Title
Public Workshop to Review and Give Direction for the Preparation of a Development Plan for the West Midway/RESHAP Project at Alameda Point
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On May 19, 2020, the City Council and entered into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) with a joint venture including Brookfield Homes and Catellus (collectively, Developer) for the development of a 43 acre site at Alameda Point referred to as the “West Midway site”. One primary purpose of the agreement is to facilitate and support the reconstruction of the Alameda Point Collaborative housing (the “RESHAP project”) on approximately 10 acres within the 43 acre area.
Over the last two years, the Developer has been evaluating the site constraints and costs. Staff received an initial draft Development Plan (Exhibit 1) a few days before publication of this staff report, and has not had time to fully review the document or share the document with the other departments for their review. Therefore this report and the preliminary staff analysis (Exhibit 2) asks the Planning Board and the community to provide direction on four specific site planning issues that are of concern to staff based on the preliminary review. The three issues that staff would like the Planning Board to discuss are listed below:
1) Design of the street grid within the project,
2) Design of the park system within the project, and
3) Mix of housing types within the project.
The staff analysis and preliminary recommendations for changes to the draft plan are included in Exhibit 2.
BACKGROUND.
Location: The West Midway/RESHAP project area is comprised of approximately 43 acres of land immediately to the north of Site A and generally defined as the land located between Main Street, West Midway, Pan Am Way, and West Tower Avenue. The property is within the Main Street Specific Plan area. The Main Street Specific Plan is available on the City website at: <https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Base-Reuse-Alameda-Point>.
Project Description: Pursuant to prior City Council direction and prior actions, the redevelopment of the City owned land will include:
RESHAP. 309 units of housing for very low and low income households. Referred to as the “RESHAP project”, the Collaborating Partners (Alameda Point Collaborative, Building Futures with Women and Children, Operation Dignity and Mid Pen Housing) will construct the units and supportive services on approximately 10 acres of land improved by the Developer. The developer will provide a finished pad and the necessary infrastructure to the pad for the Collaborating Partners. Very low- and low-income households are households with income below 80% of area wide median income (AMI).
The RESHAP plan is designed to provide an accessible, pedestrian-oriented community with neighborhood-scale streets and buildings and safe spaces for residents who may have suffered from past traumas through strategic building placement and interior street design, while also providing residents opportunities to connect with the larger Main Street Neighborhood. The four buildings are arranged around a central plaza to allow residents from each Collaborating Partners agency to access shared services and amenities. Each building is designed to maximum energy efficiency and sustainable development standards, including adoption of the LEED Gold or equivalent certification such as Build It Green’s Green Point Rating.
The 309 apartment homes are distributed into three (3) on grade four-story, elevator-served buildings with community serving uses, one (1) mixed use four-story, elevator-served podium building with ground-floor community serving uses and residences on three floors above. An active “kitchen farm” is located at the entrance to the RESHAP community on Pan Am Way with a new “barn” structure serving as a gathering space and services for residents, within close proximity to APC’s existing Ploughshares Nursery and farm, supporting the site’s “urban agriculture” image and identity.
A well landscaped community plaza connects the barn and ground floor community spaces where residents receive supportive services and socialize, and a variety of smaller open spaces at different scales, including a plaza, children’s play areas, and indoor and outdoor community spaces are design to support this unique community.
In summary, the 9+ acre RESHAP community includes:
o Supportive housing residential apartments
o Mixed use building with ground floor community-serving commercial spaces
o Supportive services and related offices
o Community spaces and meeting room facilities
o Indoor and outdoor recreational spaces and facilities
o Administrative and property management offices
o Shelter
o Barn/community center
o Kitchen farm
o Plaza
o Open spaces and Play areas
o Parking
Moderate Income Deed Restricted Units. 51 deed-restricted moderate-income units for households with income under 120% of the AMI. These units will be constructed by the Developer.
Work Force Housing. 67 “middle income” units attainable for purchase by households with incomes in the range of 120% to 180% AMI, to be constructed by the Developer.
Market Rate Units. 362 market rate for sale units to be constructed by the Developer.
Universal Design. 49% of the units will meet the universal design requirements (the City requirement is 30%). 80% of the units are visit able (the City requirement is 100%). The project will require a waiver for the visit able units.
Parking. A maximum of 1.5 parking spaces per unit shall be provided, consistent with the City requirement.
In total, the project will provide 789 units in support of the City’s Housing Element. In addition to the residential development, the draft Development Plan provides for construction of a small commercial building on a small site at the corner of West Tower and Pan Am (across the street from Admiral Brewery), which includes Building 35 (at the corner of West Midway and Pan Am Way), which is part of the NAS Historic District and is currently occupied by a pre-school that is not part of the project area. This property will be retained by the City.
Development Plan Requirements. Pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code section 30-4.13.j, a Development Plan must include all of the following information:
• A site plan showing:
o All streets, walkways, waterways, bicycle or pedestrian paths, parking lots, building pads or sites and lot lines, drawn so as to be easily read and interpreted.
o Areas proposed to be conveyed, dedicated or reserved for parks, parkways, playgrounds, and similar public uses, or similar facilities proposed for common ownership or use.
• A plot plan showing:
o Each building site or pad, its relationship to other building sites in distance and the approximate location of all buildings, structures and improvements.
o All open space, including common open space and private open space.
• Elevations, perspective drawings, models or other graphic representations sufficient to appraise the Board of the design of the various improvements of the project.
The development plan must also include a development schedule indicating:
• The approximate date when construction of the project is expected to begin.
• The stages in which the project will be built and the approximate date when construction of each stage is expected to begin and be completed.
• The area and location of common open space that will be provided at each stage.
• An outline of the proposed agreements, provisions or covenants, if any, which will govern the use, maintenance, and continued protection of the Planned Development and any of its common open areas.
• Any additional information which the Planning Board deems necessary or desirable.
ANALYSIS
The preliminary staff analysis and recommendations for Planning Board consideration and discussion are included in Exhibit 2. The three questions are:
1. Should the street grid be revised?
2. Should the mix of housing types within the project be revised?
3. Should the park plan be revised?
RECOMMENDATION
Review and comment on the draft Development Plan (Exhibit 1) and the questions posed by staff in the preliminary staff analysis (Exhibit 2). The Board may also identify any additional information that should be provided for the Board for future public hearings on the project.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. Initial Draft Development Plan
2. Preliminary Staff Analysis