Title
PLN14-0359-2700 Bette Street- Applicant: Resources for Community Development (RCD) and City of Alameda Housing Authority. Minor Modifications to a Final Development Plan and Major Design Review for a 32-Unit Affordable Housing Development.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
Memorandum
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas
City Planner
Date: March 23, 2015
Re: PLN14-0359-2700 Bette Street- Applicant: Resources for Community Development (RCD) and City of Alameda Housing Authority. Minor Modifications to a Final Development Plan and Major Design Review for a 32-Unit Affordable Housing Development.
BACKGROUND
On July 28, 2014, the Planning Board reviewed and approved a final development plan and design review application for Stargell Commons, at 2700 Bette Street. As described in the July 28, 2014 staff report, the proposed project is located on a .94 parcel of land on Stargell Avenue between Shinsei Gardens Apartments and the TRI Pointe multifamily buildings on 5th Street. The project will provide 32 units for very low- and low-income households within walking distance to future parks, retail services, and transportation services. The City's Housing Authority will own the land and lease the land to a limited partnership entity.
Since the July 28, 2014 approval, RCD has made minor revisions to the design. The residential buildings are shown modified in the following ways (Exhibit 1, Proposed Design Changes):
- Buildings #1 and #2A are moved together. One "tuck-under" bay has been removed, and these stalls are open to the sky.
- The space between buildings #2B and #2C has been "filled in" with bicycle parking on the ground floor and a 3BR townhome on the upper floors. A five foot wide "walk-through" is now included to allow residents parking along Patriot Lane access to the interior courtyard.
- A five foot wide walkway has been added at the head of the stalls against the residential buildings (stalls 11-21 and 22-34). This allows for parking-side back doors for the ground floor flats and buffers the units somewhat from the parked cars.
- The tree wells and landscaping around the surface parking have been adjusted to work with the new building configuration, and maintain required on-site landscaped stormwater treatment areas.
- Overall on-site parking count reduced from 35 to 34. Off-site (west parcel) parking to remain at 13. Overall count changed from 48 to 47 stalls.
- Along with the modifications to the residential buildings, certain areas of the metal panel roof and wall have been changed to TPO (flat) roof and stucco. Refer to attached elevations. These changes were made with the intent to maintain the original approved appearance as much as possible.
- The overall unit mix has changed slightly as a result of the residential building reconfiguration. See Exhibit 1 for the new unit mix.
ANALYSIS
Staff has determined that the proposed changes are minor changes that are consistent with the Planning Board's July 28, 2014 findings and conditions of approval. Therefore, staff has concluded that the changes do not require an additional Planning Board-noticed public hearing to approve an amendment to the design plans approved by the Planning Board on July 28, 2014.
If the Planning Board disagrees with staff's assessment, staff will notice and schedule a public hearing to consider a Design Review amendment.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On December 5, 2006, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Landing Mixed Use Development Project (a Supplement to the 2000 Catellus Mixed Use Development Project EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse #2006012091). The City approved three Addenda to the 2006 SEIR in 2007, 2008 and 2012 that found that this project will not result in any new or substantially more severe environmental impacts than identified in the SEIR.
a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. The project meets this criterion because as proposed it is consistent with the the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Landing Mixed Use Development Project (a Supplement to the 2000 Catellus Mixed Use Development Project EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse #2006012091). The City approved three Addenda to the 2006 SEIR in 2007, 2008 and 2012 that found that this project will not result in any new or substantially more severe environmental impacts than identified in the SEIR.
b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The project site is located within the Alameda Landing Planned Development, an urban multi-use planned development, and the project site parcel is approximately .94 acres in size.
c) The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. The area of the proposed development is currently vacant. The vacant site has no habitat value for any endangered, rare, or threatened wildlife species.
d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air navigation, air quality, or water quality. The proposed project will have only minor effects on traffic. The proposed project is designed in a way that will not result in any significant noise, air quality or water quality effects.
e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The project site is located within a planned development that is currently installing the basic water, sewer, and other utility infrastructure necessary to support the proposed project. The site has access to all other public services provided by the City.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Board endorse staff's determination approving minor modifications to Final Development Plan and Major Design Review for PLN14-0359.
Respectfully Submitted,
Debbie Potter
Community Development Director `
Exhibit:
1. Applicant's Proposed Design Changes