Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Thursday, May 7, 2026
Transcript
Video
Agenda

About this meeting

Government Body
Planning Commission
Meeting Type
Planning Commission
Location
Richmond, CA
Meeting Date
May 7, 2026

Transcript

289 sections (from 303 segments)

2:480

Christine.

15:411

Good evening. Will Recording

15:432

in progress.

15:45 – 16:011

Thank you. Good evening. We are starting the Richmond Planning Commission meeting of Thursday, 05/07/2026. The first item will be to do a roll call. Oh, I have to do it. Okay. We're beginning. Roll call.

16:013

Chair Harrison is absent. Vice Chair Brubaker? Yes. Secretary Timmins?

16:093

Commissioner Golovitz is absent. Commissioner Shahid? Here. And commissioner Benitez?

16:19 – 16:483

Thank you. Can you introduce staff? Yes. Good evening, Planning Commission. Avery Stark, your planning manager for the city of Richmond and I am joined this evening by Rick Hirsch to my right here who will be giving the presentation on the first item, the only item on our agenda. Rick is a consultant who works on behalf of the city in processing a number of different applications, but this is his first time at Planning Commission. City attorney. And we have James Atencio, senior assistant city attorney.

16:49 – 17:001

Thank you. Next item is approval of minutes. Does anyone want to make a motion? There's two sets of minutes. Do we have to do these individually or can we do them as a pair?

17:033

You were all in attendance for both, so you no, can you were not for the second. Okay. So for the second.

17:12 – 17:251

Don't we do them one at a time then? April 2 minutes, does someone want to make a motion? I will make a motion that we approve the minutes of 04/02/2026.

17:260

I second it.

17:303

Then I'll take roll. Chair Harrison is absent. Vice Chair Brubaker?

17:403

Secretary Timmins?

17:433

Commissioner Golovitz is absent. Commissioner Shahid?

17:482

Here. This

17:521

is for approval of minutes. This is for

17:543

the approval of the minutes on the second.

17:571

So you should say whether you approve the minutes or not approve.

18:043

You either say approve or no.

18:071

This is for you, Shaheed. Shaheed.

18:095

Oh, I apologize. Approve. Yes.

18:121

Okay. Okay. Thanks.

18:133

And then commissioner Benitez.

18:161

Okay. That's April 2.

18:173

That's April 2.

18:191

April 16, we have minutes. Can we may have a motion to approve the minutes?

18:234

I make a motion to approve the minutes for April 16.

18:261

Okay. I'll second.

18:293

Commissioner Harrison is absent. Vice chair Burbaker? Approve. Secretary Timmins?

18:370

Abstain.

18:393

Commissioner Golovitz is absent. Commissioner Shahid?

18:432

Approve as well. And

18:463

Commissioner Benitez?

18:492

Thank you.

18:51 – 19:261

Thank you. Let's see. Consent calendar. There is no consent calendar items. So we'll move to public forum. Anyone who wishes to address the Planning Commission on a topic that is not already on the agenda and is relevant to the Commission's purpose may submit a speaker form to staff at the beginning of the meeting at three minute per speaker. Time limit shall apply. Do we have any speakers?

19:263

Yes. We do have one speaker. We have Cordell Handler.

19:30 – 19:506

Thank you, Avery. So good evening, vice chair Brubaker. Commissioners, For the record, I am Cordell Henland. I'm a Richmond resident. So, the reason I'm I'm up here is because if you recall at the March meeting when you approved the Marina Pointe, project, the Neighborhood Council has had raised these issues.

19:50 – 20:166

It didn't come before them. And so one of the things that I have noticed and after speaking with the president, she had concerns regarding them that there was no no input. They did not provide their input. So let me say that for the record. Anytime a project before any project comes to anybody, the Neighborhood Council the applicant must talk with the Neighborhood Council to get their input.

20:16 – 20:476

So I just want to put that on record. So that's one. And then number two is if you recall last month when you had the UCSF clinic item on your agenda, it was one of the things that I had noticed, and I've been speaking with the Hilltop District, that was one of their concerns. They had like, you know, about security for the building. And so I'm glad my response had been covered. So I'll just save my comments for when we get to the Garrity matter.

20:501

Okay. Are there any other speakers?

20:523

Anyone online? There are no other speakers.

20:553

Thank you.

20:57 – 21:191

So we will now open public hearing. There is one item on the public hearing list and that is PLN24-three 97 and PL N25-three 50 7, which is 3151 Garrity Way. Do we have a staff presentation?

