Title
PLN17-0538 - 1825 Park Street - Applicant: Ganesha LLC. A Planning Board Design Review study session to consider a four-story, 96-room Holiday Inn Express hotel at the southwest corner of Park Street and Clement Avenue. The project is located within the NP-G North Park Street Gateway zoning district. No final action or decision will be taken.
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Linda Barrera, Planner II
background
On October 26, 2017, Ganesha, LLC submitted a Design Review application to the City of Alameda for a four-story, 96-room hotel located at 1825 Park Street (Exhibit 1). The site is zoned NP-G, North Park Street Gateway District with a Multi-family Overlay. The NP-G and Multi-family Overlay district permits hotels by right, subject to Design Review approval as outlined in Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) 30-4.25(e)i.
The property at 1825 Park Street is approximately 31,900 square feet in size and is occupied by a 3,300 square foot building and large parking lot behind the building. Historically, the site was used as an auto dealership. Currently it is occupied by a scooter shop. To the west of the site is a home with a workshop in the rear. It is zoned NP-W North Park Street Workplace district which allows a mix of uses. To the south of the site is a vacant building formerly used as a bar and a used car sales lot, both of which are in the North Park Street Gateway District.
The establishment of the North Park Street Gateway district was the result of an extensive community planning effort to transform the obsolete auto row character of the North Park Street into a pedestrian-oriented commercial mixed use gateway into Alameda. The Park Street Gateway District Strategic Plan and subsequent North Park Street Gateway Zoning District <https://alamedaca.gov/sites/default/files/document-files/department-files/Planning/park_street_gateway_district_strategic_plan.pdf> are products of this community planning effort. This project, located at a highly visible intersection along the Park Street gateway, is a critical component of the community vision. Therefore, staff requests the Planning Board and community to comment on the proposed architectural design and parking plan for the hotel.
DISCUSSION
Project Description
To facilitate the redevelopment of North Park Street area, the Zoning Ordinance establishes form-based development standards that prescribe the building placement and orientation requirements that help shape the overall building form. As shown in Exhibit 1, the project proposal includes a single four-story, L-shape building placed along the property lines along Park St. and Clement Ave. while hiding off-street parking and service areas behind the building. Consistent with the requirements for pedestrian-orientation at the street level, the ground floor of the hotel features storefront windows along the sidewalks. These windows look into the lobby and interior corridors of the hotel.
Table 1 summarizes the project compliance with the development standards:
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Table 1 - Zoning Compliance with Development Standards |
|
|
|
NP-G Development Standards |
Project Proposal |
Compliance |
|
Front Setback |
0 feet |
0 feet |
Yes |
|
Side Setback |
0 feet |
0 feet |
Yes |
|
Side Street Corner Setback |
In the Gateway sub-district, 0-feet setback to the side street right-of-way line for a minimum distance of 20 feet from the corner. |
0 feet setback for a distance of 160 feet from the corner |
Yes |
|
Rear Setback |
In the Gateway sub-districts, 5-foot rear setback if the rear property line abuts a Residential or Mixed Use district. |
69 feet |
Yes |
|
Height |
50 feet (New building) except corner towers may exceed the maximum building height limit subject to design review approval |
49 feet and 6 inches, except the corner tower is 57 feet and 6 inches |
Yes |
|
Parking |
96 spaces (1 space per room) |
63 spaces |
Parking Exception Requested |
Parking Plan and Requested Waiver
The off-street parking requirement for hotels in the North Park Street Gateway is one space per room. In this case a total of 96 parking spaces are required but the project proposes 63 spaces. AMC 30-7.13 allows for reductions in parking requirements upon approval of the Planning Board, if the applicant can demonstrate that parking demand will be reduced for the life of the project. The applicant has agreed to provide a complimentary, on-demand shuttle for the life of the project. The proposed shuttle will operate between 4 a.m. and 1 a.m. daily and transport hotel guests to and from the Oakland Airport, Fruitvale BART Station, South Shore Center, Harbor Bay Ferry terminal and Business Park, Webster Street, Alameda Landing, Main Street Ferry Terminal and any other destination within a three-mile radius of the new hotel.
At this time, the applicant is preparing a Parking Demand Study. The Planning Board may wish to use this opportunity to identify any information or data that would be helpful to the Board in its future deliberations over the proposed parking waiver for the project.
Architectural Design
Since October, the applicant has been working with staff to revise and improve the architectural design of the building. At this time, staff believes there is still work to be done to improve the design, but the applicant would like to review the current design with the Planning Board to determine if the Planning Board’s feedback is consistent with staff’s direction to the applicant. Ultimately, the applicant wishes to propose a design that meets the Planning Board’s design expectations.
The architectural style of the hotel may be described as a “Streamline Moderne style”. Staff believes this is an appropriate style for the gateway location and compatible with the architectural character of other existing buildings in the surrounding area. Furthermore, the Streamline Moderne style has its roots in the auto era of the 1930s and 1940s, and the project site is a former “auto-row” location.
The Streamline Moderne style emphasizes curved forms, long horizontal lines, corner and clerestory windows, eyebrow overhangs, and smooth stucco wall surfaces and can include vertical marquees or accents. A prominent feature of Streamline Moderne style is strong horizontality in the design. From staff’s perspective, the design can be improved by reinforcing and strengthening the horizontality of the design. Specifically, the hotel proposal features vertically alternating colors in cement plaster and brick veneer, which, in staff’s opinion detracts, rather than supports, the architectural motif. Staff recommends eliminating or minimizing the vertical elements and reinforcing the horizontal lines of the building in keeping with the Streamline Moderne style. This adjustment may be accomplished by rotating the colors on the building to have a horizontal orientation, rather than a vertical orientation.
In addition, the windows above the ground level feature a mix of individual metal fins, decorative horizontal bands, and a large overhang on the fourth floor. Staff suggests enhancing the uniformity and emphasis of the long horizontal lines on the building by reinforcing or improving the horizontal elements that run along the building above each window.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a study session and provide comments on the parking plan and architectural design. No final decision on the proposed project is being requested of the Planning Board at this time.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY:
LINDA BARRERA, Planner II
Exhibits:
1. Project Plans