San Carlos commission approves design review and recommends council certify EIR for Alexandria life‑science campus

The San Carlos Planning and Transportation Commission on April 21 approved design review and related permits for the proposed Alexandria Center for Life Sciences and voted to recommend that the City Council certify the project’s environmental impact report and adopt plan‑development (PD) zoning and the development agreement.

The actions covered design review for Phase 1 (two buildings), a tentative parcel map, the transportation demand management (TDM) plan, grading and dirt‑haul certificate, a master sign program, and a protected tree removal authorization. Commissioner Castaneda moved the first recommendation; Commissioner Anand and Commissioner Bundy joined subsequent motions. The commission’s roll call recorded four votes in favor (Commissioners Anand, Bundy, Castaneda and Chair Clements); Vice Chair Garvey was excused. The third motion (design review, tentative parcel map and related permits) is a planning commission action and is subject to a 10‑day appeal to the City Council.

Why it matters: the project would redevelop roughly 25½ acres in the city’s East Side Innovation District into a multi‑building life‑science campus, with the applicant and staff saying…