21:193

Yes, thank you, Vice Chair. This evening presentation will be provided by Rick Hirsch, again a consultant supporting the city of Richmond. Go ahead, Rick.

21:33 – 21:507

Good evening, Vice Chair Brubaker, members of the Planning Commission. Richard Hirsch on behalf of the Community Development Department. I am with InterWest Consulting Group as a consultant to the city. I've been consulting with the city for about eight months. I have enjoyed it.

21:50 – 22:487

This is my first chance to come before this body, so thank you very much for the opportunity. It's good to meet you all, and I would like to offer a thank you to Commissioner Benitez upfront for submitting your comments and questions to us beforehand, and that way, that gave us an opportunity to wrap our heads around it, and come up with comprehensive and as accurate as we could responses for you. So that was very much appreciated. And with that, the project before you this evening is the 3151 Garrity Way townhomes project, and they are seeking the applicant is seeking major design review, tentative map, and conditional use permit. And got a couple slides to just drill down and give you the context, the geographic context of where the site is located.

22:48 – 23:287

We're in the Hilltop area, just East of the Hilltop Mall site, and North of Hilltop Drive, a little bit West of the Interstate 80, and we're on the North Side of Garrity Way, just East of Bloom Drive, and Garrity Way is it does terminate in a cul de sac a couple 100 feet to the east of the project site. The site is 2.2 acres. It is in the Hilltop neighborhood. The general plan is regional commercial mixed use, and zoning is CR, regional commercial. Currently, the site is completely vacant and undeveloped.

23:29 – 24:167

Surrounding uses include a variety of kind of a wide variety of things, multi family apartment complexes, commercial uses, a truck repair business, two extended stay lodging developments across the street, some office buildings, and then Garrity Ravine is a dedicated permanent open space just to the north of the site. This is a couple pictures. One from the street view there on the bottom is from Garrity from the median looking northward towards the site, and the other one is presumably a drone view looking north above Garrity, northward towards Garrity Ravine. And you can see this site is completely vacant. This is just an overview site plan, showing the project context.

24:16 – 24:537

45 townhomes are being proposed in 12 buildings. 40 units would be offered for sale, fee simple, individual market rate sale, and the development team is proposing five units as affordable. Each unit will have a garage and a modest private backyard space. There will also be storm water control features, landscaping, some retaining walls, site lighting, and of course utilities. And then there's a large, relatively large community open space at the rear of the site, and then a smaller community open space at the front along Garity.

24:54 – 25:267

And as I mentioned, CR, regional commercial zoning, project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under Assembly Bill 130. And the applicant, again, is requesting major design review, a tentative parcel map, and a conditional use permit. The project meets all other standards. The conditional use permit is really a dual permit. They're requesting a reduction in parking below the typically minimum requirement of 92.

25:27 – 25:587

They're offering on the site plan 87 spaces. You can any applicant can request under code section fifteen oh four six zero seven to reduce by 10% with a use permit. And then the other part of the bifurcated use permit is to have ground floor forward facing residential, and we can go into that a little bit more if you'd like later. And so let's get into the elevations. This first one is the south or front elevation along Garrity.

25:59 – 26:467

And then below that is the opposite or north elevation, the rear elevation facing out to Garrity Ravine, and the west exterior elevation facing 3101 Garrity. And you can see quite a variety in the color palettes. Applicant actually took the initiative themselves to revise the color palette a couple of months ago to better differentiate the townhouse units from each other, and to add a little more visual interest to the project. So that's the west, and the east elevation is facing to the the Tides apartment complex to the east. This is just a different, slightly different perspective view showing the front elevation from Garrity.

26:48 – 27:167

And the applicant also voluntarily took the initiative to change the roof lines. They added more angles to the roof, and that provides a little bit more visual interest viewing the buildings from Garrity. This is a nice oblique view, kind of like a bird's eye view, taken above Garrity, looking from south to north. Gives you a pretty good overview of the site. Landscape plan, fairly robust.

27:16 – 27:587

I believe they're proposing 49 total trees, combination of evergreen and deciduous. And they will install six new street trees, and a good amount of hard steep features as well, accent boulders, decomposed granite surfaces in the rear open space, and some benches and picnic tables back there in the rear open space looking over Garrity Ravine. And Design Review Board looked at this twice. The first time was November 12. It was a study session, and a number of items were requested of the applicant.

