Title
Draft Meeting Minutes - January 22, 2024
Body
DRAFT MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, JANUARAY 22, 2024
1. ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
* Members of the public can participate in person or remotely via Zoom.
Present: President Hom, Vice President Cisneros and Board Members Ruiz, Wang, Ariza, Saheba and Tsou.
Absent: None
2. AGENDA CHANGES
None.
3. NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
President Hom notified (*1:57) the board that item 4-D from the Consent Calendar would be pulled for a special vote.
4-A 2023-3648
Draft Meeting Minutes - October 23, 2023
Minutes can be found:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6442000&GUID=6F461E7D-DB1B-4442-BE83-E0206C77BE91&FullText=1>.
4-B 2023-3749
Draft Meeting Minutes - November 13,2023
Minutes can be found:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6476929&GUID=B09BCDCF-D0F7-45C9-974F-D6850F86D274&FullText=1>.
4-C 2023-3750
Draft Meeting Minutes - December 11, 2023
Minutes can be found:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6476930&GUID=2D6D4C0D-666F-42FE-AE03-667108C41F47&FullText=1>.
There was a discussion (*2:29) of who should abstain due to absences at the meetings.
President Hom opened up for public comment (*4:29).
There were no speakers.
Board Member Ruiz made a motion (*4:40) to approve Consent Calendar item 4A and Board Member Saheba seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 5-0 with 2 abstentions Board Members Tsou and Wang were absent at the meeting.
Board Member Ariza made a motion (*5:13) to approve Consent Calendar item 4B and Board Member Saheba seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 4-0 with 3 abstentions. Vice President Cisnero and Board Members Tsou and Wang were absent at the meeting.
Vice President Cisneros made a motion (*5:57) to approve Consent Calendar item 4C and Board Member Wang seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 6-0 with 1 abstention. Board Member Saheba was absent at the meeting.
4-D 2024-3751
PLN21-0560 - 2331 North Loop - Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) Use Permit, Final Development Plan, Design Review - Applicant: John Lipp on behalf of FAAS. Public hearing to consider re-approval of a final development plan and conditional use permit to allow an indoor animal shelter with veterinary medical services in connection with future administrative offices for FAAS. The Planning Board approved this conditional use permit on January 27, 2020 and the project was granted a one-time 2-year extension in January 2022. The applicant is also seeking approval of an interim design review for temporary structures so that operations can begin while fundraising for the permanent structure continues. General Plan designation: Business + Employment Zoning designation: C-M-PD, Commercial-Manufacturing and Planned Development Zoning District. CEQA Determination: Exempt per CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 - Infill Development. Item continued to the February 12, 2024 Planning Board Meeting.
Board Member Ariza made a motion to approve the continuation of Consent Calendar item 4-D to the February 12th, 2024, Planning Board Meeting and Vice President Cisneros seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 7-0.
5. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
5-A 2024-3752
Public hearing on comprehensive update to the City’s Subdivision Ordinance. Consider a recommendation to the City Council to adopt staff-proposed amendments to Sections 30-73 et seq. (Subdivision Regulations) of the Alameda Municipal Code, to implement the 2023-2031 Housing Element, to conform to the Subdivision Map Act and other State law, and to reflect current practice. Environmental Determination: Exempt pursuant to the common-sense exemption, CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
Steve Buckley, Planning Services Manager, introduced this item and gave the presentation (*8:12).
The staff report and attachments can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6476932&GUID=6CD7BE95-9C8A-4B73-A70F-7B08C0EDA313&FullText=1>.
Clarifying questions start at the 13:05 minute mark in the video.
Public Comment for item 5A
There were no public speakers.
Action taken for item 5A
Vice President Cisneros made a motion to recommend approval with the amendment to adjust the resolution without the appeals language as stated by staff. Board Member Tsou seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 7-0.
5-B 2024-3753
Public Hearing on Updates to the City’s Zoning Ordinance Regarding Reasonable Accommodation, Fences and Barriers, and Non-Conforming Buildings and Uses. Consider a Recommendation to the City Council on staff-initiated amendments to the Alameda Municipal Code at Section 30-2 Definitions; Section 30-5.6 Building Site, Areas and Easements; 30-5.7 Projections from Buildings and Roof Planes, Permitted Encroachments and Treatments of Minimum Required Yards; Section 30-5.14 Barriers and Fences; Section 30-5.17 Reasonable Accommodation; and Section 30-20 Nonconforming Buildings and Uses, and other minor, administrative, miscellaneous amendments to implement the 2023-2031 Housing Element, to conform to State law, and to reflect current practice. Environmental Determination: Exempt pursuant to the common-sense exemption, CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
Manager Buckley introduced this item and gave a presentation (*28:45). Attachments and staff report can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6476933&GUID=89E8DFC0-EBD3-499B-9BB6-476E1809528D&FullText=1>.
There was a discussion (*40:02) about the redlined version. The board wanted clarification on the draft.
Board clarifying questions start at the 45:46-minute mark in the video.
Public Comment for item 5B
Christopher Buckley, via Zoom, (*1:08:45) Alameda Architectural Preservation Society discussed points in a letter they had sent. He gave recommendations on front yard fences and discussed concerns on having fences higher than 3ft. He shared slides that had examples of see through fences that still gave a “walled off” look. He also discussed what see through should mean.
Betsy Mathison, via Zoom, (*1:12:15) followed up on a letter that she had submitted. She liked the existing fence regulations but did not want to see any 5ft fence in front yards even if part of if was see-through. She did think that 6ft was fine in backyards.
Action taken for item 5B
There was a discussion (*1:14:48) about which part of this would come back before the board. It was decided this would be a procedural item and no action would be taken.
The discussion on fences started at the 1:16:43-minute mark in the video.
There was discussion (*1:40:55) if a motion was needed to bring this item back, Manager Buckley said a motion was not needed.
6. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
6-A 2024-3747
Planning, Building and Transportation Department Recent Actions and Decisions
Recent actions and decisions can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6476927&GUID=6BAD6598-9B1F-4701-8662-81525A9B9A08&FullText=1>.
No decision or action was pulled for review.
6-B 2024-3748
Oral Report - Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Planning, Building and Transportation Department Projects
Manager Buckley gave an update on projects and discussed upcoming meetings (*1:41:35).
7. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
Board Member Ruiz discussed (*1:43:05) the outdated Historic Inventory records and wanted the city to investigate it.
Manager Buckley discussed the process to update the survey and funding issues.
8. NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT
None
9. ADJOURNMENT
President Hom adjourned the meeting at 8:47 p.m.
*refers to the minute mark in the video