Title
Resolution making findings and recommending that the City Council certify the Environmental Impact Report, including adoption of a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, for the Infinite 131 Project.
body
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 from MIH to BTP-H ("Off-Site Redesignation Parcels") in the General Plan, Lindenville Specific Plan, and Zoning Map; 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 determined that an Environmental Impact Report ("EIR") was required to evaluate the impacts of the proposed Project; and
WHEREAS, the City issued a Notice of Preparation of an EIR for the Project on November 1, 2023; and
WHEREAS, per CEQA Guidelines Section 15063(c)(3) an Initial Study was prepared prior to the EIR, which determined that the potential environmental effects of the Project would be less than significant or would have no impact in the topics of Aesthetics; Agricultural and Forestry Resources; Biological Resources; Energy; Geology and Soils; Hazards and Hazardous Materials; Hydrology and Water Quality; Land Use and Planning; Mineral Resources; Population and Housing; Public Services; Recreation; Tribal Cultural Resources; Utilities and Service Systems; and Wildfire; and
WHEREAS, the City prepared a Draft EIR ("DEIR") (State Clearinghouse No. 2023110023), which addressed environmental topics that were not covered in the Initial Study, including environmental impacts in the areas of Air Quality; Cultural Resources; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Noise and Vibrations; and Transportation and Circulation; and cumulative impacts of the Project, growth-inducing impacts of the Project, as well as potential Project Alternatives; and
WHEREAS, the DEIR was circulated for a 45-day public/agency review period from June 20 to August 5, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Notices of the Availability of the DEIR were posted to the San Mateo County Clerk's Office, mailed to property owners within a 500-foot radius of the site, noticed to local agencies and cities, and circulated through the State Clearinghouse; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed meeting during the review period on August 1, 2024 to take public testimony on the DEIR; and,
WHEREAS, the City prepared written responses to comments received on the DEIR and prepared a Final EIR ("FEIR") for circulation, which consists of the DEIR (incorporated by reference), all comments received on the DEIR, written responses to comments received on the DEIR, revisions to the DEIR, and a Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program ("MMRP"); and,
WHEREAS, where feasible, mitigation measures have been incorporated into the Project to reduce identified impacts to a level of less than significant; and
WHEREAS, no feasible mitigation exists for certain significant and unavoidable air quality, cultural resources and transportation impacts that would reduce the impacts to a less-than-significant level; and
WHEREAS, under applicable provisions of CEQA Guidelines section 15092(b), the Project may not be approved or carried out unless the City has eliminated or substantially lessened all significant effects on the environment where feasible, or determined that any remaining significant effects on the environment found to be unavoidable are acceptable due to overriding concerns; and
WHEREAS, a Statement of Overriding Considerations has been prepared pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15092(b) and 15093, which evaluates the benefits of the proposed Infinite 131 Project against its unavoidable impacts and sets forth the Project's specific benefits and overriding concerns;
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed and carefully considered the information in the DEIR, the FEIR, the Statement of Overriding Considerations, and the MMRP, respectively attached hereto as Exhibits A, B, C, and D, at a duly noticed public hearing held on September 4, 2025 as objective and accurate documents that reflect the independent judgment of the City in the identification, discussion and mitigation of the Project's environmental impacts, and considered all testimony and evidence presented at the hearing and in the record before it.
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; the 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:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution.
2. The exhibits and attachments, including the Environmental Impact Report consisting of the Draft EIR and Final EIR (attached as Exhibits A and B, respectively), the CEQA Findings including Statement of Overriding Considerations (attached as Exhibit C), and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (attached as Exhibit D), 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. Based on the Planning Commission's independent judgment and analysis, the Planning Commission makes the findings regarding the Project's significant and unavoidable impacts, potentially significant impacts, and less than significant impacts; makes the findings regarding the proposed mitigation measures, and the Project alternatives; and adopts the Statement of Overriding Considerations, finding that the benefits of the Project outweigh the significant and unavoidable environmental impacts, for the reasons, and as further set forth in Exhibit C, attached hereto and incorporated by reference.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission of the City of South San Francisco hereby makes the findings contained in this Resolution and recommends that the City Council: certify EIR23-0001 attached as Exhibits A and B; adopt the Statement of Overriding Consideration attached as Exhibit C; and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, attached as Exhibit D.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.