28:00 – 28:337

Minor items, if you're interested, we can discuss those. March 11 was the actual public hearing, at which time the DRB recommended approval to the Planning Commission three to one to go forward with the project. And public collaboration comments. The Hilltop Neighborhood Council did review the project. We sent them the drawings, or the applicant agent sent them the drawings in mid I'm sorry, mid October, and they responded back, within a couple of days stating they had no comments.

28:33 – 29:307

Public notice process was completed, for this hearing as well, and we've received, staff received no comment letters. And as far as the overall decision making process, just to distill it down to its simple parts, the DRB held a hearing, made a recommendation, planning commission hearing is here tonight. And based on the decision, if there is a decision tonight and the commission doesn't decide to continue the item, then there would be a ten day appeal period during which any member of the public could appeal to the city council the decision. So staff's recommendation on this is conditional approval. Staff recommends the commission concur with the findings, statements, and approve PLN 24,397 and PLN 25,357, subject to, the draft conditions of approval, as they are stated and attached to the staff report.

29:31 – 29:527

And this concludes the staff report. We're happy to respond to any questions or have discussion, including about the TDM plan, affordable units, connectivity, or anything else that you're interested in. The applicant team is also here If you'd like to ask them any questions, they have a presentation that if you wanted to see it, they could also do. Thank you very much.

29:531

Thank you for that presentation. Does the commission have any questions for staff or the applicant?

30:04 – 30:180

And I apologize for my lateness again, I'm sorry. You said staff have conditional approval. What are the conditions? Where do I find those?

30:19 – 30:317

Ah, good question. The conditions should be at the very end of the staff report, I believe, unless they're with the resolution. Let me take a quick look.

30:321

They are

30:333

They're outlined in the resolution, which is attachment one.

30:367

They they I'm sorry. My my mistake. They are in fact attached to the end of the approval resolution, attachment one.

30:461

So that would be page like six

30:503

Starting on page nine of 21. Right. Now therefore it'd be resolved as the beginning of the conditions of approval.

30:571

So there's quite a number of, conditions, 65 conditions.

31:027

Yeah, and most of them are standard

31:051

conditions. Okay, well why do do you have any questions about that or other questions?

31:100

No, wanted to look at them.

31:111

Okay, did you have any questions? I do have some questions. I actually do

31:210

have another question too. Some

31:24 – 31:531

of these may be for applicant. I can go through them and then you can decide how to answer them. But I'm curious about the four story unit in the corner. It's an unusual townhouse type and I'm wondering how that actually works internally and is it a single unit? Is it a single yeah, is it a single residence four stories?

31:53 – 32:311

So that would be nice to know. I was wondering whether native trees were considered in the landscape design because I see that the trees that were selected, I don't think any of them are native. We are on the ravine in the back in particular, and it seems like it may be a good so I don't know if Designer Review Board had any comments about that as well. Along those lines, I was wondering if, I don't know if Garrity Ravine will ever have a trail system in it. It is an open space preserve.

32:31 – 32:561

And I'm wondering if at some point in the future there was a trail system there, how would residents be able to connect to that trail system in the future do we think? And then three questions about locations. Bike parking, there's short term bike parking to be provided. I didn't see it on the plans. It might be on the plans.

32:56 – 33:191

I didn't see. So where would that be located? Notice board, the TDM talks about having information for transportation. Where would the notice board location be? And then there's a mention of a micro mobility station in the future, bike share station in the future.

33:19 – 34:031

If those did happen, where on the site would those two locations be? And my final question is about access to the unit. So the primary access for residents is to drive into the garage and then enter the unit. But if you are a visitor, how will you access the units, particularly on the perimeter where there isn't a front door on the backside because it's a backyard. So that's a question about front door access to perimeter units. Thank you.

34:03 – 34:177

Yeah, no, all great questions, Vice Chair Brubaker. Let's take it from the top. I heard, I think, seven questions, which is great. I love questions. Let's take it from the top.

34:17 – 34:507

I think the first question I heard was there's one four story unit that you noticed on the northeast corner of the site. That's kind of the grand unit of the development. It is in fact one ownership unit. It's a townhouse style, so it would be, it's going to be plotted on the plat map as a unit that you have ownership from your footprint all the way up to your ceiling as assessor parcel number, basically, and one legal unit.

34:51 – 35:241

Just to follow-up on that, the units in the back there are two story above grade from the street access. And that one is three stories above grade. So presumably, it will have a garage at grade and then two stories above garage for living and a lower level that you would drop down to? And I'm just wondering what would be the use of the lower level? Where would the living be?

35:25 – 35:387

Excellent questions. I'm just trying to navigate back to it. So I think this is the correct slide. So on this one, north or rear elevation, and you can see on the left is

35:381

the Sorry. We're not seeing a slide.

