No longer on display. Expired on
November 02, 2022, 07:00 PM
The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on this item via Zoom, Monday, May 2, 2022, at 7 p.m. or as near as possible thereafter, at which time and place interested persons may appear and be heard. The Zoom meeting link will be published as part of the meeting agenda at least 72 hours in advance. If you challenge this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Menlo Park at, or before, the public hearing.
Visit the city website for Planning Commission agenda, public hearing and staff report information at menlopark.org/PlanningCommissionAgenda.
The City of Menlo Park, as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act, has prepared a focused draft environmental impact report for the following application:
Use Permit, Architectural Control, Below Market Rate Housing Agreement, Heritage Tree Removal Permits, and Environmental Review/Tarlton Properties, LLC/1350 Adams Court
Request for a use permit, architectural control, below market rate housing agreement, heritage tree removal permits, and environmental review to develop a five-story research and development (R&D) building with up to 260,400 square feet of gross floor area, as part of the 1350 Adams Court Project in the LS-B (Life Sciences, Bonus) zoning district. The project site consists of an existing two-story approximately 188,100-square-foot life sciences building, addressed 1305 O’Brien Drive, and an undeveloped northern portion of the site. The proposed R&D building would be located on the vacant site area and the existing building would remain. Parking for the proposed new R&D building would be located in a partially-below-grade podium level with three additional levels of parking provided above grade and integrated into the building. The total gross floor area at the project site with the proposed and existing buildings would be approximately 448,500 square feet, with a total proposed floor area ratio of approximately 92% for the site. The proposal includes a request for an increase in height and floor area ratio under the bonus level development allowance in exchange for community amenities. The applicant is proposing payment of a community amenities in-lieu fee. The project also includes upgrades of water lines beneath Adams Court, along the interior of the project site, and beneath O’Brien Drive from the southwest corner of the project site frontage to the intersection with Willow Road. The project also includes a hazardous materials use permit request to allow a diesel generator to operate the facilities in the event of a power outage or emergency.
A draft environmental impact report has been prepared and will be released Monday, April 4, 2022. An initial study and notice of preparation were released December 10, 2018, and included a public review period from Dec. 10, 2018, through Jan. 24, 2019 to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project and determine what level of additional environmental review would be appropriate. In accordance with 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 environmental impact report and discuss whether the project is within the parameters of the ConnectMenlo EIR or if additional analysis would be necessary. Based on the findings of the initial study, and consistent with the settlement agreement between the City of Menlo Park and the City of East Palo Alto, a draft environmental impact report was prepared to address potential physical environmental effects of the proposed project in the following areas: population and housing, transportation, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, noise (operation – traffic noise, construction noise and vibration), and utilities and energy. The draft environmental impact report does not identify any significant and unavoidable environmental impacts from the proposed project. The City is requesting comments on the content of this focused draft environmental impact report. The project location does not contain a toxic site pursuant to Section 6596.2 of the Government Code.
Copies of the draft environmental impact report and notice of availability are available on the City’s website at menlopark.org/1350AdamsCourt, starting Monday, April 4, 2022. A hard copy is available for review at the Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., and the Belle Haven Branch Library, 413 Ivy Drive. Interested parties should inquire at the library information desk.
The 45-day comment period required by CEQA Guidelines Section 15105 for the draft environmental impact report has been set from Monday, April 4, through Thursday, May 19, 2022. Following the close of the public review period, the City will prepare a final environmental impact report, which will include responses to all substantive comments received on the draft environmental impact report.
If you would like to submit written comments on the draft environmental impact report, you are encouraged to do so before 5 p.m., Thursday, May 19, 2022. Written comments may be submitted to Acting Principal Planner Tom Smith at tasmith@menlopark.org or mailed to:
Tom Smith
Community Development
701 Laurel St.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, email correspondence is preferred. Please contact Acting Principal Planner Tom Smith with any questions or comments.