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WITHDRAWN - Summary Title: Approve Actions to Implement the Alameda Point Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan:
Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the City of Alameda to Ratify the TDM Fee Amount for Existing Tenants in Alameda Point;
Recommendation to Allow a Pass Through of the TDM Fees from Existing Tenants in Alameda Point to the Alameda Transportation Management Association (TMA); and
Recommendation to Allow a Pass Through of the Special Taxes Generated for Transportation Purposes from Property Owners within Community Facilities District 17-1 (CFD 17-1) at Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA. (Base Reuse 819099) [This matter will not be heard on May 15, 2018.]
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To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Elizabeth D. Warmerdam, Acting City Manager
Re: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City of Alameda to Ratify the TDM Fee Amount for Existing Tenants in Alameda Point; Allow a Pass Through of the TDM Fees from Existing Tenants in Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA; and Allow a Pass Through of the Special Taxes Generated for Transportation Purposes from Property Owners within CFD 17-1 at Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA.
BACKGROUND
The City Council approved the Alameda Point TDM Plan on May 20, 2014, a crucial component of the City’s approach to addressing the City’s transportation issues associated with the reuse and redevelopment of Alameda Point. The intent of the Alameda Point TDM Plan is to provide strategies, measures and services that are combined into a comprehensive program to:
• Create the envisioned transit-oriented development at Alameda Point;
• Achieve the City of Alameda’s General Plan goals to reduce automobile trips, and in particular, target the reduction of solo driving trips; and
• Mitigate potential traffic impacts from existing and new development.
TDM strategies are designed to change travel behavior (when, where, and by what means people travel) by using combinations of incentives, disincentives, and convenient transportation services. The primary components of the Alameda Point TDM Plan include: creation of a Transportation Management Association to oversee the Alameda Point TDM Plan and administer and manage certain elements of it; develop common transit services, car and bicycle share programs, parking management, incentives and support services, and annual monitoring, reporting and compliance.
Since approval of the Alameda Point TDM Plan in 2014, the City applied for and received a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to retain expert TDM consultants to help the City implement the Alameda Point TDM Plan with developers, property owners and existing businesses. The City, in conjunction with these consultants, have accomplished the following key tasks:
1. Established a Community Facilities District (CFD) 17-1 for services requiring a special tax on private property at Alameda Point to fund transportation services and programs (among other public services) consistent with the Alameda Point TDM Plan;
2. Formed the Alameda TMA, a stand-alone non-profit organization, that oversees the ongoing implementation of the Alameda Point TDM Plan and the Northern Waterfront transportation mitigation area requirements with potential for expansion citywide;
3. Developed compliance worksheets for new Alameda TMA members and ongoing monitoring and reporting forms, and conducted annual traffic counts in Alameda Point starting in 2015;
4. Prepared a budget for overhead costs;
5. Developed the Alameda TMA website: www.alamedatma.org <http://www.alamedatma.org>
6. Prepared information and marketing pieces on transportation options to access Alameda Point (Exhibit 1);
7. Prepared a draft Memorandum of Understanding with AC Transit for bus service from Alameda Point to the 12th Street BART Station; and
8. Implemented the dockless bike share program with LimeBike.
In addition, one of the key aspects of the TDM implementation efforts for Alameda Point has included preparing proposed transportation programs and corresponding fees for existing tenants in Alameda Point. The proposed fees are for the first three years, and will fund transportation services and programs targeted at the needs of existing tenants in Alameda Point. The proposed programs and fees for existing tenants, described in greater detail below, will be implemented by the Alameda TMA and integrated with the other transportation programs slated to be funded by future Alameda Point developers, such as Alameda Point Partners, the Site A developer and other private properties through a special tax per the CFD.
The proposed transportation programs and fees for existing tenants are the culmination of significant outreach and input from the tenants at multiple meetings in 2017, and were approved by the Alameda TMA Project Area Committee for Alameda Point, which is comprised of existing businesses and property owners in Alameda Point, the Alameda TMA Board and the Transportation Commission in January 2018. This staff report discusses the transportation programs and the proposed fees for existing tenants in Alameda Point that will help further implement the City’s transportation plans for Alameda Point. City staff is requesting City Council approval to ratify the TDM fee amount for the existing tenants in Alameda Point and to allow a pass through of the monies to the Alameda TMA for TDM program implementation.
Further, it is the intent of the established CFD 17-1 to allow for the levy of special taxes on private properties within the adaptive reuse area in Alameda Point to pay for transportation services. Since the Alameda TMA was formed to implement the transportation services, City staff is requesting the pass through of the special taxes related to transportation from property owners within CFD 17-1 at Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA for TDM program implementation.
DISCUSSION
Exhibit 2 summarizes the estimated costs for the transportation programs and the TDM fee amounts by type of business and for each of the existing tenants in Alameda Point, as well as the line item budget amounts for the management of the Alameda TMA. Based on current cost estimates developed by the City’s TDM expert, the transportation programs are expected to cost approximately $100,000 in 2018, $177,000 in 2019 and $261,000 in 2020. In 2018, the part-time executive director is not funded by fees paid for by existing tenants at Alameda Point, and is funded by other City TDM funds. In 2019, the executive director is assumed to be a part-time staff whereas in 2020, the program is assumed to need a full-time executive director. The following transportation programs were agreed upon after significant outreach with existing Alameda Point businesses:
1. AC Transit EasyPasses and Line 96. AC Transit EasyPasses, which are free bus passes for trips in the East Bay and to/from San Francisco on Transbay bus lines, will be provided to all employees at Alameda Point. The City is working with AC Transit to adjust Line 96 to serve more of Alameda Point. (Expenses: 1,000 EasyPasses totaling $45,000 for part year 2018 and $90,000 for 2019 and 1,500 EasyPasses totaling $135,000 for 2020.)