35:407

You're not seeing the slide?

35:411

There you go.

35:41 – 36:147

Okay. Sorry, I was flipping through kinda quickly. My mistake. Yeah, north elevation is the one on the far left there. It's on the northeast corner of the development. You are correct. The one floor is kind of a subgrade floor. And, yeah, I probably, I believe I'm going to defer to the applicant to into more detail about the floor plan on it. Honestly haven't reviewed the floor plans in detail. Let's earmark that one for the applicant after we're done here, if that's okay?

36:15 – 36:297

That's fine. You're definitely right. It has it does it is the the crowning jewel unit of the development. It's more than 5,000 square feet. The second question again?

36:291

Native trees.

36:30 – 37:087

Yeah. Unfortunately, the landscape plan does not display any native varieties at this time, but the city is definitely staff is definitely open to that discussion, and if we reach a conclusion where some native varieties would be desired, we could write that in as a condition of approval to choose to select appropriate native varieties and substitute them into the landscape plan for review by planning staff during the construction, drawing, and building permit phase. So that's a possibility, and a good comment.

37:101

Future trail connection?

37:12 – 37:317

Yeah, so Garrity Ravine is a dedicated open space in both the general plan and the zoning code. It's not an active use park per se. Now, while you were saying that, I was wondering if it is part of the Hilltop Horizon Plan area.

37:32 – 37:443

Yes, it is a part of the Hilltop specific plan. We don't currently have a designated trail that would be in the ravine at this point. And it's also not a master parks plan either.

37:44 – 38:101

Agreed. Understood. It's a speculative question. I think it's a question that is a what if. And I don't know if the applicant might have any thoughts about the best way to provide access because there is a retaining wall in the rear yard that you would have to somehow get down from to access the ravine? Steers, trails, something.

38:10 – 38:567

The project does, if you look at the very large 24 foot tall retaining wall, the north facing wall, does kind of provide a pretty robust barrier between the project and Gary Ravine. It is not integrated at all between the ravine and the open space and the development. That was largely a function of pretty steep, challenging topography. And the retaining wall and all the grading and filling on that north end of the project site was all required in order to create a level space for the common open recreational space back there. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been usable as a common open space.

38:571

Understood. But if you go to could you go to the elevation showing from looking from the ravine to the rear?

39:04 – 39:167

See if I can get back to it here. Was it an oblique or this one? This one, yeah.

39:18 – 40:021

This doesn't show the retaining walls. There's one in the packet that shows the retaining walls. I would say that the retaining walls do step down across the site. And there is a section of outdoor space provided for the residents that is not so far above grade. So anyways, I'll leave it there. But it would be interesting for the applicant to have in mind if there was. If I lived there, I would want to have access if possible, rather than going all the way around and into the ravine, but I'll leave it there. The next question that I had was bike parking.

40:03 – 40:377

Yeah, There's definitely bike parking. So every unit, all 45 units have a bike parking rack installed interior to the unit, and then there's also four end of trip common bike rack areas on the site. I believe they're towards the front of the of the site, towards Garrity, but that might be a question that we that I defer to the expert bike plan knowledge of the applicant with.

40:387

I Let me see. Question. Notice

40:411

board location?

40:43 – 41:137

Yeah. That would be to be to be determined. Probably somewhere in either the front common open space or the rear common open space. And it could be either a kiosk style or just like a two dimensional board, like a cork board, maybe with, you know, that has like a plastic, set of plastic doors to protect it from weather, inclement weather. But it's a TBD, it hasn't been determined.

41:13 – 41:297

That location, it could be determined and more accurately dialed in on the construction drawings for building permit purposes, and I could add that to the existing condition of approval. Okay.

41:301

Well, maybe we could hear from the applicant.

41:317

No. Sure.

41:321

That would be great.

41:337

On their ideas of where it might go.

41:341

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, for all of these questions.

41:377

What's that?

41:381

For all of these questions.

41:397

Absolutely. Yeah. Did you have another one?

41:441

Well, the other locations that I mentioned were the micro mobility station, the future bike share micro mobility. So that was the last.

41:52 – 42:187

Same thing. So that's more of a conceptual in the future. If there ever were scooter, bike share program that set up operations in the hilltop area and began functioning there, at that time, the owner has offered to dedicate a space for a shared bike and or scooter mobility station.

42:181

But we don't know where that space would be.

42:197

Same thing, we don't. There are some opportunity spaces. Go ahead.

