Pinole planning commission asks staff to rewrite APN 80 redevelopment guidance after extended discussion

The Pinole Planning Commission on Sept. 8 directed staff to rework a draft resolution guiding redevelopment of the APN 80 shopping center and continue the item to the commission's next regular meeting.

Commissioners asked staff to consolidate and reword the draft to prefer a mixed-use, walkable development that could include both market-rate and affordable housing, more green space and dedicated community gathering areas, and retail space sized to attract grocery operators that offer significant prepared-food sales. Planning Manager David Hannum presented a redline of the resolution and said staff had incorporated feedback from the prior meeting.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the site represents a major redevelopment opportunity along the I-80 corridor and could affect local food access, sales-tax revenue and neighborhood quality of life. Several members argued the city should give developers flexibility to build a financially viable project while signaling clear priorities: walkability, public open space, community event space and retail that serves neighborhood needs.

Comments and direction: Commissioners discussed and directed edits on several specific topics:

- Market-rate plus affordable housing: Commissioners agreed to add language asking the developer to "consider market-rate and affordable housing" so lenders and developers could evaluate feasible financing models. Commissioner Martinez said the change would allow developers to run realistic business cases while still pushing for affordable units.

- Grocery and prepared food: Commissioners debated wording that could appear to favor higher-end chains alongside affordable grocery options. Several commissioners said they wanted to encourage grocers that provide culturally relevant, healthy and affordable choices and that include a meaningful amount of prepared foods (which generate taxable sales). The draft currently cites examples (Whole Foods, H Mart, Las Montanas) as illustrative, and commissioners asked staff to make the functional goals explicit (affordable, healthy, culturally relevant and a meaningful prepared-food component) rather than listing any single preferred tenant.

- Preserve vs. rebuild: Commissioner Bender argued the existing strip-mall buildings are generally in poor condition and likely not worth preserving, noting seismic-code and carbon considerations. Other commissioners pointed out that adaptive reuse can attract lower-cost operators who avoid new-construction expenses. The commission did not reach a final policy but directed staff to remove a requirement that the site "must" preserve structures and to instead include language encouraging consideration of adaptive reuse where feasible.

- Views, privacy and design mitigation: Commissioners asked for explicit mitigation measures to protect the privacy of existing adjacent residences if taller buildings overlook them (examples mentioned: stepped building forms, heavy landscape buffers and screening). Staff agreed to rephrase the height-and-view language to require proposed designs to include concrete mitigation measures when necessary.

- Noise, light and air pollution: Commissioners asked the draft to explicitly reference mitigation for vehicle noise, light pollution and vehicle exhaust, with landscape buffers and other measures included as potential solutions.

- Top-floor uses and event space: Commissioners discussed allowing restaurants or event space on upper floors in locations with desirable views, rather than requiring upper-floor residential in all locations. The commission emphasized that such choices should be balanced against privacy mitigation for nearby homes.

- Parking and site layout: The commission discussed parking-structure design to reduce surface parking and free up land for public space. Commissioners asked language be added encouraging design that avoids monolithic concrete facades and adds community benefits.

- Vacancy fee / maintenance: Several commissioners requested that staff research a citywide commercial vacancy fee or other tools to ensure long-term maintenance of prominent, long-vacant commercial properties and report back. Planning Manager Hannum said council action would be required to create a fee and staff would research examples and applicable legal steps.

Outcome and next steps: After extensive line-by-line direction, the commission voted unanimously to continue the item to the next regular Planning Commission meeting so staff can incorporate the edits, renumber the document and return a near-final draft for formal recommendation to city council. The motion to continue passed on a roll-call vote (7-0).

Staff and developers will return a revised, renumbered resolution. The commission indicated it expects the redraft to (1) consolidate overlapping bullets, (2) spell out desired program priorities (walkability, public open space, mixed housing, grocery with prepared food), (3) add explicit mitigation language for privacy/noise/light/air, and (4) include a request to council that staff study a possible vacancy fee or maintenance requirements for long-vacant commercial properties.