Title
Adoption of Resolution Approving a Tentative Map (Tract 8674) to Subdivide a 0.47-Acre Parcel (PN 072-0383-007-05) to Create Ten Townhome Lots and Two Common Area Parcels within a Remainder Portion of the Del Monte Warehouse Master Plan Area.
This Project Is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15332, In-Fill Development and 15183, Projects Consistent with a General Plan. (Planning Building and Transportation 20962710)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TL Partners, I, LP, the applicant, submitted an application for a Development Plan, Design Review and Tentative Map to construct ten (10) for-sale townhome units, with a buyer’s option for each townhome to have a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, within the remainder portion of the Del Monte Warehouse Master Plan Area. In 2014, the City of Alameda (City) approved the Del Monte Warehouse Master Plan which contemplated 414 units at the site of the Del Monte Warehouse. In 2018 the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda completed the senior housing project, Littlejohn Commons, which provided 31 very-low and low income units within the Del Monte Warehouse Master Plan area. In 2019, Wood Partners purchased the majority of the Del Monte Warehouse property from TL Partners I, LP. In 2022, Wood Partners completed the Clement Avenue extension between Sherman Street and Entrance Road, and in 2023 Wood Partners completed the refurbishment of the Del Monte Warehouse façade and construction of 372 new apartment units, bringing the total current units to 403.
On April 8, 2024, the Planning Board held a public hearing and approved the Development Plan and Design Review for the ten (10) townhome units, and recommended City Council approve the Tract 8674 Tentative Map. Should City Council approve the Tract 8674 Tentative Map, the approved townhomes may be subdivided so that each townhome unit may be individually sold.
BACKGROUND
In 2014, the City adopted the Del Monte Warehouse Master Plan (Master Plan) and a Development Agreement for the 11.06-acre property where the Del Monte Warehouse is located. The Master Plan approved 414 total dwelling units across the entire master plan area and divided the property into three developable sub-areas (A, B, and C). See page 24 of the Master Plan, which may be accessed online at:
<https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/major-planning-projects/del-monte-master-plan-20147.pdf>
Also in 2014, the City approved a Design Review, Planned Development and Density Bonus application submitted by TL Partners, I, LP (TLP) for the rehabilitation and re-use of the historic Del Monte Warehouse within sub-area A, which included 372 new townhomes and condominium units and approximately 30,000 square feet of commercial space. The Master Plan also established the affordable housing requirement at 55 deed restricted affordable units, based on a unit count of 414 total units in the Master Plan. Thirty one of the units were identified as low- and very low-income units and 24 were identified as moderate-income units.
In 2015, the City approved a 31-unit senior living facility, Littlejohn Commons, within the Master Plan’s sub-area B located at the northeasterly corner of Buena Vista Avenue and Sherman Street. The project satisfies the very-low and low-income unit requirement for the Master Plan. The Housing Authority of the City of Alameda completed the project in 2018.
In 2019, TLP sold the majority of its property, and the rights to construct the Del Monte Warehouse project, to Wood Partners, but retained a small portion for future development. Per the Development Agreement, the developer is responsible for constructing the extension of Clement Avenue between Sherman Street and Entrance Road. The Clement Avenue extension required that the City facilitate the transfer of a portion of land adjacent to the proposed Clement Avenue extension that was owned by Wind River Systems, Inc.
The Clement Avenue extension was completed and accepted by the City in 2022. The rehabilitation of the Del Monte Warehouse façade and construction of 372 apartments was fully completed in December 2023 and marketed as Alta Star Harbor. The 24 moderate-income units are interspersed within Alta Star Harbor.
The small parcels remaining from TLP’s sale to Wood (a portion of sub area C from the Master Plan) and the previous Wind River owned parcels comprise the property that is the subject of this application, referred to as the Remainder Parcel.
The applicant is proposing to develop the Remainder Parcel with ten (10) townhomes, which also includes up to ten Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) via conversion of a portion of the ground floor within some of the larger units. This application requires approval of a Development Plan, Design Review, and Tentative Map. The Planning Board held a public hearing on April 8, 2024, and unanimously approved the Development Plan and Design Review and recommended City Council approve the Tentative Map.
DISCUSSION
The Remainder Parcel is an area located at the southeasterly corner where Sherman Street terminates at Clement Avenue. Currently there is a driveway into the Del Monte site off Sherman Street just south of the Remainder Parcel, opposite of where Eagle Avenue intersects with Sherman Street. The project proposes placing the ten townhome units split between two buildings along Sherman Street, setback behind approximately five to twelve feet of landscaping. A 10-foot wide public utility easement over an underground storm drainpipe runs east-west through the site and bisects the Remainder Parcel roughly in half. The ten townhome units are split across two buildings to avoid placing building foundations directly over this easement, however the language in the easement permits upper floors to encroach into the airspace of the easement.
The front doors of the proposed buildings are oriented towards Sherman Street. Garages face the interior of the site and are accessible by a drive aisle that runs parallel to Sherman Street and connects to the existing parking lot drive aisles at two points. East of this drive aisle there is an approximately 20-foot wide area for stormwater bio-retention and landscaping, as well as an area for the placement of each individual townhome’s solid waste collection bins for pick up services.
The applicant is proposing to subdivide the Remainder Parcel into ten individual fee simple lots, allowing each townhome to be for-sale units, and two common area lots (Parcels A and B). Ownership and maintenance of the two common area lots will be handled by either a Homeowner’s Association (HOA) or through a shared maintenance agreement between the future owners of the ten fee simple lots. At the April 8, 2024 Planning Board hearing, the applicant noted that the economics of forming an HOA with only ten properties could prove difficult, and was considering instead establishing a shared maintenance agreement between future townhome owners for the maintenance of the two common area lots. The Planning Board recommended a condition of approval requiring the applicant submit either a Covenant, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) or a draft shared maintenance agreement for review and approval by City Engineer prior to the recordation of the Final Map.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve the Tentative Map application as recommended by the Planning Board and staff,
• Continue the deliberations until a future date and request additional information necessary for those future deliberations,
• Remand the application to the Planning Board for further analysis on a particular finding in the Resolution, or
• Deny the requested Tentative Map. The Design Review and Development Plans approvals by the Planning Board will still be valid, however the ten townhome units would be rental units only.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the Tentative Map will have no negative impact on the General Fund. The map is necessary to facilitate development of the property. Developing this property will increase the property taxes received by the City from this parcel.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Provision of additional housing is consistent with General Plan Housing Element policies to support additional housing development in Alameda and Housing Element policy to support additional for-sale housing in Alameda. By implementing the City’s Housing Element the project is consistent with project HH7, Implement Housing Element, from the Alameda Strategic Plan (2023 - 2026). The Tentative Map is also consistent with the General Plan, and the provisions State and local subdivision requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is determined to be Categorically Exempt from CEQA pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines Section 15332, In-fill Development projects because the project is consistent with the general plan designation policies and zoning designation regulations, the development occurs within city limits on a site of no more than five acres, the site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species, the approval would not result in any significant effects on traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and the site is adequately served by all required utilities and public services and none of the exceptions in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply.
CLIMATE IMPACT
The proposed project is consistent with the City’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan housing policies, which encourages higher-density housing in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed project provides important infill housing in an urban area, in proximity to transit, jobs and services, which can reduce greenhouse gas pollution more effectively than housing built in non-urban locations.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution approving a Tentative Map (Tract 8674) to subdivide a 0.47-acre parcel (PN 072-0383-007-05) to create ten townhome lots and two common area parcels.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
By,
David Sablan, Planner II
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Tract 8674 Tentative Map