Title
Planning Board Workshop on Encinal Terminals
Body
To: President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Assistant Community Development Director
BACKGROUND
Encinal Terminals is an approximately 22-acre peninsula of land surrounded by water on three sides located behind the Del Monte Warehouse on the Northern Waterfront. The Wind River office campus is immediately across the Alaska Basin from the site, and the eastern edge of the peninsula is occupied by Fortman Marina. By boat, the site is located approximately 425 yards from Oakland and approximately 10 miles from San Francisco.
The property owners, North Waterfront Cove LLC (NWC), hopes to redevelop the land with a mix of uses consistent with the City’s General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Over the last five months, NWC has been evaluating the site with its design consultants and has held five informal community meetings with interested neighbors and residents to solicit input to the site planning process.
At this time, NWC would like to discuss its initial ideas about the site with the Planning Board. Based upon the comments received from the community to date, from the Planning Board and from its design and engineering consultants, NWC will submit an application for a Master Plan for the site. When an application is filed, staff will schedule additional public meetings with the Planning Board to review and comment on the draft Master Plan. Once the Planning Board has completed its review of the Master Plan and the draft environmental documents, neither of which have been completed or submitted to the City as of this date, the Planning Board will make a recommendation to the City Council. Pursuant to the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC), the City Council has the responsibility for approving or denying a Master Plan.
To provide a starting point for the Planning Board workshop, NWC has provided Exhibit 1, which includes some of its initial concepts for the site. To further inform the Planning Board workshop, staff is providing the following discussion, which focuses on the existing General Plan and AMC policies and requirements that will shape the draft Master Plan.
DISCUSSION
General Plan: A master plan for Encinal Terminals must be consistent with the City of Alameda General Plan. From staff’s perspective, the following policies excerpted from the General Plan are particularly relevant to the formation of a Master Plan for Encinal Terminals. The Northern Waterfront General Plan Element includes a number of area- wide policies that are relevant to the site:
“Allow the development and reuse of existing sites consistent with the land use designations shown on the Land Use Plan, site specific development policies, and the land use goals for each of the following sites described below:
Encinal Terminals Site. Replace the container care uses at Encinal Terminals with a mix of new uses including residential, commercial, senior housing, and public open space.
Encourage water and maritime related job and business opportunities that relate to the area’s unique waterfront location.
Encourage retail uses that offer recreational products and services, such as windsurfing and sailing equipment and lessons and bicycle and boat rentals.
Encourage a variety of restaurants and activities that meet the needs of people of all ages and income levels.
Require that buildings at waterfront locations be designed with attractive and varied architecture style.
To ensure design compatibility with adjacent developments and neighborhoods; limit new building heights to 60 feet.
On large sites with multiple buildings and with individual tall buildings adjacent to the water, require building heights to “step down” as they approach the water.
Require that new development provide a pedestrian-friendly scale with building sizes consistent with adjacent and historic land uses in the area.
The Northern Waterfront General Plan Element also includes some site specific policies that are specifically designed to govern the Encinal Terminals Master Plan:
“Site Specific Development Policies: The intent of the site specific development policies for the Encinal Terminals Site is to facilitate redevelopment of the site with new land uses that will take advantage of the unique site configuration and waterfront location, increase opportunities for public access and enjoyment of the waterfront and eliminate the existing uses which contribute a large volume of truck traffic in the vicinity. The Mixed Use designation will allow for the development of a wide range of land uses to capitalize on the site’s unique location adjacent to the Alaska Basin, Oakland/Alameda Estuary, Fortman Marina, and Del Monte Warehouse site. Anticipated land uses in this district include a range of housing types, including senior housing, commercial, office, and public parks and open space. Public waterfront access around the perimeter of the site is envisioned, as well as a new marina on the Alaska Basin.”
Pursuant to the area wide policies, any plan to redevelop this site should be consistent with the following Site Specific Policies:
Site Development
E-T 1. Require that the master plan for the development of the Encinal Terminals site illustrate how the various parcels can be developed as a unified development. The master plan must address all phases of the development of the site.
E-T 2. Require that the master plan include adequate open space and a clear public access around the perimeter of the site.
E-T 3. The Master Plan should consider relocating the tidelands trust lands to the perimeter of the site to allow residential mixed-use development in the core of the site with publicly accessible open space around the perimeter of the site.
E-T 4. Cluster development to maximize open space and view corridors to the estuary.
