Title
Review and Recommendation on Proposed Open Space and Recreation Plan for Encinal Terminals Project.
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Parks Commission
From: Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Re: Review and Recommendation on Proposed Open Space and Recreation Plan for Encinal Terminals Project.
BACKGROUND
In 2008, the City Council amended the General Plan to establish a plan for the redevelopment and transformation of the former waterfront industrial lands, including Encinal Terminals, along the Northern Waterfront into a mixed-use area with waterfront public parks and recreation areas, maritime commercial uses, and residential development.
In 2012, to bring the City of Alameda's General Plan into conformance with State of California housing requirements, the City designated the Encinal Terminals as a housing opportunity site available to help meet the City's regional housing obligations.
Over the last two years, staff has been working with the property owners, North Waterfront Cove, LLC to develop a master plan for the property that meets the City's General Plan and community objectives.
At this time, city staff and the North Waterfront Cove, LLC are requesting that the Recreation and Parks Commission review and comment on the draft public open space plans for this unique Alameda property. The proposed open space plan for Encinal Terminals is shown in Exhibit 1.
DISCUSSION
This unique property is approximately 23-acres in size and is surrounded by water on three sides with the Oakland Estuary to the north, Alaska Basin to the west, Fortman Marina to the East, and the Del Monte Building and future Clement Avenue Extension to the south.
The plan features 7.5 acres of waterfront public property, including a 2-acre waterfront park and about 5.5 acres of waterfront promenade and plazas which have historically been off-limits and inaccessible for Alameda residents.
The centerpiece of the plan is the waterfront promenade which is approximately 2,700 feet long and, in most places, over 100’ in width. The promenade will feature the continuation of the Bay Trail, which will circulate around the perimeter of the site, with a cycle track and walking path, as well as seating and gathering areas for lounging, and ample walking space to wander along the waterfront, do some window shopping at the retail shops, or enjoy a waterfront café. The promenade will include a sequence of open spaces and recreational opportunities including walking, running, bicycling, rollerblading, fishing, watercraft launch, and vista points, and will include the necessary structural and safety improvements that will allow convenient pedestrian access to the Alaska Basin and Encinal Terminals site.
The promenade connects the future Cross Alameda Trail on Clement Avenue to the northwest corner of the site, which features a 2-acre plaza area for congregating and enjoying the views of the Estuary, downtown Oakland, the Oakland Hills and the San Francisco skyline. Past the 2- acre plaza, the promenade continues along the northern edge of the property where it joins a 2-acre north-facing public park. Beyond the park, the promenade joins up with the Fortman Marina public fishing dock and Bay Trail on the north east corner of the property.
The promenade connects to Littlejohn Park and the adjacent neighborhood via the public passage way through the Del Monte Building envisioned in the General Plan and being implemented by the Del Monte project. The site will also be proximate to the planned 27-acre Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.
The shoreline public promenade will be limited to use by pedestrians and bicyclists and not available to general vehicular traffic. It shall, however, be designed to be available for use by emergency, service and maintenance vehicles. The shoreline public promenade, which will incorporate the Bay Trail within its dimension, shall have a paved width varying from a minimum of 20’ to upwards of 60’ along Alaska Basin and approximately 30’ along the northern edge of the site to its connection with Fortman Marina. As the promenade meets the Fortman property on the northeast portion of the site, the pedestrian path will continue onto the existing pedestrian Bay Trail path on the east edge of the adjoining Fortman property, near the Fortman fishing dock. The bicycle component of the Bay Trail will split from the pedestrian path and be accommodated along the east edge of the Encinal Terminals site, adjacent to the Fortman boundary. In the event that an agreement can be reached between the Encinal Terminals property and the Fortman property, the bicycle component of the Bay Trail could be relocated onto the Fortman property, and possibly joined to the Bay Trail pedestrian path.
A docking facility to encourage waterborne modes of transportation will be included on the northern edge of the wharf/promenade. Opportunities for a public non-motorized boat launch facility for kayaks and stand up paddle boards will be provided in Alaska Basin and/or off the northern edge of the site, and pedestrian steps down to the water either in the Alaska Basin and/or along the northern shoreline, shall be provided.
Public amenities including bike racks, benches, trash/recycle receptacles, restrooms, and drinking fountains shall be provided for public use within the shoreline public access areas. Public art and public view areas shall be provided within the public areas.
The 2-acre park along the northern edge of the property is envisioned as a place for both passive and active use. Active uses are expected to include a playground and possibly casual recreational sporting uses, such as a half basketball court. Additional design work will be needed to ensure that all public open spaces are appropriately sized, programmed, and designed. Other uses include large open space swaths of land for enjoying the waterfront, or an outdoor amphitheater, as shown in the illustrative conceptual plan. The public park uses and design will be determined with the input of the Recreation and Parks Department staff and approval by the Commission.
Acreage allotted to public open space within the site will also include open space within each of the subareas, as part of the development plan for each subarea. In addition, the project will include both public common open space as well as private open space in the form of mini-parks and open space patios for the ground floor units and balconies/decks for elevated units, or possibly in the form of rooftop gardens.
Public open spaces will utilize turf or similar ground materials to enable active recreation and will incorporate screening and buffering of wind/noise/objectionable views in key locations. Initial criteria for the selection of these materials includes: evergreen trees and screening materials, turf or a lawn substitute for the ground plane, and appropriate species such as Arctostaphylos hookeri, Hooker’s Manzanita, Festuca rubra, Red Fescue, and Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak.
Three hundred (300) public parking spaces will be provided, managed and marked for use by marina patrons, commercial patrons, and open space users. The 300 spaces shall be roughly allocated to create parking for approximately 50 vehicles in each of the following subareas: A, B, D, E, F, and H. A public parking lot may be utilized to accommodate a portion of the required spaces.
In addition to the public parking scattered throughout the site, a public lot is located on the northeast corner of the property where it can be combined with the existing public Fortman Marina fishing dock and parking lot and is adjacent to the 2-acre park area.
Conclusions and Next Steps:
At this time, staff is requesting comments and suggestions on the draft open space and public recreation plan for Encinal Terminals. All comments will be either integrated into the next draft of the plan and/or passed on to the Planning Board and City Council to inform their final decisions on the Master Plan.
If the Master Plan is adopted by the City Council, North Waterfront LLC will be required to develop more detailed implementation plans for Planning Board and Recreation and Parks Commission review and approval prior to issuance of building permits for the parks.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
All of the proposed improvements would be constructed by the property owner and maintained by the future development in perpetuity. In addition, the project is subject to the City of Alameda Development Impact Fee Ordinance and will pay parks impact fees that can be used for the construction of the City's other public parks that serve new development and were identified in the Parks Impact Fee Nexus Study.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and Recommendation on Proposed Open Space and Recreation Plan for Encinal Terminals Project.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Exhibits:
1. Encinal Terminals Open Space and Parks Plans.