Title
PLN17-0094 - 900 Mound St (Krusi Park) - Applicant: City of Alameda Recreation and Parks Department. A public hearing to consider final approval for Design Review to construct a 2,376 square foot multi-purpose building at the center of Krusi Park. On May 8, 2017, the Planning Board approved a Use Permit to allow the construction of the multi-purpose building within the O (Open Space) Zoning District, provided comments on the proposed design to the applicant, and required a final design be brought back for Planning Board approval. The project is located within the O (Open Space) Zoning District. This project is a Class 3 Categorical Exemption and no additional environmental review is necessary pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15303, New Construction of Small Structures
Body
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: David Sablan, Planner II
Re: PLN17-0094 - 900 Mound St (Krusi Park) - Applicant: City of Alameda Recreation and Parks Department. A public hearing to consider final approval for Design Review to construct a 2,376 square foot multi-purpose building at the center of Krusi Park. On May 8, 2017, the Planning Board approved a Use Permit to allow the construction of the multi-purpose building within the O (Open Space) Zoning District, provided comments on the proposed design to the applicant, and required a final design be brought back for Planning Board approval. The project is located within the O (Open Space) Zoning District. This project is a Class 3 Categorical Exemption and no additional environmental review is necessary pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15303, New Construction of Small Structures.
BACKGROUND
In September 2011, the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) began the process for designing a new multi-purpose building at Krusi Park, to be funded by the East Bay Regional Park District’s (EBRPD) Measure WW grant funding. However, after the City Council put the project out for bid in September 2012, all proposals came in over budget and in February 2013, the City Council rejected all bids. ARPD is now proposing a pre-fabricated building to ensure construction costs stay within the project’s budget. On May 8, 2017, the Planning Board approved a Use Permit to allow the construction of a multi-purpose building within the O (Open Space) Zoning District and provided specific comments on the building design. ARPD has submitted revised plans addressing the Planning Board’s design comments and is now requesting approval of the final design (Exhibit 1).
ANALYSIS
On May 8, 2017, the Planning Board provided these comments on the project design:
• Provide better cohesion between windows and doors.
• Revise reveal lines in the cement plaster siding.
• Bike racks be located next to main entry and consistent with Bike Master Plan.
• Provide landscaping around the building.
• Locate drinking fountains and amenities near pedestrian activity.
Building Design
The proposed multi-purpose building is approximately sixty-six feet (66’) wide by thirty-six feet (36’) long and features an asymmetrical shed roof that has four foot (4’) overhangs on the North and South elevations. The siding on all four elevations will be a mix of horizontal fiber-cement lap siding, with six inch (6”) reveal, and cement plaster with aluminum plaster reveal lines. The aluminum reveal lines in the cement plaster portions of the building’s exterior will line up and match the spacing and size of the windows and exterior doors. The form and massing of the proposed building is consistent with the adjacent buildings at Otis Elementary School. The proposed windows will be anodized aluminum and will be a mix of casement windows, horizontal sliding windows, and awning windows.
Building Amenities
The building will be replacing a smaller existing multi-purpose structure with public restrooms, the site is surrounded by an existing pedestrian concrete walkway that is also used for ARPD maintenance vehicles. The location and orientation of the building and associated amenities, such as bike racks and drinking fountains, were chosen to allow continued pedestrian and vehicle access to the existing walkways. This impacts the ability to locate the bicycle racks, as discussed by the Planning Board, adjacent to the main entrance as it will reduce the width of the pathway and block maintenance and emergency vehicle access. Bike racks have been located on the East side of the building, rather than on the South elevation where the main entrance to the multi-purpose room is located, so that the bike racks can be installed in compliance with the spacing and clearance requirements of the City’s Bike Master Plan and to maintain clearance needed for vehicle access.
Perimeter Landscaping
Landscape planters that would be located along the boundary of the building would encroach into the existing walkways and block vehicle access. Instead, less than 2,500 square feet of existing nearby turf area will be replaced with new landscaped areas. Under the City’s Bay Friendly and Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) the project will not qualify as a “covered project” because the project proposes refurbishing less than 2,500 square of existing landscaped area in aggregate. Therefore a completed Landscape Document Package and a completed Bay-Friendly Landscape Scorecard are not required for this project. However, ARPD staff will be installing the landscaping in accordance with WELO standards and the Bay-Friendly Landscaping Guidelines.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is determined to be Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15303(c) - New Construction of Small Structures, because the project consists of the construction of a structure less than 2,500 square feet of floor area.
PUBLIC NOTICE and Comments
Property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project’s boundaries were notified of the public hearing and given the opportunity to review and comment on the proposal.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and approve Design Review, application no. PLN17-0094, with conditions set forth in the draft resolution (Exhibit 2).
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Assistant Community Development Director
By,
David Sablan, Planner II
Exhibits:
1. Project Plans
2. Draft Resolution