E-T 5. Given that Encinal Terminals is surrounded by water on three sites, taller buildings should be located at the southern end of the site.
E-T 6. If a parking structure is proposed, require ground floor uses and/or a pedestrian friendly facade.
E-T 7. If a parking structure is proposed, locate the structure to serve public access to the waterfront and future development at the Del Monte site.
Land Use Program
E-T 8. The Master Plan for the Encinal Terminals site shall replace the existing container storage and cleaning operation with a mix of uses to create a lively waterfront development. The plan should include at least the following four land uses: residential, retail, commercial, and public open space.
E-T 9. Residential uses may include senior housing or assisted living facilities.
E-T 10. Commercial uses may include restaurants, marine related uses, office uses, and/or additional berths in the Alaska Basin. Additional berths should not be allowed on the northern edge of the site facing the Estuary and Coast Guard Island to preserve views of the water and Oakland.
On-Site Parking and Landscaping
E-T 11. Require that the master plan include inviting, well-designed public entrances from Clement Street. Primary vehicular access into the site should occur at a four-way intersection at Clement/Entrance, if feasible.
E-T 12. Consider opportunities for a public human powered/non-motorized boat launch facility at Alaska Basin.
E-T 13. Require public art installations adjacent to the Alaska Basin shoreline consistent with the Public Art Ordinance.
Public Improvements and Infrastructure
E-T 14. The Encinal Terminals development should fund a fair share of the costs of the Clement Street extension from Sherman to Grand.
E-T 15. The Encinal Terminals development should fund a fair share of the costs to upgrade storm sewer and wastewater facilities necessary to serve all future development within the Northern Waterfront area.
E-T 16. The site plan should allow for a shoreline public promenade around the perimeter of the site and adjacent to the Alaska Basin and Fortman Marinas.
The MX Zoning District
A Master Plan for Encinal Terminals must be consistent with the underlying Mixed Use (MX) zoning designation for the property. Pursuant to AMC Section 30-4.20 - MX, Mixed-Use Planned Development District, any and all site specific master plans, such as the Encinal Terminals Master Plan must:
“…encourage the development of a compatible mixture of land uses which may include residential, retail, offices, recreational, entertainment, research oriented light industrial, water oriented or other related uses. The compatibility and interaction between mixed uses is to be insured through adoption of Master Plan (defined in subsection 30-4.20f) and development plan site plan (defined in subsection 30-4.20h), which indicate proper orientation, desirable design character and compatible land uses to provide for:
1. A more pedestrian-oriented nonautomotive environment and flexibility in the design of land uses and structures than are provided by single purpose zoning districts, including but not limited to shared parking;
2. The enhancement and preservation of property and structures with historical or architectural merit, unique topographic, landscape or water areas, or other features requiring special treatment or protection;
3. Recreation areas that are most accessible to both the MX district's inhabitants and other City residents;
4. Environments that are more conducive to mutual interdependence in terms of living, working, shopping, entertainment and recreation; and
5. Flexibility in the design, lay-out and timing of build-out of large-scale mixed use projects in order to respond to market demands while ensuring that development is in conformance with adopted standards, procedures and guidelines. In order to accomplish this purpose, the City may establish Development Standards, Procedures and Guidelines (which govern, among other items, processing procedures, project-wide design guidelines addressing architecture, site planning, parking, circulation, streetscape, open space, landscaping, lighting, project identification and signage, and specific use design guidelines) as part of the Master Plan to which the Development Plans must then conform.”
Pursuant to AMC 30-4.2:
“The City Council may approve, by ordinance, a Master Plan of mixed uses where each phase thereof provides for Open Space District uses (subsection 30-4.19b. and c.) together with at least two (2) other uses which are permitted in either: (i) R-1 or R-2 districts, (ii) R-6 districts, (iii) A-P districts, (iv) C-1 or C-2 districts, or (v) C-M districts (of this article) and which otherwise meets the requirements set out herein.
AMC Section 30-4.2 states that:
“The City Council shall determine the number of dwelling units that are appropriate for the MX and the appropriate area of noncommercial development therein.”
Pursuant to AMC 30-4.2, the Master Plan must include maps showing: (a) Proposed land use designations; (b) Streets and parking lots; (c) Water areas and places of public access to water; (d) Public open space and other public facilities; (e) Structures or natural features to be preserved, and (f) Vehicular circulation, including public transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and waterways.
