Title
Planning Board Study Session: Conceptual Revised Land Use Program for Alameda Landing Waterfront. Study sessions are exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Body
BACKGROUND
On May 23, 2016, the Planning Board began a planning discussion about the future of the Alameda Landing Waterfront and how best to balance the need for jobs, housing and open space in Alameda.
On February 13, 2017, Catellus LLC submitted a revised development plan (Exhibit 1) for the 40-acre Alameda Landing Waterfront property and requested that the plan be made available for Planning Board review and comment as soon as possible. The purpose of the February 13th Planning Board study session is to give the Planning Board and the public an opportunity to continue the discussion from May 2016 and provide initial thoughts and comments on the revised plan.
Staff has not completed its review of the preliminary plan, nor has staff completed an environmental evaluation of the plan. For that reason, this report does not make any recommendations about the proposal; nor is staff asking for, or recommending, a final action or decision on the plan at this time.
DISCUSSION
Existing Conditions: The “Alameda Landing Waterfront” site (“the site”) described in this report is approximately 40 acres of waterfront property directly across from Jack London Square, the Howard Terminal, and the Port of Oakland turning basin. In Alameda, the site is bordered by:
• Dry boat storage warehouse, the Commodore Fleet facilities, and Cardinal Point assisted living to the east,
• Bay Ship and Yacht marine facilities to the west, and
• The Target Store, the Tripoint residential development, and Estuary Park to the south.
The site is currently occupied by four waterfront warehouses totaling approximately 1,064,000 square feet of space and access to approximately 3,000 lineal feet of maritime wharf. Approximately 360,000 square feet of the existing warehouses and portions of the wharf are currently leased. Approximately a third of the 38-acre property is currently vacant and being used to store excess soil. The site is owned by the City of Alameda Successor Agency to the Community Improvement Commission (CIC). Approximately $960,000 is generated annually in lease revenue from the warehouses and the wharf.
Existing Agreements: In 2000, the City Council approved a Master Plan, a Development Agreement and a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) with the Catellus Development Corporation (“Catellus”) to guide the future redevelopment of CIC-owned land received from the federal government for the Bayport neighborhood and the 77-acre property known as the “Alameda Landing site” consistent with the 1996 NAS Alameda Community Reuse Plan. The 2000 agreements called for approximately 586 housing units and a school (Ruby Bridges School) on the Bayport neighborhood site, and 1.3 million square feet of employment uses and a waterfront park on the Alameda Landing site.
In 2007, at Catellus’ request, the City Council approved an amended Master Plan, Development Agreement, and DDA (“the 2007 agreements”). The 2007 agreements revised the land use program for the 77-acre Alameda Landing site from the 1.3 million square feet of employment uses to 300 housing units, 300,000 square feet of retail, and 400,000 square feet of employment and business uses on the Alameda Landing site. The 2007 agreements retained the requirement for the waterfront park.
Under the existing 2007 agreements, the 40-acre property is planned to be a “Waterfront Commercial Center” that includes:
• An 8-acre public waterfront park with ferry/water shuttle landing, kayak launch at the foot of 5th Street and 13,000 square feet of ground floor retail;
• A 20,000 health club/fitness facility;
• 13,000 square feet of ground floor waterfront retail; and
• 390,000 square feet of waterfront employment, business, research and development and other non-residential uses.
The 2007 agreements allow for a wide variety of commercial uses including maritime uses, research and development, corporate headquarters and office uses, and docks. The agreements allow for reuse of the existing structures and/or new construction.
The 2017 Catellus Revised Plan for the waterfront site revises the plan for the waterfront site to include:
• An 8-acre public waterfront park with ferry/water shuttle landing, kayak launch at the foot of 5th Street;
• 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail and 10,000 square feet of office space near on the ground floor around fifth street;
• A 124 room hotel behind Target;
• 40,000 square feet of waterfront warehouse uses at the western edge of the property near Bay Ship and Yacht; and
• 445 housing units, comprised of:
o 53 deed restricted affordable units (26 very low- and low-income units, and 27 moderate-income units)
o 135 apartments or flats with private parking
o 193 attached townhomes with 2 car private parking garages
o 64 single family detached homes with 2 car private parking garages.
Table 1 enumerates how the revised plan would change the ultimate build-out of the Alameda Landing property.
