended) and the Lindenville Specific Plan (as proposed to be amended) because the vesting tentative map would facilitate the redevelopment of underutilized industrial parcels with transit-oriented office and R&D development, which would implement the goals of the General Plan and the Lindenville Specific Plan.
2. The proposed vesting tentative map is consistent with the standards and requirements of the City’s Zoning Ordinance (as proposed to be amended) and with the provisions of the Lindenville Specific Plan.
3. The vesting tentative map complies and meets all of the requirements of Title 19 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code (“Subdivisions”) and with the requirements of the State Subdivision Map Act.
4. The Project site is physically suitable for the type of development and density proposed, as the project will redevelop underutilized industrial parcels adjacent to the U.S. Highway 101 corridor and will improve vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle connections which is envisioned in the General Plan and Lindenville Specific Plan.
5. The vesting tentative map is consistent with the analysis included in the Infinite 131 EIR, recommended for certification by separate resolution.
6. The design and improvements of the vesting tentative map are not in conflict with any existing public easements.
7. The property is located in a developed, urban setting, and is not subject to a Williamson Act contract, on open space easement, a conservation easement, or an agricultural conservation easement. The surrounding land uses and resulting parcels would not support agricultural uses; the resulting parcels would result in mixed-use development not incidental to commercial agricultural use of the land.
H. 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 G, 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 DETERMINATION
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that subject to the Conditions of Approval, attached as Exhibit H to this Resolution, the Planning Commission of the City of South San Francisco hereby makes the findings contained in this Resolution and recommends that the City Council approve the entitlements request for the 131 Terminal R&D project (P23-0003), including the General Plan Amendments, Lindenville Specific Plan Amendments, Design Review, Transportation Demand Management Plan and Vesting Tentative Map.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt an ordinance adopting the Zoning Map Amendments (attached as Exhibit C).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt an ordinance approving the Development Agreement between the City of South San Francisco and Applicant name (attached as Exhibit G)
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.