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PLN18-0021 - 1770 Viking Street, Building 170 - Applicant: Shimmick Construction/CEC Inc. A public hearing to consider an Administrative Use Permit to allow temporary construction material storage and staging for a current Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) retrofit project. The proposed staging facility encompasses an existing 44,000-square-foot warehouse and adjacent 80,000-square-foot yard areas. The proposed duration of the temporary storage facility is up to 48 months. Per AMC 30-4.24(g)10, use permits may be issued for interim uses such as construction staging activities, provided that the interim use does not exceed a five (5) year time period.
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CITY OF ALAMEDA
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT
ITEM NO: 3-A
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION: PLN18-0021 - 1770 Viking Street, Building 170 - Applicant: Shimmick Construction/CEC Inc. A public hearing to consider an Administrative Use Permit to allow temporary construction material storage and staging for a current Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) retrofit project. The proposed staging facility encompasses an existing 44,000-square-foot warehouse and adjacent 80,000-square-foot yard areas. The proposed duration of the temporary storage facility is up to 48 months. Per AMC 30-4.24(g)10, use permits may be issued for interim uses such as construction staging activities, provided that the interim use does not exceed a five (5) year time period.
GENERAL PLAN: Mixed Use, A2-Alameda Point Inner Harbor Specified Mixed Use area
ZONING: AP-E2, Alameda Point - Enterprise-2 zoning district.
ENVIRONMENTAL
DETERMINATION: Categorically Exempt from State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301(a).
PROJECT PLANNER: Linda Barrera, Planner II
PUBLIC NOTICE: A notice for this hearing was mailed to property owners and residents within 300 feet of the site, published in local newspapers and posted in public areas near the subject property. Staff has not received any public comments on this proposed project.
EXHIBITS: 1. Site Plan
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the project with conditions.
PROPOSAL SUMMARY:
On January 11, 2018, Shimmick Construction Company, Inc. together with California
Engineering Contractors, Inc. (CEC) submitted a Use Permit application to allow temporary construction material storage and staging for a current Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) retrofit project. Materials to be stored include steel plates and concrete blocks. The proposed term of the material storage and staging facility is up to forty-eight (48) months. The use is expected to commence on May 1, 2018 and expire on April 30, 2022. Per AMC 30-4.24(g)10, use permits may be issued for interim uses such as construction staging activities, provided that the interim use does not exceed a five (5) year time period.
The proposed facility encompasses an existing 44,000-square-foot warehouse and approximately 80,000-square-foot adjacent yards (Exhibit 1) located at Alameda Point between Viking and Orion streets, approximately 200 feet south of West Atlantic Blvd. Directly adjacent to the existing warehouse is an approximately 29,000-square-foot yard which may be used as employee and visitor parking but not for storage, repair or maintenance. Additionally, the applicant has the option to use the additional yard area of approximately 51,000 square feet, immediately north of the parking yard, for outdoor storage and staging. The applicant is required to install a perimeter fence around the site for screening purposes.
Materials will be transported to the site by semi-trailer trucks hauling standard 20-foot shipping containers or 40-foot flatbeds. In order to limit the truck traffic generated by the proposed use, this use permit includes limitations on total daily round trips and trips during the AM peak hour. Since construction activity typically ends in the late afternoon, no limitation is being placed on trips during the PM peak hour.
FINDINGS:
1. The location of the proposed use is compatible with other land uses in the general neighborhood area, and the project design and size is architecturally, aesthetically, and operationally harmonious with the community and surrounding development.
The 1996 Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda Community Reuse Plan aimed to achieve immediate interim re-use of existing facilities in the NAS area. Thus, the proposed temporary storage facility is compatible with the goals and objectives of the NAS Alameda Community Reuse Plan and current industrial uses in the area.
The proposed use is located on a portion of Alameda Point that is currently underutilized but would see major construction take place as Site A development occurs on adjacent parcels. The proposed interim use over the next 48 months would be an appropriate use of the site for construction materials storage and staging. There are no proposed alterations to the exterior of the warehouse or the site other than a perimeter fence to screen the outdoor storage and parking area required under this use permit. To limit the volume of large trucks on local roadways, truck traffic to and from the premises will be limited to twenty (20) round trips per day and no more than four (4) trucks between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM.
2. The proposed use will be served by adequate transportation and service facilities, including pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities.
The site is currently developed and does not require additional off-street parking facilities. The proposed use will provide a parking yard for employees and visitors and is served by existing roadway infrastructure to the site. The project site is within a half mile walk of AC Transit Bus Route No. 96 which provides adequate public transportation alternative for the employees.
3. The proposed use, if it complies with all conditions upon which approval is made contingent, will not adversely affect other property in the vicinity and will not have substantial deleterious effects on existing business districts or the local economy.