Table 1: Alameda Landing Buildout Scenarios
|
|
2017 Existing Condition |
2006 Master Plan and EIR |
2017 Catellus Proposal |
|
Office, R+D, and Manufacturing |
6,700 sq. ft. office (2nd floor in shopping center) |
390,000 sq. ft. with 10,000 sq. ft. ground floor retail |
21,700 sq. ft. office |
|
Warehouse |
360,000 sq. ft. |
0 |
40,000 sq. ft. |
|
Hotel |
0 |
0 |
85,000 sq. ft. (84 rooms) |
|
Health Club |
0 |
20,000 sq. ft. |
0 |
|
Shopping Center/Retail |
296,000 sq. ft. |
300,000 sf ft. |
306,000 sq. ft. |
|
Residential |
287 units |
300 units |
732 units |
Public Policy Considerations:
Housing: Alameda and the Bay Area are in the midst of a housing crisis. The City is responding to the crises and has over 4,100 new housing units in either the construction or planning “pipeline”, including:
• Approximately 1,844 units with approved entitlements and/or building permits. The projects include Site A at Alameda Point, Tripoint Homes at Alameda Landing, the Del Monte project, the Island High project, and other projects within the City with completed environmental review and approved subdivision maps, development plans, and/or design review approvals.
• An application for 589 units at Encinal Terminals (Draft EIR released February 2017)
• An application for 670 units at Alameda Marina (Draft EIR underway)
• A preliminary application for 290 units at Shipways in Marina Village (EIR to commence with a formal application in 2017)
• An anticipated application for approximately 300 housing units at Alameda Point Main Street neighborhood. (RFP for prospective developers anticipated in 2017)
• An anticipated application for 435 to 500 units at the “North Housing site” adjacent to Alameda Landing. (Federal auction of site began in February 2017.)
All of the above sites are identified as housing opportunity sites in the City of Alameda General Plan Housing Element. Although the Alameda Landing Waterfront Site is not identified as a housing site in the Housing Element, the Alameda Landing waterfront site zoning and Master Plan allow residential uses, including multifamily housing.
Catullus’s revised plan would add 445 housing units in a variety of housing types, including single family detached homes, attached townhomes, and stacked flats in multifamily buildings. The variety of housing types ensures that the project will include housing opportunities for a variety of household incomes, including 53 deed restricted units for very low, low and moderate income households.
Employment: The property is an economic development opportunity site identified in the NAS Alameda Community Reuse Plan, the Alameda General Plan, and the Alameda Landing Master Plan. With approximately 3,000 lineal feet of 70 foot wide maritime wharf and a 1,000,000 square feet of waterfront warehouse space, the site represents an economic development and maritime employment opportunity site for the City of Alameda. Other comparable economic development opportunity sites in Alameda are relatively limited. They include:
• The 82-acre Enterprise District at Alameda Point,
• The remaining 15 vacant acres at Harbor Bay Business Park, which do not have water access for maritime businesses. and
• The few remaining vacant acres at Bay Ship and Yacht, which do not have water access.
Although the Catellus plan proposes to demolish the existing warehouses, the revised plan does include a new 40,000 square foot maritime warehouse, a 124 room hotel, 10,000 square feet of office, and 15,000 square feet of waterfront retail
Open Space: The revised land use plan includes a new, public 8-acre waterfront park on the 70 foot wide, 3,000 foot long concrete wharf. The park would supplement park expansion efforts currently underway that include:
• The 8-acre Estuary Park immediately adjacent to Alameda Landing,
• The 3-acre Seaplane Lagoon park being constructed at Site A at Alameda Point
• The 21-acre Jean Sweeney Open Space Park approximately ½ mile from Alameda Landing.
The revised plan includes a floating dock to be used for public kayak launch and a possible water shuttle landing.
Transportation: Pursuant to the 2007 Agreements and CEQA, Alameda Landing currently funds shuttle services between the site and downtown Oakland during commute hours funded by assessments on the Tripoint residential neighborhoods and the shopping centers tenants. Once the retail center and Tripoint homes are completed and fully occupied, the Alameda Landing project assessments will generate approximately $229,870 (in 2016 dollars) annually for transportation services. The assessments increase annually based upon the consumer price index.
If the 2017 revised plan is constructed, the annual assessments for transportation services would increase to $482,011 annually (2016 dollars).
If the 2006 Commercial Waterfront Plan is constructed, the annual assessments would increase to $535,870 annually (2016 dollars).
Planning Entitlements and Amendments: The revised plan requires:
• City Council approval of an amendment to the 2007 Disposition and Development Agreement
• Planning Board determination that the revised Development Plan is consistent with the 2006 Master Plan and EIR. If it is determined not to be consistent, then a Master Plan amendment and/or a Supplemental EIR will be required.
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).
Prior to approval of a Development Plan for the site, the Planning Board, or the City Council upon appeal or a call for review, must determine that the Development Plan for the site will not result in any new significant impacts or more severe environmental impacts than were previously disclosed by the 2006 Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for Alameda Landing. If the Development Plan is found to generate additional significant impacts, then a Supplemental EIR would be required.
City staff has not completed an environmental evaluation of the proposal. For that reason, the Planning Board cannot make any decisions about the proposal at this time.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and discuss the Catellus revised plan (Exhibit 1).
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas
Assistant Community Development Director
Exhibits:
1. Catellus Revised Plan