42:233

It is outlined and shown on A1 of the proposed site plan. It is at the front of the property along Garrity Way

42:31 – 42:483

Within the front common open space. It is very small font, notably. But there are two locations indicated for class class two bike storage and small scooter parking area.

42:521

I'm having a hard time finding a one.

43:017

You looking in the drawing set? Let me see what sheet it is.

43:081

I see it.

43:097

Avery, did you say a one one point A

43:123

one point zero.

43:147

One point zero. It's about maybe the fourth fourth page.

43:261

So I I see I sorry. I see bike parking listed there. Thank you, Avery.

43:333

Then in very small font below the bike parking it says scooter parking.

43:371

But that's not the future. That

43:403

It could accommodate

43:41 – 44:041

There's a separate in the TDM they say micro mobility station. I don't know if that is that or whether there is some thing in the future. Like right now, there isn't scooter share like Lyme in Richmond. So that remains a question, I think. But at least so we do know bike parking location. That's great.

44:047

Yep. My apologies. Yeah, it is definitely noted there along Garrity in the middle section of the development.

44:101

Okay. Do we have other questions here?

44:124

We have one more question. Access to units for visitors on premises.

44:161

Oh yeah, yeah. Access to units for visitors.

44:18 – 44:497

That was an excellent question. So this project does not have any guest parking right now. That is the parking that went away. A previous iteration of this site plan did show five guest parking spots towards the north end of the site. But what was occurring was with the target number of 45 units, there wasn't enough common open space.

44:50 – 45:387

There's a minimum amount of common open space required, and it wasn't going to be able to be met. And so planning staff, before I got here at Richmond and on the project, predecessor worked with the applicant team on the conditional use permit idea about excusing the guest parking and replacing it with a common open space area to make sure that the project could meet that requirement. The common open space requirement is 9,000 square feet, and it wasn't going to be met previously, and now it is met at 9,065. So at the end of the day, the parking every unit has its own garage parking underneath. Most of the units have two spaces.

45:38 – 45:587

One or two have three spaces, and one or two have one space. And for guests, they won't be able to park on the looping driveway, access driveway. That'll be all no parking, but there is, there are areas of on street parking along Garrity that they could park at, or they could park in the garage of their host.

45:59 – 46:211

Understood. So that was clear in the staff report. What I'm wondering is a different question. I'm sorry. When you get out of your car as visitor and you walk over to the unit. Are you faced with the garage door to enter the unit or is there a front door facing the entry road?

46:217

I believe all 45 units have a front door.

46:243

On a 2.1, you can see the entrance door for the row of homes at the rear.

46:307

So all the units can be accessed within the garage if you're driving in, but they all have like a separate pedestrian front door as well.

46:401

Got it. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Questions?

46:47 – 47:150

This might be for you, Avery. I'm not sure. I'm looking at that the wall in the back and the ravine. How is the only way I know to say this is how would you deal with a fire situation? How would they how would a truck or trucks get to a wildfire situation down there?

47:16 – 48:003

So in terms of review for fire code and EVA access, so the fire department did, you know, review this project, has provided its conditions of approval for how they would, you know, put out a fire in the event, hopefully unlikely, at the homes. The area of the ravine probably is not identified as a route or a path that they would take for a traditional house fire. I think in the event of a wildfire of the ravine, I know that the fire department does have numerous off road vehicles that they would likely deploy to put out that type of fire, but I think that'd be very dependent upon the type of fire that's occurring, and I would definitely defer to our chief in terms of how they would you know, operationally solve that problem, but not currently a part of the scope of this project.

48:032

Thank you.

48:041

Yep. Other questions?

48:07 – 49:144

I just had a few comments. Thank you for responding to the questions that I asked. Particularly thanks for giving clarity on TDM, which is transportation demand management for those of you that aren't familiar with all of the abbreviations. And I just want to note that just acknowledging we're going to have to balance meeting that existing need for housing and meeting future vision need of mixed use and connectivity and so just acknowledging that this would bring that housing that we need but this area is currently super auto oriented and so I had a similar question that Bruce had like if I took the bus how how would I get there and get in and so appreciated that context you gave of the two future bus stops that are being planned around the area and then also thank you for the clarity when it came to the housing and it was very good to note because of the inclusionary housing ordinance that it's five units of moderate income, and if they would be bringing in low income, it would be less units three, so just appreciated that context. Thank you.

49:147

Yeah, did you want to expand or talk about either of those more or?

49:207

just I thank didn't realize that you received a response. Avery, you sent a response then. Great.

