The Pacifica City Council on Dec. 2 certified the environmental impact report and approved a package of legislative and permit actions enabling a 19‑unit mixed‑use project at 570 Crespi Drive and the eastern 55 feet of 540 Crespi Drive, including rezoning, a development agreement with Breakwater Crespi LLC and a purchase and sale agreement for part of the community‑center parcel.

City staff and the project's consultants told the council the site plan includes three buildings totaling about 44,000 square feet, 3,165 square feet of commercial space, 47 parking spaces and 1,600 square feet of usable open space; roughly 46% of the combined parcel is proposed to remain undeveloped as conservation because of wetlands. City documents show the sale price for the city portion at $750,000 and a negotiated additional affordable‑housing payment of $272,000, plus a driveway lease of $7,700 per year.

Staff and the project's planner, Rod Stinson of Rainey Planning and Management, said the final EIR addressed the full set of CEQA issues after a recirculation of the biological resources chapter in response to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife comment. Stinson said most biological impacts can be mitigated but that vehicle‑miles‑traveled (VMT) and greenhouse‑gas impacts remain "significant and unavoidable" under current Bay Area thresholds even after feasible mitigation. "Even with subsidized transit and design measures, the project did not meet the VMT reduction threshold," he said.

Developer Eamon Murphy described the proposal as "responsible infill" and told the council the family and design team had worked with city staff and consultants for years to preserve half the lot, add three on‑site below‑market‑rate units and provide community benefits including improved senior drop‑off and parking at the community center. "Because of these studies, more than half our property will now be left as conservation," Murphy said.

The council debated a series of conditions before voting. Staff recommended and the council added conditions that require: (1) increased tree replacement (planning‑commission condition modified from 9 replacement trees to 15), (2) applicable tree removal permits and the grading/building permits to be in place prior to any tree removals, (3) a restriction prohibiting grading, retaining walls or other site improvements on city property unless expressly authorized in writing by the city, (4) a requirement that each garage include a 50‑amp receptacle for EV charging, and (5) a clarification that execution of the purchase and sale agreement be subject to submission of required Surplus Lands Act documents to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and HCD review.

Votes at a glance: the council unanimously certified the EIR and approved the general plan amendment and ordinances by 5‑0; the planning‑permit package (site development permit, conditional use/parking exception, tentative map and related discretionary permits) passed 3‑2, with Vice Mayor Boles and Council Member Espinosa voting no; the purchase and sale agreement passed 3‑2 with the same no votes.

Why it matters: The project represents one of Pacifica's larger infill proposals in recent years and advances the city’s goals for mixed‑use development while raising tensions about wetlands protection, transparency in the sale of city land, tree preservation and how to address regional transportation‑related environmental standards.

What’s next: The ordinance was introduced and the development agreement was brought forward with the council’s edits; the final subdivision map and building permits must still satisfy conditions and the city engineer’s review before any construction. The purchase and sale agreement is conditioned on the city submitting required Surplus Lands Act documentation to HCD and completing HCD's review.