Title
PLN24-0614 - 800 Atlantic Avenue - Public Workshop on the Alameda Aquatic Center. Applicant: City of Alameda Recreation & Parks Department. Description: Public workshop to discuss the proposed Alameda Aquatic Center. The project is located at the western end of the Jean Sweeny Open Space Park near the intersection of Wilma Chan Way and Atlantic Avenue.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
PLANNING BOARD
PUBLIC WORKSHOP
STAFF REPORT
ITEM NO: 5-C
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION: PLN24-0614 - 800 Atlantic Avenue - Public Workshop on the Alameda Aquatic Center. Applicant: City of Alameda Recreation & Parks Department. Description: Public workshop to discuss the proposed Alameda Aquatic Center. The project is located at the western end of the Jean Sweeny Open Space Park near the intersection of Wilma Chan Way and Atlantic Avenue.
GENERAL PLAN: Open Space
ZONING: Open Space
ENVIRONMENTAL
DETERMINATION: The Alameda Aquatic Center Design Review, Use Permit, and Lot-Line Adjustment Map applications are subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act. No final action on the environmental review or the applications will take place at this meeting. Staff is currently beginning the environmental review process in accordance with CEQA, which will be completed prior to the Planning Board’s formal action on the project.
PROJECT PLANNER: Henry Dong, Planner III
PUBLIC NOTICE: This public workshop is not a public hearing, in that no decisions are being made, and there are no statutory requirements for public notice. The agenda item has been posted on the City’s website. Future public hearings on the project will include required mailings to property owners, newspaper ads and site postings.
EXHIBIT: 1. Preliminary Plan Set
RECOMMENDATION: Hold a public workshop to discuss the proposed Alameda Aquatic Center project and provide feedback on the project.
BACKGROUND
The project is located at the western end of the Jean Sweeny Open Space Park near the intersection of Wilma Chan Way and Atlantic Avenue (Exhibit 1). The property is designated as Public Parks & Open Space by the General Plan and located within the Open Space zoning district. The Open Space District requires Use Permit and Design Review approval by the Planning Board to construct the Aquatic Center buildings on the project site. A lot-line adjustment map, which is approved by the Planning Director and City Engineer, is also required to reconfigure the parcel lines at this portion of the Jean Sweeny Park property.
Since late 2022, the City Council has taken several actions to advance the project, including site selection, funding options, design concepts, and contracting agreements. The project has undergone extensive community input, as well.
This public workshop is being held to receive comments from the Planning Board and the public on the current design concept for the Aquatic Center. The Planning Board will formally review the application at a future date.
DISCUSSION
The aquatic center design includes a 30-meter by 25-yard competition pool with 12 lanes and an activity pool with a zero-beach style entry and 3 lap lanes. The depth of the competition pool ranges from 3’-6” at the entrance steps increasing rapidly to a maximum depth of 7’-0. The activity pool includes a zero-beach style entrance with lap lanes at a depth of 3’-6”.
Prior to arriving at this solution, the design team and staff reviewed all potential and current aquatic programs to establish criteria needed to support the Center such as the size of locker rooms, bathrooms, lobby, office space, staff break area, mechanical room, parking spaces, community room, and storage. A preliminary test fit was conducted to verify that the Jean Sweeney Park site could support all design elements for a 30-meter and activity pool.
The design team combined the feedback from community survey data and workshops to continue refining concept designs. Using the remaining budget as a project cost goal, the designers focused the design to maximize the amount of water space available, based on the community feedback.
The pool configuration supports the following programming: adult swim lessons, private/semi-private lessons, group lessons, swim school, aqua camps, water polo, introduction to swim team and triathlon, lap swim, water walking, special events, aqua fitness, therapeutic lessons for people with disabilities, senior classes, family open swim, baby and me, toddler playtime, splish splash storytime, scuba lessons, evening lap swim, and kayak classes.
The design concept includes:
• Total parking for 222 vehicles, including 97 on site and 125 overflow spaces from the adjacent business park
• Three electric vehicles charging stations (AMP will potentially provide many more EV spaces)
• Bike parking/storage for 100 bikes at the entrance plaza
• Windscreen fencing
• Perimeter security fence
• Enclosed mechanical room
• Locker rooms for both genders
• Two gender-neutral restrooms with showers
• Manager’s office
• Staff break room
• Snack bar
• Spectator seating
• Breezeway entrance
• Shaded pavilion
• Fenced storage
• Solar panels over parking (pending AMP participation)
• Solar panels on roof (pending AMP participation)
• Solar panel shade structures (pending AMP participation)
• Garbage/recycling enclosure
• Public art at front façade and entry plaza
• Site lighting
The Planning Board will ultimately be asked to approve the Use Permit and Design Review for the project, accompanied by an environmental impact review analysis. The Open Space zoning does not have any development standards, i.e. the usual setback, height, coverage, and other parameters are undefined and at the Planning Board’s discretion.
In this workshop, the Board should consider the following factors relevant to making the necessary findings for approval (see Alameda Municipal Code sections 30-21.3 and 30-37) as set forth below.
Use Permit: Approval of a use in any district which is listed as a use requiring a use permit shall be granted only when the use will favorably relate to other property, uses and intensities in the vicinity and to the General Plan of the City and will not cause any damage, hazard, nuisance or other detriment to persons or property in the vicinity.
Standards. The City Planning Board shall authorize the issuance of a use permit only if the evidence presented at the hearing is such as to establish:
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.
2. The proposed use will be served by adequate transportation and service facilities including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities.
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.
4. The proposed use relates favorably to the General Plan.
5. The Board may also determine that the proposed use is such that it is necessary to require greater standards than listed specifically in this section in order to correlate the proposed use to other property, uses and intensities in the vicinity.
Conditions. The Board may provide that approval of a use permit shall be contingent upon acceptance and observance of specified conditions, including but not limited to the following matters:
1. Conformity to plans and drawings submitted with the application.
2. Special yards, open spaces, buffer strips, walls, fences and landscaping.
3. Volume of traffic generated, vehicular movements within the site, and points of vehicular ingress and egress.
4. Performance characteristics related to the emission of noise, vibration and other potentially dangerous or objectionable elements.
5. Limits on hours of operation or time of day for the conduct of specified activities.
6. A specified time period during which the use will be permitted.
7. Guarantees as to compliance with the terms of the approval.
Design Review: To grant Design Review approval, the following findings must be made:
a. The proposed design is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and the City of Alameda Design Review Manual.
b. The proposed design is appropriate for the site, is compatible with adjacent or neighboring buildings or surroundings, and promotes harmonious transitions in scale and character in areas between different designated land uses; and
c. The proposed design of the structure(s) and exterior materials and landscaping are visually compatible with the surrounding development, and design elements have been incorporated to ensure the compatibility of the structure with the character and uses of adjacent development.
The Design Review Manual does not address this type of use, so the Planning Board should focus on overall compatibility with the site and surroundings.
Respectfully Submitted,
Steven Buckley, Secretary to the Planning Board
By,
Justin Long, Director of Recreation & Parks
Henry Dong, Planner III