On January 8, the city released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the proposed 123 Independence Drive project, located at 119-127 Independence Drive, 1205 Chrysler Drive and 130 Constitution Drive. The NOP is part of the environmental review process and identifies that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared for the proposed project.

Members of the public are encouraged to review the NOP and participate in the upcoming January 25, 2021, Planning Commission meeting, to provide comments at the EIR scoping session. The comment review period is happening now through Monday, February 8, 2021. Written comments must be submitted no later than 5 p.m., Monday, February 8.

123 Independence Drive:

• Demolish the existing office and industrial buildings and redevelop the site with a mixed-use project consisting of a major subdivision for 67 for-sale town homes.
• Construction of a 316-unit rental apartment building and an 88,750 square foot office building.
• The proposed project would use bonus level gross floor area, density and height in exchange for community amenities.
• The proposal includes a below market rate housing agreement requiring a minimum of 15 percent.
• Written comments must be submitted by email to Senior Planner Kaitie Meador or by letter to Kaitie Meador, Community Development, 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025. Due to the ongoing pandemic, emailed comments are preferred.

An initial study was not completed as it is anticipated this will be a full scope EIR and no topic areas will be scoped out with the exception of agricultural and forestry resources, mineral resources, and wildfire that are topic areas not anticipated to require further analysis.

More information about the project, including staff reports and plan sets, is available on the 123 Independence Drive project page.