49:273

Yeah, forwarded the response.

49:287

Oh, okay, sorry. Great.

49:291

Very clear response. Thank you for that. Did you have other questions before we go to the public?

49:352

I had a question.

49:371

Yeah. Oh,

49:392

please go.

49:401

Yeah, know. Mr. Shai, go ahead.

49:43 – 49:542

I noticed that we had five low income units. And looking at the unit details on table two, do we know which unit will go to the low income housing unit?

49:57 – 50:157

So that's a good question. So there are five units out of 45 that have been promised to be dedicated under the inclusionary housing ordinance of the city, But all five would be in the moderate income category, not the lower, very low categories.

50:153

Question is where on the site plan would you find them? Have they been identified on the site plan?

50:20 – 50:387

Yep, understood. And the second part of the answer is that we haven't it hasn't been determined yet. So we don't know which units that would be. I believe that that could be worked out during the building permit phase on the construction drawings, but I'm not sure. If we want to work that if we want to work through that with the applicant team tonight,

50:382

we could probably do that too.

50:39 – 50:513

No, doesn't need to be worked out this evening. When the city negotiates an affordable housing agreement with a developer, it'd be at that time that we would solidify the the units that have been identified for the being the affordable housing units.

50:511

Curious who who at the city negotiates that. Me.

50:573

Me and James sitting across from you.

51:001

Great. Thank you. Other questions, Commissioner Shahid?

51:06 – 51:322

Well, I was just wondering since they're not going be able to meet the 80 sevens, the 92 spaces required. Is there any way we could fill in a conditional approval where the five units go more towards the higher end model units for low income or to moderate income housing? Is there anything we could do, Avery, about that or is that a bit different?

51:33 – 52:263

So, in terms of determining the location of the units within the site plan, first, we'll wait for the applicant to provide those to us as we begin discussing an affordable housing agreement. The end goal within our inclusionary housing ordinance is that the units that are affordable be commensurate with in terms of accessibility and finishes as any other unit to be indistinguishable from each other. So we would be looking to review that when they make their application choice for those units. We cannot select for them, but we can certainly, within the guidelines of our RMC where there are standards around equal distribution and equal access to amenities and types of housing units. So again, if they were all two bedroom units, it wouldn't be such a challenge, but where we have a variety of bedroom count or size.

52:263

We begin looking for equitable distribution within the site to provide compliance with the affordable housing ordinance.

52:371

you have a follow-up? Commissioner Shaheed?

52:422

No, that answered my question. Thank you.

52:431

Alright. Thank you. Did you have a question?

52:46 – 52:570

Yeah. Can these homeowners or actually both the homeowners and I'm assuming then the rest would be rental?

52:571

Oh, it's all homeowners.

52:587

They're all ownership.

53:000

Oh, okay.

53:017

All 45.

53:020

Are they all, can you can they do solar?

53:067

I'm sorry, one more time.

53:070

Solar. Can they install solar? I can't hear

53:113

They'll be required to install solar per our reach code, so yes.

53:167

Title 24, yeah.

53:170

Okay, good. Thank you.

53:207

Sorry, sometimes I can't hear too well.

53:22 – 53:371

Yeah. Okay, well if there's no other questions, I guess I will open it to see if the applicant would like to come up and answer any of the questions that contribute to any of the discussion we've been having. If so, you're welcome to come up now.

53:377

I think they would like to respond to, especially, some of your comments, Vice Chair Brubaker.

53:441

Welcome.

53:513

Yes, you will have ten minutes to respond and answer questions from the commission.

53:57 – 54:365

Hi, Vice Chair, I'm Yi Wang from Lauley Architecture. I'm the architect on this project. So I think the remaining question is on the corner units of the four story units, like the access through the units. So because the site is sloped at the rear side, there is like a 30 feet drop almost to the end of the site. That's why we have like we have planned one sub grade floor there to like take advantage of the grading.

54:37 – 55:045

So on the lower level, we have like a family room there and then two bedroom facing the view side of of the site. So it's all connected within the unit. There is a stair connecting all levels. That's why we have this six bedroom unit there. So there is opportunities on each level to enjoy the view there.

55:041

Wow, six bedroom. And where is the living room, dining room, kitchen?

55:095

Yeah, so the entry level has three parking garage if you look at page A2.1 through A2.3. So yeah, Ground

55:191

Level Oh, there's separated garage for that unit.