The Master Plan must also include:
“A narrative text including: (a) Identification and description of the uses proposed; (b) Statement of the scale of each use, expressed in numbers (i.e., number of residential units, number of boat berths, square footage of retail-commercial, square footage of office uses, etc.) and in acreage allotted; (c) Description of the vehicular transportation circulation system within the project and connecting to larger circulation networks in the City; (d) Description of alternatives to private vehicles, including facilities for public transportation use, pedestrians, and bicycles; (e) Preliminary plans for parking, describing scale and location; (f) Tabulations of approximate acreage allotted to public open space, common private open space, and non-common private open space; (g) Description of public access to water and public utilization of water related facilities; and (h) Statement of probable uses of public open space and other public facilities, including a rationale for scale and location.”
“A preliminary development schedule and phasing diagram showing each phase of the development schedule of the Master Plan, for purposes of planning public amenities and infrastructure. “
The MF Overlay Zoning District and the City of Alameda Housing Element
In 2012, the City of Alameda applied the Multifamily Overlay Zoning District (MF Overlay) zoning to the non-tidelands portions of the site. The MF overlay was not applied to the approximately six acres of land that is designated for Tidelands use. The site was one of a handful of properties throughout the City that was designated for multifamily housing to bring the City of Alameda’s General Plan and Zoning into compliance with State Housing Law.
Once the Planning Board and/or City Council decide how many residential units are appropriate for the site (as required by the MX Zoning District), the MF Overlay zoning district permits the Planning Board and City Council to approve a Master Plan that allows some, or all, of those residential units to be constructed in multifamily buildings.
When considering the number of units to be permitted on the site, the Planning Board and the City Council will need to consider the City of Alameda Housing Element. The Housing Element ensures that the Encinal Terminals site can accommodate approximately 234 units. If the Planning Board or City Council wishes to reduce the number of units on the site, the Board and/Council will need to make written findings that other sites in Alameda will be able to make up the difference so that there will be “no net loss” in capacity needed to meet the City of Alameda’s regional housing obligations. In contrast to the minimums set by the Housing Element, the MF overlay permits up to 30 units per acre, which could, depending upon the configuration of the open spaces and non-residential uses, accommodate up to approximately 450 units. State required density bonuses could increase the number over 450. Ultimately the number of units permitted by the Master Plan will need to be determined through the public planning process.
Public Trust Exchange
The site is comprised of two parcels: a parcel owned by the NWC (“Private Parcel”) and an approximately 6-acre parcel at the center of the site that is owned by the City in “trust” for the people of the State of California (“Trust Parcel”). The Trust Parcel -- which was historically submerged but has since been filled -- is subject to the public trust for commerce, navigation and fisheries (“public trust”). NWC holds the lease for the Tidelands property. Pursuant to State Tidelands regulations and limitations, the use of the interior parcel must be limited to “maritime uses”. Unfortunately, the tidelands parcel leased by NWC does not have any access to, or abut, the water.
The awkward configuration of the public trust at the site renders much of the Trust Parcel useless for public trust purposes, and leaves a portion of the waterfront in private hands, free of the trust, and severely limits the City’s ability to plan effectively for the sound development of the site. These problems could be rectified through a trust land exchange, in which all the property around the perimeter of the site would be placed or remain in City ownership, subject to the public trust, to ensure that the public owned the land immediately adjacent to the water and would be guaranteed access to the edge of the water in perpetuity, and the interior of the site would be freed of the trust and transferred to TLC. The 2007 General Plan Amendment called for such an exchange:
E-T 17. The Master Plan should consider relocating the tidelands trust lands to the perimeter of the site to allow residential mixed-use development in the core of the site with publicly accessible open space around the perimeter of the site.
Any such trust agreement would require the approval of the State Lands Commission, as well as the City Council.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Encinal Terminals Master Plan is a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In 2008 the City of Alameda certified an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Northern Waterfront General Plan Amendment that included this site. Depending on the content of the Encinal Terminals Master Plan, the environmental review for the Encinal Terminals Master Plan may include either a 2016 Mitigated Negative Declaration tiering off of the 2008 EIR, or a new or supplemental 2016 EIR.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a Planning Board study session to provide direction and suggestions for the draft Encinal Terminals Master Plan.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Assistant Community Development Director
Exhibit:
1. Encinal Terminals Initial Concepts