Plans for a new office and research and development campus on East Grand Avenue in South San Francisco have received Planning Commission approval, although concerns remain about too much parking at the site.
John Baker
The Planning Commission used its May 18 meeting to discuss the 500,000-square-foot development with three buildings and a parking garage at 120 E. Grand Ave. Concerns remained about the 240,000-square-foot parking structure that calls for 756 proposed parking spaces, 114 bike parking spots and 76 electric vehicle charging stations. Some, like Commissioner John Baker, supported the project but felt the number of parking spots incentivized people to drive instead of taking the nearby Caltrain station, only a few minutes walk from the site. Baker said the proposal did not fit into a transit-oriented development, a city goal, particularly as there would likely be 1,000 employees at the site and more parking spaces than needed.
“I really wish I could throw this back and cut out 250 parking spots because you are making it way too easy to drive here,” Baker said.
Commissioner Sarah Funes-Ozturk agreed with Baker’s assessment and asked for more electric vehicle charging stations and ways to have tenants incentivize public transit use.
“That’s a lot of parking spaces being so close to Caltrain.”
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The new office and research and development campus east of the Highway 101 transit core calls for around 500,000 square feet of office space, with three buildings, according to city documents. One building would be 11 stories and 326,000 square feet with a typical lab and office space on level three and above at 160 to 180 Sylvester St. Building two is five stories of 150,000 square feet of lab and office space at 120 East Grand Ave. In contrast, the third building will be three stories and 26,000 square feet planned for amenity or retail space at 145 Sylvester St. parcel. The buildings would be all-electric and designed to meet environmental standards.
Trammel Crow Company, the developer, will demolish the existing buildings. The 120 E. Grand Ave. project would replace a warehouse home to custom foods co-packer Max’s Bakery and Kitchen. There are no current tenants for the new buildings. The project will see new infrastructure constructed within Sylvester Road, with new street trees, street lighting, and sidewalks provided along the property boundaries on Sylvester Road, according to a staff report.
The site is close to several other commercial campus development proposals aimed at transforming the area near the Caltrain station. The commission unanimously approved the environmental analysis and transit-oriented plan documents at its meeting.
I like it - SSF competing with Redwood City in regards to new commercial buildings. If you build it, they will come. In regards to parking issues, perhaps new companies can work out a parking shuttle agreement with Genentech. BTW, why no picture of Commissioner Sarah Funes-Ozturk?
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I like it - SSF competing with Redwood City in regards to new commercial buildings. If you build it, they will come. In regards to parking issues, perhaps new companies can work out a parking shuttle agreement with Genentech. BTW, why no picture of Commissioner Sarah Funes-Ozturk?
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