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Draft Meeting Minutes - January 26, 2015
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DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015
1. CONVENE: 7:01 P.M.
2. FLAG SALUTE: Board member Köster led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL: Present: President Henneberry, Vice President Alvarez and Board Members Burton, Knox White, Köster, Tang
Absent: Board Member Zuppan.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION: None
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None
6. CONSENT CALENDAR:
6-A. 2015-228
Minor Modification to Final Development Plan and Major Design Review, PLN14-0524, for a 55,288 square Foot Building Located on a 2.82 Acre Site at 2321 North Loop Road in the Harbor Bay Business Park. The proposed project is Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15332 in-fill Development Projects
Board Member Knox White motioned to approve the consent calendar.
Board Member Burton seconded the motion.
The motion carried, 6-0.
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
7-A. 2015-1233
Public Workshop on Initial Site A Development Concept at Alameda Point.
Mr. Andrew Thomas, City Planner, introduced the item.
Mr. Thomas introduced Mr. Joe Ernst of Alameda Point Partners. Mr. Ernst thanked the Board for letting him speak. He said that he remains committed to hearing the concerns of the public, and that the team has tried to incorporate their concerns, most notably adding open space. He further stated that building housing at the site is necessary to secure the infrastructure funding needed for the project as a whole.
Mr. Ernst introduced Mr. David Israel, architect. Mr. Israel explained the uniqueness of the site within the City, and of the uniqueness of the City more generally. He emphasized the importance of taking an old site and reusing the buildings there to serve future generations. He explained the way transit and street infrastructure would have to be changed to suit the plans.
Mr. Israel introduced Ms. April Phillips, site designer. Ms. Phillips explained that the developers split the site into three open space zones. The feel of each of the three zones will be different, but they will be interconnected with each other. She emphasized the importance of the water as a place where people can congregate for many different purposes.
Ms. Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer of Alameda Point, updated the Board on the City Council meeting of January 20, 2015. She said that the Council had many positive comments about the Site A plan, but they still had some comments regarding fiscal impact, traffic and public safety. The City has a fiscal neutrality policy for Alameda Point. Ms. Ott said that staff will be meeting with the City Council and the Planning Board monthly in order to best address everybody's concerns.
Board Questions:
Board Member Köster asked Mr. Ernst to elaborate on Phase Zero. Mr. Ernst replied that Phase Zero will focus on activities and events that can be regularly held at the Point. The developers want to work with Alameda businesses to bring permanent and recurring events to the open spaces at Alameda Point.
Vice President Alvarez asked Mr. Thomas about environmental and financial aspects of the plan, and what the role of the Board is with regard to these issues.
Mr. Thomas replied that the Board's job is to advise the Council on the adequacy of the development plan. He explained that Ms. Ott was working directly with the Council and the developers regarding the financial aspects of the plan.
Vice President Alvarez asked Mr. Thomas to remind the public about the agreement with the Navy about the land at Alameda Point.
Mr. Thomas explained to the public that the City can build no more than 1,425 housing units at the former Base site. About 1,200 have yet to be built. About 800 units are to be included on the Site A site.
Vice President Alvarez asked Mr. Thomas about the Planning Board and Transportation Commission's joint meeting.
Mr. Thomas said that the meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at the Council Chambers.
Board Member Knox White asked about rising sea levels at Site A. Mr. Israel explained that the land on the site slopes to the water, and that they would come back to address this issue in more detail at a later date.
Board Member Knox White said he met with Mr. Ernst last week about the project. He asked Mr. Ernst about the inclusion of town homes in the site.
Mr. Ernst said that about 75% of the housing would be multi-family housing and the remainder would be town homes. The inclusion of town homes in the site was necessary to cover the costs of infrastructure construction
President Henneberry asked about differences between the urban edge presented in the precise plan and in the drawings. Mr. Thomas said the drawings are primarily illustrative. The precise plan is meant to create a waterfront space and to be accessible to cars without making it car-heavy.
President Henneberry asked Ms. Ott about the effects of dredging in Seaplane Lagoon.
Ms. Ott reported that negotiations between the City and the Navy about dredging in the lagoon are still ongoing. She said that the City has hired a marine engineer to figure out how much dredging would be necessary. She said that there would be little dredging, if any, for construction of the area, and that there might be a little dredging for maintenance.
The Board opened public comment.
Mr. Kame Richards, President of the Board of Directors of the Alameda Community Sailing Center, explained that Seaplane Lagoon was a very important place for those learning to sail. He expressed hope that the developer and groups like his organization could work together to bring people of all socioeconomic classes to the water. He explained the importance of the project both to his organization and the community at large.
Mr. Michael McDonough, president of the Alameda Chamber of Commerce, said that his organization is really excited about this project. He said that this project could lead to a renewal of Alameda Point that would lead to more commercial development in the City. He explained that there need to be amenities, such as restaurants, in order to lure and keep jobs at Alameda Point.
