Title
Resolution making findings and recommending that the City Council adopt an ordinance amending Title 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code to allow for residential entitlements to be extended for up to two years.
body
WHEREAS, the City of South San Francisco ("City") regulates the expiration and extension of planning entitlements through zoning regulations under South San Francisco Municipal Code Title 20, specifically Section 20.450.011 (Common Procedures, Expiration and Extension); and
WHEREAS, planning entitlements are currently valid for two years after project approval, and are considered expired if an applicant has not received a building permit within two years; and
WHEREAS, the South San Francisco Municipal Code Section 20.450.011 allows for a one-year entitlement extension, with findings and a determination made by the Chief Planner, for a total of a three-year entitlement period; and
WHEREAS, under current market conditions, it is challenging for large, complex projects to obtain building permits within the three-year entitlement timeframe; and
WHEREAS, a Development Agreement is a useful and appropriate tool for commercial projects to use to extend an entitlement timeframe; but is typically not feasible for residential projects; and
WHEREAS, the City of South San Francisco wishes to make residential development more feasible, in order to achieve the City's goals of providing a range of housing types and affordability levels and removing barriers to residential development; and
WHEREAS, extending the entitlement timeframe by up to one additional year for residential development, for a total of a four-year entitlement period, will help to increase feasibility, by allowing additional time to obtain financing, and prepare construction drawings; and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments to the City's Zoning Code regarding entitlement timeframes do not propose any changes to City policies or regulations that would result in a direct or in...
Click here for full text