111 Independence Drive

111 Independence Drive SP Menlo LLC rendering

SP Menlo, LLC is proposing to redevelop the site with an eight story building containing approximately 105 multi-family dwelling units and an approximately 746 square foot ground floor café space. The Planning Commission certified the project environmental impact report and approved the project on April 26, 2021. The approved project includes a use permit for bonus level development and modifications to the R-MU design standards, architectural control, and below market rate (BMR) housing agreement. Bonus level development allows for an increase in height, density, and floor area ratio (FAR) in exchange for the provision of community amenities. The approved project community amenities include the ground-floor café and four additional low-income BMR units. The applicant also incorporated 13 additional market-rate units into the approved project (which are included in the total 105 units), per the density bonus provisions in the City’s BMR Housing Program (Chapter 16.96.040). 

The approved project includes 18 BMR units available to a mix of very-low, low, and moderate income households, inclusive of the 15 percent inclusionary BMR unit requirement (14 units) and the additional four BMR units to comply with the City’s community amenity requirement.

The project will be comprised of:
  • Total building: 96,055 square feet
  • Residential: 95,309 square feet (105 dwelling units)
  • Retail: 746 square feet
  • Average Height: 63.2 feet
  • Total parking: 109 spaces
  • Open Space:
     ○ Public: 4,542 square feet
    ○ Private: 14,143 square feet
Current status

On April 26, 2021 the Planning Commission approved the requested entitlements for the project. The Planning Commission's actions were not appealed to the City Council.

Environmental review

An Initial Study for the project was prepared and evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project and which determined the level of additional environmental review would be appropriate and was released on June 14, 2019, with a public review period from June 14, 2019, through July 15, 2019. In accordance with the requirements outlined in Section 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines, the project‐level Initial Study was prepared to disclose the relevant impacts and mitigation measures addressed in the certified program‐level ConnectMenlo EIR and discussed whether the project is within the parameters of the ConnectMenlo EIR or additional analysis would be necessary. 

As a result of the settlement agreement between the City of Menlo Park and the City of East Palo Alto, housing and transportation are required to be analyzed. Based on the findings of the Initial Study, a Draft EIR was prepared and included with the Notice of Availability (NOA) for the project. The focused Draft EIR, technical appendices, and NOA were released on December 4, 2020. The City accepted comments on the draft EIR through an extended 60-day comment period that ended on February 2, 2021. 

The Planning Commission held a Draft EIR public hearing and a general study session on the proposed project at its January 11, 2021, meeting. The City received two comment letters on the Draft EIR. In accordance with CEQA, staff created a response to comments document which includes any text changes to the Draft EIR, commonly known as the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Final EIR for the proposed project does not identify any significant and unavoidable environmental impacts that would result from the implementation of the proposed project. The Final EIR identifies potentially significant environmental impacts that can be mitigated to a less than significant level (LTS/M) in the following categories: Air Quality and Noise. The Final EIR identifies less than significant (LTS) environmental impacts in the following categories: Population and Housing, Transportation, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

See below for related documents. 

Project plans

Related documents

Contact us

Fahteen Khan
Associate Planner
Email

650-330-6739

 

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