Mr. Doug Biggs, neighbor, said that the infrastructure at Alameda Point is failing, and that a project like this one would lead to infrastructure repair and raise the quality of life at Alameda Point. He said that development of Alameda Point is urgently needed, and praised the developers' project plans. He suggested that developers should include more north-south connection with adjacent communities and other minor improvements.
Ms. Carol Gottstein, neighbor, asked about Building 77, and expressed concern that it might be shorter than proposed buildings. She suggested that the developer show how tall the other buildings would be compared to existing buildings.
Mr. William Smith, on behalf of Renewed Hope Housing Advocates, said he was also in favor of the plan. He acknowledged that the plan is in its early stages. He liked the increased park space, but wanted to know where the active parks would be located. He suggested that some parks be on the rooftops of some buildings, as in other cities.
The Board closed public comment.
Board Member Knox White commented that he could not imagine that families would send their children to parks located in between two major streets. He suggested that the proposed linear park follow the model of Jackson Park, which is surrounded by one-way couplets. Board Member Knox White also said that the concept of a town square is great, but he would like to see how it is implemented. He liked the idea of making a shared space in the center, and that the area could be shared by drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Board Member Knox White liked the idea of a reconfigured plaza center, and thought that it would be a nice entrance to the public space on the waterfront.
Board Member Burton said he also met with Mr. Ernst and his team last week. He said he appreciated all the presentations, and said that the plan is off to a good start. He agreed with many of Board Member Knox White's comments. He wanted to make sure that the developers integrate the existing buildings with the rest of the buildings at the site. He liked the idea to get through-traffic off of Ralph Appezzato Parkway and onto Orion Street. The edge of Seaplane Lagoon should only be used for local traffic. He noted that the Cross-Alameda Trail would be passing through the area. Board Member Burton worried that the new buildings might make the existing buildings seem out of scale, and said that the team needs to make sure that the new buildings are not out of scale with the existing ones. He said that block sizes in Site A should be consistent with block sizes in the rest of the City as much as possible.
Board Member Tang said that he appreciated the team's efforts to keep the historical buildings and build infrastructure that accounts for existing issues at the site. He suggested that the buildings that will be constructed should emulate the existing buildings in size and material to prevent unnecessary cost.
Board Member Tang added that there are many office buildings in the Harbor Bay business park, but there is little business conducted in the area on weekends and no restaurants and coffee shops there. He said that there should be some restaurants and coffee shops in between the residential and commercial spaces.
Board Member Köster agreed, and that public access to the waterfront is important in Alameda. He wants to make the waterfront a place where sailors around the Bay Area could visit for a couple of hours and use the amenities at the site. He said he would like to see a sketch-up model of the building height differences. He wanted to know what the heights of the new buildings would be in order to not affect the view corridors. Building on the Base's history will add to a sense of place on the site, and that it would help define the character of the City. However, Board Member Köster noted that they need to think of the spaces as not solely residential or commercial, but also civic and public.
Vice President Alvarez said she agrees with many of the other Board Members' comments. She explained that the view corridor is very important to her, and that her concerns are about traffic flow and the transit piece on Ralph Apezzato Parkway. She said she likes how the center of the site has transformed in these plans. She said that there would be issues connecting the living spaces, the parks and the schools in the future. She wanted to know how people with boats would be able to get to the Bay, and that there might be some way to show the history of Seaplane Lagoon to the public, such as by placing a museum there. She agreed with Mr. Biggs's comments and reminded the Board that Site A is one of many parcels that would be redeveloped at the Base site.
President Henneberry said he appreciated all the comments he heard. He expressed confidence in the direction of the planned development, and looked forward to seeing how staff and the development team incorporated public and Board comments. He said that public-private cooperation is essential for development on Alameda Point, and suggested that the team should look into similar projects elsewhere, such as in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a combination of public and private projects successfully draws people to the oceanfront site.
Mr. Thomas told the Board that staff would meet with the Planning Board Subcommittee and the developers to make improvements to the plans based on tonight's comments.
Ms. Ott announced that there would be a community outreach event on the Base on Thursday night, January 29, 2015, from 6 to 8 PM, about the plans and to meet the developers and express their concerns
8. MINUTES:
8-A. 2015-1230
Draft minutes of September 22, 2014
Board Member Knox White motioned to approve the minutes with edits.
President Burton seconded the motion.
The motion carried, 6-0
8-B. 2015-1231
Draft minutes of December 8, 2014
Board Member Knox White motioned to approve the minutes with edits.
President Burton seconded the motion.
The motion carried, 5-0-1 (President Henneberry abstained.)
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS:
9-A. 2015-1232
Zoning Administrator and Design Review: Recent Actions and Decisions.
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: None
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS:
11-A. 2015-1235
Report from the Alameda Point Site A-Ad Hoc Sub-Committee
President Henneberry announced that the Sub-Committee has not met yet.
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None
13. ADJOURNMENT: President Henneberry adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m.