2. Subsidized Carpooling. Employees who carpool to Alameda Point via Scoop and Waze will have their trips subsidized between $2 and $12 per trip depending on the distance of their trip. This service targets employees who have commutes that are not conducive to transit or who have longer distance commutes. (Expenses: $10,000 for 2018 and 2019 and $15,000 for 2020.)
3. Incentivized Bicycle Commuting. Contract with the company, Ride Report, to develop a bike tracking program for Alameda Point to reward employees who commute via bicycle to and from Alameda Point, to allow employers to incentivize bike commuting and to track data regarding bicycle commuting. (Expenses: $12,000 for 2018 and $10,000 for 2019 and 2020.)
4. Marketing and Information Sharing. Develop marketing materials and maintain and upgrade the Alameda TMA website to promote Alameda Point transportation program and services. Piggyback on the citywide transportation awareness campaign. This effort targets Alameda Point employees and visitors. (Expenses: $5,000 per year budgeted for 2018, 2019 and 2020.)
Numerous other options were considered including branded electric vehicles, private shuttles and Chariot private commuter shuttle service. These options were not preferred by the tenants and staff because they were more expensive, and provided less capacity and service duration. The proposed transportation programs are in addition to LimeBike, other services and programs to be funded by future Alameda Point developers and the City’s other efforts to implement the recently approved Transportation Choices Plan.
TDM Fees for Existing Tenants
City staff is requesting the City Council approve a resolution, which states that the City Council will ratify the fee amount for existing tenants in Alameda Point as recommended by the Alameda TMA and Transportation Commission. Exhibit 3 is the funding agreement between the City and the Alameda TMA to allow for the pass through of the TDM fees from existing tenants at Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA for TDM program implementation. Since this agreement may be mutually extended for up to seven (7) additional years, the subsequent years beyond the first three years will not have more than a five percent annual increase in the business fee charges until the existing tenant TDM fees equal the rate of the special taxes of the private properties (discussed below) that are generated for transportation purposes.
Special Transportation Taxes on Private Properties
Exhibit 4 is the funding agreement between the City and the Alameda TMA to allow for the pass through of special taxes generated for transportation purposes from property owners within CFD 17-1 at Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA for TDM program implementation. The special taxes are levied on private properties within the adaptive reuse area in Alameda Point. Currently, these private properties include Bladium (800 West Tower Avenue), Building 9 (707 West Tower Avenue) and Building 91 (651 West Tower Avenue), and will include Site A per the DDA. Unlike the TDM fees on existing tenants in Alameda Point where the City is the property owner, City staff is not requiring approval of a prescribed transportation program and budget for the special taxes that are generated by private properties. For these special taxes, City staff is allowing the Alameda TMA to fulfill its transportation obligations per the Alameda Point TDM Plan requirements using their own internal processes based on their bylaws and priorities. This funding agreement is in perpetuity, and the rates will increase annually per CFD 17-1, which is the greater of the change in the San Francisco Urban Consumer Price Index or two percent.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The transportation programs for existing Alameda Point businesses will be funded by fees paid for by the existing businesses, and by the private property owners in Alameda Point per CFD 17-1 (Exhibit 2). The tax rates for commercial uses in the adaptive reuse area and Site A established by the CFD is approximately $0.55 per square foot. The fees from existing tenants and special taxes from developers and private property owners will be transferred from the City to the Alameda TMA consistent with the Alameda Point TDM Plan. If the existing tenants are delinquent in their payments, and pay after one month and ten days of the due date, a late penalty of ten percent must be added for payment to be accepted. An additional interest penalty of 1.5 percent monthly will begin to accrue if payment is not received seven months after the due date. There are no impacts to the General Fund, and it is cost neutral to the City.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the approved TDM Plan and the Transportation Element of the City’s General Plan, including Policy 4.1.6.a. and Chapter 9: Alameda Point of the General Plan, which outlines goals and policies for de-emphasizing the automobile; creating a mixed-use environment that promotes transit; and achieving a human-scale transit-oriented development, among many other transit-supportive policies. This action does not affect the Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Alameda City Council certified a Final EIR for the Alameda Point Project on February 4, 2014, in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq. and adopted and incorporated into the project all of the mitigation measures for the project that are within the responsibility and jurisdiction of the City, including the Alameda Point TDM Plan to mitigate traffic impacts. No further environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION
1) Adopt a resolution authorizing the City of Alameda to ratify the TDM fee amount for existing tenants in Alameda Point;
2) Allow a pass through of the TDM fees from existing tenants in Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA; and
3) Allow a pass through of the special taxes generated for transportation purposes from property owners within CFD 17-1 at Alameda Point to the Alameda TMA.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ott, Acting Assistant City Manager
By,
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Edwin Gato, Acting Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Promotional Flyer
2. Proposed Financial Plan
3. Pass Through Funding Agreement
4. Special Taxes Pass Through Funding Agreement