Title
Public Workshop on Alameda Point Site A Development Plan, including the Housing Plan
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
Memorandum
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, City Planner
Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer - Alameda Point
Date: February 23, 2015
Re: Public Workshop on Alameda Point Site A Development Plan, including the Housing Plan
BACKGROUND
On November 18, 2014, the City Council approved an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) with Alameda Point Partners (APP), the preferred developer for a 68-acre mixed-use development site at Alameda Point (Site A) consistent with the Waterfront Town Center Plan. The ENA requires that APP complete a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) and a Development Plan for Site A before the end of the 6-month ENA period. As a result, this evening's meeting is part the ongoing extensive community process that includes monthly hearings before the City Council and Planning Board, meetings with other boards and commissions, stakeholder meetings and community open houses.
The terms in the ENA with APP focus on Site A development bringing upfront transit infrastructure, such as dedicated bus rapid transit lanes and a new ferry terminal, to Alameda Point concurrent with new development; constructing utilities that serve the entire Alameda Point property that will catalyze employment uses in the adjacent adaptive reuse and enterprise areas; and funding near-term sports fields and waterfront park amenities for the entire Alameda community. Under the terms of the ENA, APP and City staff are currently working to prepare a Development Plan for the site for Planning Board review and approval, and a DDA for City Council review and approval in late April 2015.
On January 20, 2015, the City Council held a public meeting to review the initial development concepts and development terms. On January 26, 2015, the Planning Board held its first public workshop on the APP conceptual Development Plan. The Planning Board and public comments on January 26th focused on an illustrative plan, the open space plan and the streets and public access portion of the plan. APP and the City also held a community open house on January 29th. On February 5, 2015, the Historical Advisory Board reviewed the conceptual plan and the Recreation and Park Commission reviewed it on February 12, 2015.
As the City staff and APP receive comments, the APP design team has continued to revise and improve the Development Plan to respond to the City Council, Planning Board, other board and commission, and community comments. Exhibit 1 represents the most recent, updated version of the draft Development Plan. Exhibit 2 includes a summary of the comments received to date on the prior versions of the Development Plan.
DISCUSSION
At the Planning Board meeting of February 23, 2014, the staff and APP team would like the Planning Board and the Alameda community to review and comment on the updated version of the Development Plan with special attention paid to the housing plan for Site A. To inform the discussion, the following analysis describes the housing plan for the site.
The Site A Development Plan (Exhibit 1) is designed to function as a transit-oriented mixed-use district. The following sections describe how the Site A housing plan achieves this objective.
Transit Oriented Development
To facilitate and encourage a transit oriented community:
· Eight hundred of the 1,425 total units programmed for Alameda Point are included in the Site A Development Plan. The 800 residential units are complimented by up to 400,000 square feet of commercial/retail development in existing buildings and approximately 200,000 square feet of retail and hotel space in new buildings.
· All 800 residential units are provided in multifamily building types on eight blocks located immediately adjacent to the primary transit corridor along the Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway (RAMP) that links a future ferry terminal at the Seaplane Lagoon with the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Site A and downtown Oakland.
· Of the 800 units, approximately 630 of the units will be in stacked flat buildings over parking and approximately 170 of the units will be in attached townhomes and row houses.
· To facilitate a pedestrian oriented environment, every Alameda Point Site A household will be within a one block walk or less of the BRT line and protected bicycle lanes along RAMP.
To create a comfortable transition between the adjacent Bayport neighborhood and the commercial center at the Seaplane Lagoon, the height and residential density of the eight residential blocks increases along RAMP and across Site A from Main Street to the Seaplane Lagoon. The blocks facing Main Street and the Bayport neighborhood are the lowest density blocks with three-story townhomes. The blocks closest to the Seaplane Lagoon and the commercial center of the project will provide space for the higher density multifamily housing units that will support the commercial uses and waterfront activities.
Each block on the Development Plan is numbered.
· Blocks 1, 2, 6, and 7 will be three-story townhomes of approximately 40 feet in height.
· Block 8 includes multifamily housing over a parking podium for a total height of approximately 50 feet.
· Blocks 3, 9, and 11 will be four to five stories over a parking podium for a maximum height of up to 65 feet.
To facilitate a pedestrian oriented environment, Blocks 11, 9, 3, and 8 will have ground floor retail and/or adaptive spaces facing RAMP.
Affordable Housing
To provide for a mixed income, transit orient community, the Site A Development Plan ensures that 200 of the 800 units (25%) are to be restricted to very low-, low- and moderate-income households. The other 600 units will be market-rate units.
One hundred twenty-eight (128) of the 200 units will be permanently restricted for very low- and low-income households. The very low- and low-income units will be constructed by the nonprofit affordable housing developer, Eden Housing, in two buildings on a shared podium on Block 8 in the first phase of the development. Eden Housing will also provide long-term property management.
