2026-10-05 - Planning Commission

00:00Good evening and welcome to the October

00:025th, 2026 meeting of the Menllo Park

00:04Planning Commission. I am vice chair

00:06Katie Baruzi and I thank you for joining

00:07us this evening. Established by state

00:10law, our city's planning commission is

00:12composed of seven volunteer residents of

00:14Menllo Park appointed to four-year terms

00:16by the city council. Our planning

00:18commission is not a policy setting body.

00:20That's the city council. We are a policy

00:22implementing body. We review development

00:25proposals on public and private lands

00:27for compliance with our city's general

00:28plan and zoning ordinances, which can be

00:30found on the city's website. The

00:32commission reviews all development

00:34proposals requiring a use permit,

00:35architectural control, a variance, minor

00:38subdivision, as well as the

00:39environmental reviews associated with

00:41those projects. The commission is the

00:43final decision-making body for these

00:44applications unless appealed to city

00:46council. The commission also serves as

00:48the recommending body to the city

00:50council for major subdivisions, resoning

00:52conditional development permits, zoning

00:55ordinance amendments, general plan

00:56amendments, environmental reviews, and

00:58below market rate or BMR housing

01:00agreements associated with those

01:01projects. We work closely with the staff

01:04in our city's planning division who are

01:05responsible for processing development

01:07applications as well as for both

01:09implementing and amending the general

01:10plan, zoning ordinances, and related

01:12policies. In order to further the goals

01:14of the city, we encourage your active

01:17participation whether you are an

01:19applicant or an interested member of the

01:20public. And there will be an opportunity

01:22to speak publicly for each specific

01:24agenda item as well as for the general

01:26public comment. And with that, I will

01:28call the role. Commissioner Eric,

01:31>> present.

01:32>> Commissioner Feric,

01:34>> here.

01:34>> Commissioner Hedley,

01:35>> present.

01:36>> Commissioner Schindler

01:37>> here.

01:38>> Commissioner Sllin,

01:39>> present.

01:40>> And I am Vice Chair Baruzi and I'm also

01:42present. So we have six commissioners in

01:44chambers which is a quorum. The next

01:46item on our agenda is reports and

01:48announce announcements. Miss Sammy, are

01:50there any staff reports or announcements

01:52this evening?

01:54>> Uh good evening, Vice Chair Baruzi and

01:57Commissioners. I don't have any reports

01:59or announcements. Thank you.

02:02>> Thank you. Do any commissioners have

02:04questions about Well, no, there were no

02:07announcements. Any commissioners have

02:08reports or announcements of their own?

02:12Okay, in that case, we'll move on to

02:15item D, public comment.

02:18Under public comment, the public may

02:19address the commission on any subject

02:21not listed on the agenda. Each speaker

02:23may address the commission once under

02:25public comment for a limit of 3 minutes.

02:27You're not required to provide your

02:29name, district, or city of residence,

02:30but it is helpful. The commission cannot

02:33act on items not listed on the agenda

02:35and therefore the commission cannot

02:36respond to non-aggenda issues brought up

02:38under public comment other than to

02:40provide general information. Please know

02:42that if you're here to comment on one of

02:43our agenda items, you'll have a chance

02:45to speak when we get to that item of the

02:46agenda. To learn how to participate, I'm

02:49going to turn to our clerk this evening,

02:51Miss Roy, and then begin our public

02:52comment period.

02:54>> Thank you, Vice Chair Baruzi. At this

02:57time, if members of public in the

02:59council chamber wishes to provide a

03:01public comment on item D, please provide

03:05me a comment card from the table at the

03:08back. If you're joining via Zoom, please

03:10click on the raised hand button or if

03:12you're calling in, please press star 9

03:14on your keypad and will be notified of

03:16your desire to speak.

03:20Please note that this will be the final

03:22call for the public comment on item D.

03:28I'm not seeing any hand raised or

03:30comment cards at the moment.

03:32>> In that case, I will now close the

03:34public comment portion of our agenda.

03:37Next, we'll move on to our consent

03:38calendar. Item E1, approval of minutes

03:40from the September 28th, 2026 planning

03:43commission meeting. Uh, Miss Roy, could

03:46you please call for public comment on

03:47item E1?

03:49>> Thank you once again, Vice Chair Verusi,

03:52um, planning commissioners and members

03:54of public. Once again, if uh if you are

03:57member of public in the council chamber

03:59wishes to provide a public comment on

04:01item E1, please provide me a comment

04:04card from the back table. If you're

04:06joining via zoom, please click on the

04:07raised hand button or if you're calling

04:09in, press done nine on your keypad and

04:12we'll be notified of your desire to

04:14speak.

04:15And note that this will be the final

04:17call for public comment on item E1.

04:22I'm not seeing any hand raised or

04:23comment cards. Uh, Vice Chair Veroi, you

04:26may continue.

04:27>> In that case, I'll close public comment

04:29on E1. And unless any commissioner has

04:31comments that they'd like to make, I

04:33will go ahead and call for a a motion to

04:37approve.

04:39>> So moved.

04:40>> Second. Okay. So, we had a motion to

04:43approve from Commissioner Far, a second

04:44from Commissioner Headley, and I'll look

04:46for a show of hands.

04:50Okay, all present in chambers voted to

04:54approve the minutes and we have one

04:55commissioner absent.

04:59Okay, we'll now move on to item F1,

05:01first public hearing item, the only

05:03public hearing item tonight actually,

05:05regarding a use permit for six Robert S.

