Title
PLN22-0401 - 2800 Fifth Street - Master Plan Amendment, Development Plan Amendment, and Design Review - Applicant: Pulte Homes, LLC. Public Hearing to consider Master Plan Amendment, Development Plan Amendment, and Design Review to allow the construction of an approximately 1,500-square-foot one-story community building and two approximately 2,500-square-foot three-story moderate-income affordable housing units within the Alameda Landing Waterfront Mixed Use Project. A Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Landing Mixed Use Development Project was certified in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse #2006012091) in 2006
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The request of the Planning Board is to:
• Recommend that the City Council amend the Alameda Landing Waterfront Master Plan to replace the 5,000-square-foot commercial space requirement to 1,500-square-feet of community space that will become part of the City’s waterfront park. The property will be deeded to the City of Alameda for future use as a community room.
• Approve the Development Plan Amendment and Design Review to allow for the construction of an approximately 1,500-square-foot one-story community building and two approximately 2,500-square-foot three-story moderate-income affordable housing units.
Staff is recommending approval of the proposed Master Plan and Development Plan amendments and Design Review approval for the proposed project.
BACKGROUND
In 2006, the City Council approved the Bayport/Alameda Landing Master Plan, and in 2017, the City Council approved an amendment to the Master Plan to allow residential development along the waterfront, provided that the development included construction of a waterfront park and provided 5,000-square-feet of space for commercial, retail, and/or commercial recreational uses (as amended, “2017 Master Plan”).
In 2019, the Planning Board approved Resolution No. PB-19-21 for a residential development plan for Pulte Homes, LLC (the “applicant”) which included a site for the 5,000-square-foot commercial development on Fifth Street adjacent to the waterfront park subject to conditions of approval. One condition of approval required the applicant to return to the Planning Board for design review for the commercial building.
On December 13, 2021, the Planning Board amended Resolution No. PB-19-21 to modify the timing for Design Review approval of a commercial building within the Alameda Landing Waterfront Mixed Use Project in order to avoid a delay in housing construction at the site. The Planning Board agreed with the applicant that a retail commercial use at the site would be difficult to maintain given the uncertain economic outlook for retail spaces, but the Board also discussed the importance of having a community space next to the waterfront park. The Board directed the applicant to work with staff to return with a plan that included some form of community benefit.
Since that time, and in response to the Planning Board’s direction, Pulte has been working with Planning staff and the Recreation and Parks Director to develop a proposal that includes an approximately 1,500-square-foot one-story community building that will become part of the waterfront park. In addition, the project will construct two 2,500-square-foot single family units deed-restricted at the moderate-income level (up to 120% average median income (AMI)). In order to complete the proposed amendment, the applicant requests the Planning Board amend the 2017 Alameda Landing Master Plan and the 2019 residential Development Plan to allow for the new buildings. The approved Alameda Landing Waterfront Mixed Use Project already includes 357 housing units, 39 of which are deed restricted for lower income and moderate-income households.
DISCUSSION
Over the past year, the applicant has been working closely with the Planning staff and the Recreation and Parks Department to design the proposed plan that now includes an approximately 1,500-square-foot community building (Exhibit 1). The building will become part of the Waterfront Park and includes a recreation room, two bathrooms, storage, and an outdoor seating area. The new community building will add to the amenities of the Waterfront Park.
The new community building is a one-story structure with a simple, rectangular form and a practical floor plan designed for community use. The exterior architecture uses elements from the approved residential architecture in the Alameda Landing homes nearby. These building features include a flat roof with a parapet, storefront glazing, horizontal siding, composite wood trim, metal canopy, and a trellis. The architectural design and landscaping provide for visually interesting and varied facades with changes in materials and colors. The community building entrance fronts onto Fifth Street, and serves as an appropriate interface for the entrance of the Waterfront Park and the public plaza.
The remaining portion of the site will provide for two dwelling units constructed in the “Breeze-style” three-story single family detached designs approved by the Planning Board in 2019. These 2,500-square-foot, 3-bedroom homes will be deed restricted for occupancy by moderate-income households similar to the other affordable units approved for the development. The two units will be counted towards the 2023-2031 Regional Housing Needs Allocation of 5,353 additional units, 868 of which are needed in the Moderate-Income category. The larger 3-bedroom units also address the shortage of housing for large households identified in the Draft Housing Element.
This new mixed-use plan proposed by the applicant provides both the community benefit and housing desired by the Planning Board. If approved, the project will be conditioned to obtain a Lot Line Adjustment in order to convey the portion of the lot containing the commercial building to the City and make it a part of the Alameda Landing Waterfront Park.
CONCLUSION
In order to approve the proposed community building and two moderate income affordable housing units, the project requires the following City actions:
1) An amendment to the 2017 Alameda Landing Waterfront Master Plan by the City Council. Staff is recommending the Planning Board recommend the City Council amend the 2017 Alameda Landing Waterfront Master Plan Mixed Use policy within the Residential Sub Area to replace the minimum of required commercial space with 1,500-square-feet of community space as shown in Attachment A of the draft resolution.
2) An amendment to the 2019 Development Plan and approval of Design Review for the new buildings by the Planning Board. Staff is recommending the Planning Board approve the proposed Development Plan Amendment and Design Review to allow construction of an approximately 1,500-square-foot community building deeded to the City of Alameda and the two moderate-income affordable housing units within the 7,230-square-foot lot as shown in Exhibit 1.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
Property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project’s boundaries were notified of the public hearing and given the opportunity to review and comment on the proposal.
CLIMATE ACTION
Providing a community building to create a residential mixed-use environment is consistent with the regional sustainability plans and the City’s climate action policies and local climate action plan. Likewise, adding housing in the center of the Bay Area and slightly increasing the density of the existing project is also consistent with local and regional sustainability plans.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed change to the project to provide replace 5,000-square-feet of commercial space with approximately 1,500-square-foot of community space and 5,000-square-feet of residential floor area would not result in a significant change to the environmental impacts associated with the approved project. No further environmental review is required pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21166 and Section 15162 of the CEQA Guidelines because the environmental effects of the proposed project were considered and disclosed in the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and there have been no changes to the project or the circumstances in which it is undertaken that would result in new significant or substantially more severe environmental effects than were identified in the previously certified EIR.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Board approve the draft Resolution that:
• Recommends that the City Council amend the Alameda Landing Waterfront Master Plan to replace the 5,000-square-foot commercial space requirement with 1,500-square-feet of community space for City use.
• Approve the Development Plan Amendment and Design Review to allow for construction of an approximately 1,500-square-foot community building and two approximately 2,500-square-foot moderate income affordable housing units.
Prepared By:
Henry Dong, Planner III
Reviewed By,
Allen Tai, City Planner
Exhibits:
1. Project Plans
2. Draft Resolution & Attachment A: Master Plan Amendment