55:22 – 55:455

Yeah. Interesting. So garage there and then there is a like a kitchen or a bar on the Ground Level with a living room. Then on the 2nd Floor, we have the main kitchen there and family room and bedrooms. On the Upper Level, there are three more bedrooms there.

55:451

Okay. Thank you for that. Did you have any thoughts about native trees?

55:535

We'll work with the landscape architect. Okay.

55:561

Yeah. And do you have any thoughts about a future trail connection? Is that reasonable to think that you could do that?

56:05 – 56:205

If there is a need to connect with the future trails, we can look into the possibilities to connect. But currently I think the view is more observed, yeah, for the residents.

56:201

Thank you for that. Location of the notice board that's discussed in the TDM?

56:28 – 56:485

So we have like an entry signage. If you look at the sheet A1.0, it's on the top left corner next to the, it says the project sign. And also we have a sign.

56:481

Project sign.

56:495

Yeah, 86.3.

56:521

So it would be next to the project sign or in that area, It you would be on the front and not on the rear of project.

57:015

Currently it's the intent but we are open to.

57:05 – 57:181

That seems right to me. But it does raise a question about mailboxes. How will mail be handled for these market, these for sale units?

57:185

So each unit will have their own mailbox.

57:231

So the PO will go into the project and deliver mail inside the project?

57:321

Let's see. Ann, do you have any thoughts about the micro mobility station or the bike share?

57:39 – 58:075

Yeah, that's the two locations we proposed on the site plan, 81. So we looked at some available models in the market. So they have those station that has two bikes and a scooter parking, so all integrated into one rack. So there are opportunities there to place that kind of model in the designated space.

58:07 – 58:231

Okay. And the last question was about how people will access well, guess we had that answered, but all these units have front doors on the entry drive, right?

58:235

That's right.

58:23 – 58:551

Okay. That's good. Sorry about this, but I did have one other question, if it's okay. Yes. And it's really more of a comment. There's a sidewalk crossing this entry road, the Loop Road. And I would like to see a safe crossing there. So I would want to propose striping, crosswalk striping across the entry road in both of the two locations.

58:561

I'm wondering if there's any problem with making that a condition.

59:04 – 59:165

Currently we're showing a crosswalk where the driveway intersects the sidewalk. So that's

59:161

the Is it shown as a crosswalk? Can you Is there

59:190

a stop sign?

59:211

Where can you show me the crosswalk? Is a ladder crosswalk? Yes. It is.

59:301

Okay. Can you show me that in the drawing?

59:33 – 59:455

It should be on the site plan a one point zero, but I guess the prints might be a little hard to see. It's where the, loop drive intersect the sidewalk.

59:47 – 1:00:141

I don't, I don't see anything there but I guess I will just confirm that when we make our condition. Thank you. Okay. Any other questions for applicant?

1:00:14 – 1:00:373

I'd point out, Vice Chair, that the walk, the pedestrian walkway is there. It's just a clear two parallel lines indicating where the path of travel is. It just isn't marked with what you'd expect it to have for crossings. But I think it sounds like that's still something that the applicant is open to maybe highlighting

1:00:38 – 1:00:551

high visibility ladder crosswalk is amenable to be striped on the road. It's low cost. It should be Okay, right? So thank you for that. Thank you, Avery. Any other questions for applicant? Okay, thank you very much.

1:00:555

Thank you.

1:00:56 – 1:01:141

Now we will open the public hearing for this item. Do I have a statement or something I need to read for that? Well, in any case, if you wish to speak on this project, please submit a speaker card and we will start with the first speaker. Thank you.

1:01:163

Our first speaker is Cordell Handler.

1:01:19 – 1:01:566

Thank you, Avery. So good evening, vice chair Brubaker, commissioners. For the record, I am Cordell Handler, and I'm a Richmond resident. So thank you, Rick, for that presentation. So after looking at all at this project and I had some of the the similar quest questions similar, but it's already been answered. So after I looked at this project, I said, now this is fantastic. This is the best project I've ever seen. So I'm like, this is a winner. So I'm asking that this commission to approve the item with conditions, and I'll leave it at that.

1:01:583

Thank you. Do we have another speaker? There are no other speakers in the chamber and there are no speakers online.

1:02:05 – 1:02:161

Okay, so we will close the public hearing and return it to the commission for deliberation. Do you have any comments before we make a motion?

1:02:182

I have one comment.

1:02:202

14 year old kid is going to hang a rope off of the

1:02:240

back of that thing and go down into the.