05:07Drive. At this public hearing, the

05:10commission may consider and adopt a

05:11resolution to approve a use permit

05:13revision for an addition to an existing

05:15non-conforming two-story single family

05:17residence in the residential estate

05:19zoning district on a substandard lot

05:21with regard to minimum lot width. The

05:23original use permit was approved in

05:252002. We'll also be asked to determine

05:28that this action is categorically exempt

05:29under SQA guideline section 15301's

05:32class one exemption for existing

05:34facilities. Our staff planner tonight is

05:36Matthew Ball. Um, and I understand that

05:40the architect, Mr. Eric Peterson, is

05:42also in the chambers and might make some

05:45opening remarks. But first, um, Mr.

05:47Ball, are there any changes or updates

05:49to the staff report?

05:51>> Good evening, Chair uh, Vice Chair

05:53Buuzi, I don't have any updates to the

05:55staff report. Um, but I am available for

05:58any questions.

06:00>> Wonderful. So, in that case, I would

06:02like to welcome Mr. Peterson to the

06:04microphone to talk a bit about this

06:05project.

06:15>> I think you need to get closer to it. I

06:18don't know if it's on, but you

06:19definitely want to speak into it.

06:22>> Is it on? Oh, there we go. Oh, yeah.

06:24There you go.

06:24>> Okay.

06:25>> Uh, good evening, commissioners. My name

06:28is Eric Peterson, one of the principles

06:30and architects over at Pacific Peninsula

06:32Architecture. Um, I've worked with the

06:34Craigs on this remodel project and it

06:36really isn't too much to say. The house

06:38is, you know, existing home on Robert S.

06:41Drive. We added a little bit to the back

06:42of the house on the second floor. um

06:45with being cognizant of any privacy

06:47concerns with any of the neighboring

06:49houses behind and um you know with the

06:52use permit process that Matthew uh

06:54helped me guide me through. I think um

06:59we'll see what you say, but I feel like

07:01it's well designed and hopefully gets

07:03approved.

07:07>> Okay. Okay, while we have the architect

07:09here, uh does anybody on the dis have

07:12any questions for either the architect

07:14or city staff before we go to public

07:15comment? Clarifying questions.

07:20>> Um I just wanted to ask whether uh in

07:23response to the neighbor outreach of of

07:25July or August, we we saw the letter. Um

07:28so thank you very much. Was just

07:29wondering if any feedback was received.

07:32>> I did not receive any. Neither did the

07:34Craigs. So, as far as I know, everything

07:37was good.

07:38>> Okay. Thank you.

07:39>> Sure.

07:42>> Anything else? Uh, in that case, Miss

07:45Roy, could you please open the item for

07:46public comment?

07:50>> Um, thank you, Vice Chair Veruzi. Once

07:52again, at this time, we are opening

07:54public comment for this item F1. If

07:57anyone in the council chamber wishes to

08:00provide a public comment on this item,

08:02please provide me a comment card from

08:04the back table. If you are joining via

08:06Zoom, please click on the raised hand

08:07button or if you are calling in, please

08:10press star 9 on your keypad and we'll be

08:12notified of your speaking. Uh this is

08:15the final call for the public comment on

08:18item F1.

08:21At the moment, I'm not seeing any hand

08:23raised or u comment cards with me.

08:27>> Let's keep it open for another half

08:28hour. Just kidding.

08:30>> [laughter]

08:30>> Um, in that case, I'll go ahead and

08:32close public comment and let's move into

08:34commission discussion and ultimately I

08:36hope a motion regarding the use permit.

08:46>> Commissioner Veric, it looks like a

08:49beautifully designed home.

08:52In if commissioners are ready, I'd be

08:54happy to make a motion.

08:57I move that we approve the use permit

09:00for six Robert S Drive and um per the

09:05staff report.

09:07>> Second.

09:10>> Any discussion or will we go ahead and

09:11take a vote? Okay, let's go ahead and

09:14take a vote. Commissioner Eric,

09:17>> um I support this project, but I no

09:20longer believe it should require a use

09:21permit and so I'm going to vote no.

09:24>> Ooh, spicy. Uh, Commissioner Feric,

09:27>> yes.

09:28>> Commissioner Hedley,

09:29>> yes.

09:29>> Commissioner Schindler,

09:31>> yes.

09:32>> Commissioner Selen,

09:33>> yes.

09:34>> Uh, I am also a yes. So, this passes

09:37with five yeses, one no and one absent.

09:44I will now close this item and we will

09:47move on to Gformmational items. Miss

09:50Samire, do staff have anyformational

09:52items they'd like to share?

09:58Yes. So, uh the next meeting will be in

10:00two weeks on October 19th.

10:04Um we have a single family home um

10:07requiring variances on that agenda. And

10:11um

10:13we may have other items, but the agenda

10:15hasn't been finalized yet.

10:18[snorts]

10:19>> Okay. Oh, sorry. Any

10:21>> Oh, no. That concludes my updates. Thank

10:23you. All right. Uh, any questions from

10:26commissioners or does anybody on the dis

10:29have anformational item? And it looks

10:31like Commissioner Feric does.

10:32>> Just a reminder, I said it last time,

10:34but the 19th I will need to be absent

10:36due to work travel.

10:40>> Yes, Commissioner Eric,

10:41>> I will also be absent on the 19th due to

10:43work travel.

10:47>> Okay. Uh, in that case, I think we're

10:50done and I will go ahead and adjourn the

10:52meeting at 7:15 p.m. That's got to be a

10:54new record.

10:57Thanks, everybody.