Consider appeals of approved 155-unit affordable housing project at 5620 Central Avenue
In Plain English
The Planning Commission already approved a 155-unit affordable housing development with reduced parking, less open space, and increased height. Both the developer and the Richmond Annex Neighborhood Council are appealing this decision to city council. The council will decide whether to uphold, modify, or overturn the original approval.
Auto-generated summary. Source: official agenda documents.
Votes
Motion · Official minutes
Reject both appeals and uphold the Planning Commission's recommendations
3 aye · 3 nay · 1 absent
Why This Vote Matters
A 155-unit affordable housing project at 5620 Central Avenue remains in limbo after the council deadlocked 3-3 on whether to uphold the Planning Commission's approval. The development would include reduced parking, less open space, and increased building height compared to standard requirements. Both the developer and the Richmond Annex Neighborhood Council had appealed the Planning Commission's decision, but the tie vote means the original approval stands for now. With Councilmember Bates absent, the council will likely need to revisit this contentious project at a future meeting.
Auto-generated context based on official minutes.
Substitute motion · Official minutes
Reject both appeals and uphold the Planning Commission's recommendations and add that the creek corridor be naturalized and restored and forego setbacks on Central and San Mateo, and also include the friendly amendments by Councilmember McLaughlin to revise the resolution language, and add a further condition about inclusion of a commercial element on the first floor
3 aye · 3 nay · 1 absent
Why This Vote Matters
A proposal to approve a 155-unit affordable housing project on Central Avenue with additional environmental requirements failed in a 3-3 tie vote. The motion would have upheld the Planning Commission's earlier approval while adding conditions to restore the nearby creek corridor, eliminate certain building setbacks, and include ground-floor commercial space. With one council member absent, the deadlock means the appeals from both the developer and the Richmond Annex Neighborhood Council remain unresolved, leaving the project's fate uncertain until the matter returns to council.
Auto-generated context based on official minutes.
Substitute motion · Official minutes
Refer the item back to the Planning Commission
2 aye · 2 nay · 2 abstain · 1 absent
Why This Vote Matters
The city council failed to send a controversial affordable housing project back to the Planning Commission for further review. The proposal would build 155 affordable units on Central Avenue with reduced parking and open space requirements, but both the developer and neighborhood group are unhappy with the Planning Commission's original approval and asked the council to intervene. In a tie vote, Martinez and Beckles supported sending it back for more planning work, while Butt and Pimplé opposed the delay, and McLaughlin and Myrick abstained rather than breaking the deadlock. The failed motion leaves the council still needing to decide whether to approve, modify, or reject the housing development as originally planned by the Planning Commission.
Auto-generated context based on official minutes.
Motions without individual roll-call records
Motion · Official minutes
Close the public hearing
Related agenda records
Automatically matched by topic. Open an item to check its relevance and each motion’s outcome.
Appeal of 289-unit transit oriented affordable housing development
Senior Housing Appeal - 300-338 and 400-412 Macdonald Avenue
Variance Appeal - 335 and 343 Summit Place
Appeal of Design Review Permit for Hilltop Apartments mixed-use development
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO THE JANUARY 16, 2024, CITY COUNCIL MEETING