There are no significant public health and safety risks associated with the proposed temporary material storage facility and the proposed warehouse is regulated under fire and life safety building codes. Compliance with these safety measures and the recommended conditions of approval would ensure that any adverse effects of the proposal on the welfare of the public are avoided. Furthermore, there are no indications that this temporary staging facility would cause deleterious effects on businesses and the local economy. The proposed materials storage and staging facility, in support of a large regional transit project, could potentially generate local construction jobs in Alameda.
4. The proposed use relates favorably to the General Plan.
The General Plan designates this area as Mixed Use which is intended to stimulate economic development and provide flexibility in development of large sites. Specifically, the A2-Alameda Point Inner Harbor Specified Mixed Use area emphasizes light industrial uses. The industrial nature of the proposed use directly relates to the purposes of the Mixed Use areas in the General Plan. Furthermore, the proposed materials storage and staging facility, in support of a large regional transit project, could potentially generate local construction jobs in Alameda.
1. Compliance with Plans. Any modification on this site shall be in substantial compliance with the use permit application submittal dated January 11, 2018, by Scott Soldis of California Engineering Contractors, Inc., on file in the City of Alameda Community Development Department, except as modified by the conditions listed in this report.
2. Changes to Approved Plans: This approval is limited to the scope of the project defined in the project description and does not represent a recognition and/or approval of any work completed without required City permits. Any changes to the approved scope of the project shall be submitted to the Community Development Department for review and approval.
3. Use Permit Expiration Date: This temporary Use Permit for a construction materials storage and staging facility shall expire on May 1, 2022, regardless of the commencement date for use of the site.
4. Parking: The applicant shall have the right to have its employees and visitors park in the paved yard area of approximately 29,000 square feet that is adjacent and to the north of the existing warehouse building. Under no circumstances may the parking yard be utilized for the storage (beyond 72 hours), repair or maintenance of any vehicles.
5. Truck Trips: Truck traffic to and from the site shall be limited to twenty (20) round trips per day and no more than four (4) trucks between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM.
6. Truck Routes: All truck traffic shall utilize designated City of Alameda truck routes unless written authorization is granted by the Chief of Police or City Engineer or their designees.
7. Fence: All exterior storage on the property shall be screened from view by a wall or other approved screening material, rising two (2’) feet above the stored goods; provided that no screen or wall shall exceed ten (10’) feet. All storage shall be surfaced to provide a durable and dust-free surface and property graded so as to dispose of all surface water. All off-street parking and truck loading areas must also be screened from view of any public right-of-way.
8. Additional Yard Area: The applicant shall not place, construct or erect any structures, or make any alterations within the additional yard area other than the perimeter screening required in Condition #7 above.
9. Vesting: The Use Permit approval shall expire two (2) years after the date of approval or by February 20, 2020 unless authorized construction or use of the property has commenced. The applicant may apply for a time extension, not to exceed two (2) years. An extension request will be subject to approval by the Zoning Administrator and must be filed prior to the date of expiration.
10. Revocation: This Use Permit may be modified or revoked by the Zoning Administrator, pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-21.3d should the Zoning Administrator determine that: 1) the use or conditions under which it is being operated or maintained is detrimental to the public health, welfare or materially injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity; 2) the property is operated or maintained so as to constitute a public nuisance; or 3) the use is operated in violation of the conditions of the Use Permit.
11. Indemnification. The Applicant shall defend (with counsel reasonably acceptable to the City), indemnify, and hold harmless the City of Alameda, the Alameda City Planning Board and their respective agents, officers, and employees from any claim, action, or proceeding (including legal costs and attorney’s fees) against the City of Alameda, Alameda City Planning Board, and their respective agents, officers, or employees to attack, set aside, void or annul, an approval by the City of Alameda, the Community Development Department, Alameda City Planning Board, the City of or City Council related to this project. The City shall promptly notify the Applicant of any claim, action, or proceeding and the City shall cooperate in such defense. The City may elect, in its sole discretion, to participate in the defense of said claim, action, or proceeding. No judicial proceedings subject to review pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.5 may be prosecuted more than ninety (90) days following the date of this decision plus extensions authorized by California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6
Environmental Determination
The Zoning Administrator has determined that this project qualifies for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption and no additional environmental review is necessary pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(a) - Existing Facilities because the project consists of operation, permitting or leasing of existing private structures involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that which exists. The project site is an existing urban warehouse facility with an adjacent storage yard. The proposal involves the temporary use of an existing facility that would have negligible or no permanent effects on the environment.
Use Permit
The Zoning Administrator hereby approves the Use Permit with conditions.
The decision of the Zoning Administrator shall be final unless appealed to the Planning Board, in writing and within ten (10) days of the decision.
Approved by: Date: February 20, 2018___