Commission approves consent calendar minutes; grants extension for John Muir Concord campus project

The City of Concord Planning Commission on Aug. 15 unanimously approved the Aug. 6 meeting minutes as part of the consent calendar and approved an extension for the John Muir Health Concord Medical Center seismic replacement and modernization project after pulling the item for discussion.

Chair Barber recused himself from item 4B and left the dais; Vice Chair Mizutani presided over the discussion. Commissioner Corio said her questions were satisfied by follow‑up emails from planning staff, and Vice Chair Mizutani said she would vote in favor of the extension but pulled it to highlight that staff materials referenced plans to evaluate a fuel‑cell power generation system for the campus. Mizutani said the commission should consider whether such a fuel‑cell would represent a substantive change under the General Plan and the city’s Climate Action Plan because the system could change on‑site fuel usage.

Planning staff said the city had not received an application for a fuel‑cell installation and that, if and when such an application is submitted, it could be reviewed at the staff level under existing code, but that any commissioner may 'call up' a staff decision within 10 days of a final staff determination for commission review. Michael Menaldo, representing John Muir Health, told the commission the campus currently uses on‑site cogeneration with natural gas combustion engines, that fuel cells would allow on‑site electricity generation with low emissions and eventual conversion to hydrogen when it becomes available, and that their consultants believe the proposed fuel‑cell emissions fall within previously‑approved entitlements.

After taking public comment (none opposed) and hearing the applicant’s representative, the commission voted to approve the extension. The vote was recorded and the extension was adopted.