Eden Housing is exploring two possibilities for the project. In one scenario, all 128 units are designed for family housing, in the second scenario, 50% of the units (approximately 64 units) are designed for low and very low income seniors. APP and staff would appreciate any initial thoughts from the Planning Board and the community on the two scenarios.
In addition to the 128 very low- and low-income units on Block 8, the project will include 72 moderate income units that will be dispersed throughout the market rate buildings on the other residential blocks.
Phasing
As shown on Exhibit 1, the 800 units will be constructed in phases over time. Upon approval of the Development Plan and DDA, the APP design team will prepare architectural drawings for design review approval by the Planning Board for each building. The submittal of subsequent design review plans will occur incrementally over the course of the development. Over the next two to four years, APP plans to submit design review plans for the approximately 650 residential units in Phase 1. Phase 1 includes the area generally north of RAMP, and Phase 2 includes the area generally south of RAMP. The land in Phase 2 is projected to be transferred from the United States Navy to the City in 2020. The final design and construction of these properties and the final 150 units will not occur until sometime after transfer of the property in 2021 or 2022.
Through Master Plans, such as the Town Center Precise Plan, and Development Agreements, the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) allows the City to phase development of large mixed use projects that will be constructed over five to 20 years and provide major public amenities, while preserving discretion over future phases of the project for the Alameda community.
The phasing of subsequent design review submittals and approvals benefits the Alameda community. Phasing allows the community to change and improve the final design of each building to reflect current community preferences and current best practices rather than being bound to the community's preferences that might have existed five to 15 years earlier, when the initial approvals for the project were granted. Affordable housing needs, funding sources, and architectural preferences change over time. By allowing for phased design review submittals and final approvals, the Alameda community is able to shape the project over the five to 20 years it is being constructed and is not bound by architectural preferences or affordable housing needs that might have prevailed at the time of the original approval.
Affordable Housing Density Bonus Application and Waiver
Consistent with the Town Center Precise Plan, the Development Plan does not include any single family housing, which requires a waiver from AMC 30-53. With 25% affordable housing, the project qualifies for affordable density bonuses, concessions, incentives and waivers pursuant to State law and AMC section 30-17 (Density Bonus Ordinance). The project applicant, APP, is not requesting any density bonus units, but they are requesting a waiver from AMC Section 30-53 Multiple Dwelling Units Prohibited.
Under State and local ordinances, the Planning Board may waive the prohibition on multifamily family housing for this development plans if it is determined that the waiver is necessary because the prohibition physically precludes the applicant from accommodating the 800 units on the site. Exhibit 3 provides evidence that the waiver is necessary to enable Site A to accommodate the 800 units.
Pursuant to Chapter 8 of the Precise Plan, APP will be submitting the floor plans and elevations for each building for Planning Board design review and approval prior to submittal of building permits for each building over the next five to 20 years. Under the AMC and State law, APP is not required to submit elevations and floor plans for all 800 units prior to Planning Board approval of the requested waiver from AMC 30-53. The elevation and floor plans will be submitted prior to design review for each building and prior to construction of each structure with multifamily housing.
Rental Opportunities and Home Ownership Opportunities
The proportion of rental to for sale units will likely vary over time depending on market conditions and demand, but at this time, APP is planning for:
· 530 rental units in the first phase, which includes the very low- and low-income units.
· 120 for sale townhomes in the first phase,
· 150 for sale townhomes and condominiums in the second phase.
Including the affordable units, the ratio of rental to for-sale is approximately 66% to 34%, respectively. Financing structures for the low and very low affordable demand rental. When excluding the low and very low units from the mix, the rent vs. own ratio among market rate is 50%/50%, respectively. When considering the ratio of rental housing to for sale housing, the Planning Board and community may consider the following: (1) major commercial users and employers are more likely to locate at Alameda Point if a significant amount of high-quality nearby rental housing is provided for their workforce; (2) rental housing has a greater potential to attract residents who use alternative modes of transit; (3) current market prices for condominiums in the local Alameda market do not support the high cost of the land and infrastructure at Alameda Point; and (4) very little market rate rental housing has been constructed in Alameda over the last several decades.
Parking
Consistent with the Town Center Precise Plan, the Site A Development Plan is designed to provide up to 1.5 spaces per residential unit and a shared public parking lot that will ultimately be converted to a parking structure. The public parking area is located on Block 14. Each townhome unit will have one or two parking spaces on the ground floor (for an average of 1.5 spaces per unit) and all of the multifamily housing will have shared parking areas under each building. All the multifamily housing parking will be leased separately from the unit to project occupants. The parking program will be more fully discussed in the March 23, 2015 staff report to the Planning Board.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This public workshop is for information only.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and comment on the Development Plan with special attention paid to the proposed housing plan.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, City Planner
Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer - Alameda Point
Exhibits:
1. Draft Development Plan
2. City Council, Planning Board and Other Community Comments
3. Letter from APP Providing Evidence for Waiver of AMC 30-53