Planning commissioners continue review of proposed 35‑unit condo at 271 El Camino Real after packet error

San Bruno planning staff presented a plan for a new four‑story, 35‑unit condominium building at 271 El Camino Real and recommended continuing the item to the commission’s March 17 meeting after discovering attachments referenced in the staff report were missing from the online packet.

The project would place a primary, four‑story residential building along El Camino Real with ground‑level parking (51 spaces) and a separate two‑story building fronting Linden Avenue containing two accessory dwelling units. Staff said the design increases unit count from a previously approved 23‑unit plan and shifts parking from underground to above ground to improve financial feasibility.

Staff told commissioners the project includes four very‑low‑income units (about 15 percent of base units) to qualify for a state density‑bonus concession. That concession is the rationale for several requested exceptions: an increase in maximum height to about 55.5 feet for a taller stair tower, an increase from three to four stories, a modest front‑setback reduction and a two‑space reduction from the typical 53‑space parking requirement to 51 spaces (including some mechanical spaces). Staff said the project is being evaluated under the CEQA categorical infill exemption (CEQA §15332) and that the tentative map complies with the city’s Chapter 12.32 rules for subdivision maps.

The applicant, identified as Larry, told the commission the project began in 2015 and evolved after several developers determined an underground garage was not financially viable; lifting the parking relieved waterproofing concerns, reduced construction complexity and allowed a more articulated facade, he said.

Public commenters voiced both support and concerns. "We encourage the developer to explore hiring a responsible general contractor who adheres to area labor standards," said Armando Murillo, field representative for Carpenters Local 217. Neighbors raised questions about parking spillover, driveway daylighting, construction dust and noise, and potential tenant impacts from prolonged construction. "When the project was built at Safeway in Newbury, dust and disruption lasted about a year and affected nearby units," one neighbor said.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on parking and neighborhood impacts. Staff said the project’s single access point is off El Camino Real, that Caltrans review is required for any encroachment or daylighting at the driveway, and that the city’s standard conditions address construction dust control and hours. Commissioners noted state law increasingly limits local parking requirements for transit‑proximate housing and cited prior studies showing lower vehicle ownership near transit.

Because attachments referenced in the staff report were not included in the published meeting materials, the commission voted to continue the architecture review, density‑bonus and tentative‑map decision to the March 17, 2026 meeting so staff can supply the omitted conditions and supporting documents.

Votes at a glance: • Motion to continue action on the architecture review permit, density bonus and vesting tentative map for 271 El Camino Real to the March 17, 2026 meeting — moved by the chair, seconded; roll call vote recorded in favor by the commissioners present; motion passed. • Other procedural votes taken later in the meeting included elections for commission chair and vice chair and approval of minutes.