1:02:261

Yeah, right. Okay. Can't do anything

1:02:28 – 1:02:452

just can't let that go because I know it will happen. Because I walk past trees every day that have, now they have not only rope swings, but rope hammocks that have shown up in the last, which

1:02:460

are probably really fun, you know.

1:02:50 – 1:03:191

Thank you. Other comments? I wanted to just say that I think this project is, I agree with Cordell, this is an excellent project. One thing I like about it is the variety of unit types. We rarely see this and it's really great to have and I presume that it means a variety of cost points in the project and I think that's such a great thing to include in a project with this number of units.

1:03:19 – 1:03:411

Just, I really recommend it. I think the colors are nice, the vocabulary, the architectural vocabulary is really nice. It's a project that I think people will enjoy living in. So thank you for coming forward with this project. And I will open it to the commission to see if anyone wants to make a motion.

1:03:44 – 1:04:063

And I would just add for the commission, when you do make your motion that you can additional commission that you have so far is just the sixty sixth condition, which is that the applicant to include high visibility ladder crossing along Garrity Way, and then it sounds like for applicant to consider native trees in their landscaping plan.

1:04:07 – 1:04:181

Particularly on the ravine side. Okay. Other conditions or, okay, so thank you for that. Other thoughts, does anybody want to make a motion? I'll make it. Okay.

1:04:19 – 1:04:480

I move that PLN2097 and PLN2057, do I need to read the address, at 3151 Garrity Way be approved subject to the addition of the consideration of native trees, particularly along the ravine border Crosswalks. And crosshatched

1:04:492

crosswalks.

1:04:511

Okay. Do we have a second?

1:04:555

Seconded. Okay. Roll call.

1:04:593

Chair Harrison is absent. Vice Chair Burbaker?

1:05:053

Secretary Timmins?

1:05:083

Commissioner Golovitz is absent. Commissioner Shahid? Yes. And Commissioner Benitez?

1:05:163

Item is approved.

1:05:191

Thank you. Okay.

1:05:217

Thank you.

1:05:22 – 1:05:331

So that, concludes the public hearings. We're moving to commission business, reports of officers, commissioners, and staff. Is there are there any reports?

1:05:35 – 1:05:533

I do not have any current reports for you. We will continue to have a number of fully stacked Planning Commission meetings for the rest of this year. Your next Planning Commission has four items on it, the subsequent ones each have three or four as well. So we'll continue to keep you abreast of those projects as they come down.

1:05:560

The What's the date of the next meeting?

1:05:58 – 1:06:113

The next meeting will be June 4. And then if needed, special meetings will be held to accommodate other large projects. We have some that may require just their own meeting for the sake of time.

1:06:111

So the twenty first is the third Thursday and there's no meeting?

1:06:173

Correct. We've amended the bylaws of the Planning Commission to only have one regularly scheduled meeting with the option for the second one. I see. But that way I don't have to cancel it every other month.

1:06:271

I see. So the first Thursday is our regular schedule. Other

1:06:353

than that, I don't have any other updates unless there are questions or report outs from the commission.

1:06:391

Yes, Deanna.

1:06:41 – 1:06:564

We missed you at the last meeting. I just wanted to say that. But also, I had made a comment about wanting to get reports on the by right approvals, and they said we would be added to the emailing list,

1:06:57 – 1:07:084

I haven't received anything, and I don't know if something has been sent out yet, just for us as commissioners to have context of what's being approved by right so that we have that context as we're reviewing all these things.

1:07:09 – 1:07:523

I will confer with, community development director, Lina Velasco. We don't currently provide, like, a particular list served for by right approvals. We do have the list that's posted monthly, and you can access at any time to see all the projects that are currently under review by the planning department, which would indicate if it's either an SB three thirty, an SB 35, an SB nine, or an SB six eighty four. Pick a few other options in there. Those are the ones that are by right that would not come to the design review board or the planning commission, but I I don't currently separate them out and provide notice, but I will confer with Lina to see precisely.

1:07:524

Got it. And for context, she said that this was something that they would send city council members and neighborhood council. So it may be the that same list.

1:08:003

It's probably that list I.

1:08:014

For us to get at

1:08:023

it. Yes. Okay.

1:08:034

Thank you. Thank you.

1:08:051

Any other commission business? Anyone? Commissioner Shahid, anything?

1:08:122

good. We just missed you, Avery.

1:08:131

Thank you. So with that, we will conclude the meeting. It is adjourned. Thank you all.

This transcript was automatically generated from the official public meeting video and is presented unedited. It reflects remarks made on the public record by elected officials, staff, and public commenters. Transcript accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.