Title
PLN25-0410 - Administrative Use Permit - 1 Clubhouse Memorial Drive - Applicant: Lena Jones. A public hearing to consider an Administrative Use Permit for a commercial kitchen and walk-up service window at the existing storage building, outdoor food and beverage service throughout the grounds of the existing Corica Golf Course, and food trucks at the parking lot located adjacent to the proposed kitchen conversion.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
PLANNING, BUILDING AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION: PLN25-0410 - Administrative Use Permit - 1 Clubhouse Memorial Drive - Applicant: Lena Jones. A public hearing to consider an Administrative Use Permit for a commercial kitchen and walk-up service window at the existing storage building, outdoor food and beverage service throughout the grounds of the existing Corica Golf Course, and food trucks at the parking lot located adjacent to the proposed kitchen conversion.
GENERAL PLAN: Public Parks + Open Space
ZONING: O, Open Space District
ENVIRONMENTAL
DETERMINATION: The project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 - Existing Facilities.
PROJECT PLANNER: Tristan Suire, Planner II
PUBLIC NOTICE: A notice for this hearing was mailed to property owners and residents abutting the site, published in a local newspaper and posted in public areas near the subject property. Staff has not received any public comments on this proposed project.
EXHIBITS: 1. Project Plans
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the Use Permit with conditions.
PROPOSAL SUMMARY: The project site is located at 1 Clubhouse Memorial Road, a developed, 61.28-acre parcel generally in the northeast quadrant of Bay Farm Island. The applicant proposes to provide outdoor food and beverage service on the grounds of the existing Corica Golf Course, as well as improvements to support this service. Pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) Section 30-4.19(d)(4) public and commercial concessionaire activities, uses, and buildings may be permitted in the Open Space District subject to use permit approval.
The existing structure that is proposed to be remodeled was constructed as part of the 1997 renovation to the Lucious Bateman Driving Range, originally dedicated in 1978; aerial imagery supports the conclusion that the structures were completed by 2000. The project included two buildings: the smaller building included private indoor stalls for teaching, and was known as the Norma Arnerich Teaching Academy, the other is a range shop, a portion of which is used for storage and bathrooms. The latter building is proposed to be converted to a commercial kitchen and small service area to support the proposed outdoor food and beverage service. This building is located just south of the parking lot that serves the golf course, immediately west of the driving range. There are several other structures on the parcel, including the clubhouse and restaurant, which are attached and located to the east of the parking lot.
The improvements would replace existing storage areas with food preparation areas, three-stream waste disposal bins, and a service window facing south toward existing driving range stalls. The proposal also includes temporary, movable, outdoor seating to supplement the existing picnic tables in the paved area directly south of the range shop. Finally, as part of the new food and beverage service operations, the applicant has proposed to also serve customers throughout the golf course by operating sales out of a golf cart that would serve patrons who are golfing, as well as periodic food truck service operating out of the south side of the existing parking lot to support periods of high customer demand. The existing building is well suited to commercial operations, and the proposed outdoor food and beverage service use would have nominal impacts to neighboring residents and businesses compared to other uses already permitted on the golf course. The improvements proposed to facilitate the food and beverage service are limited to the commercial kitchen and service window, and besides the new service window, are all interior improvements, with only minor changes proposed to the exterior.
The outdoor food and beverage service use is distinguished from other permitted uses by the aspect of the business that operates outdoors, not within an enclosed building. The operation of the food trucks are included in this permit to allow their outdoor use, however such operations would be conducted by independent businesses, not the applicant, and must comply with all County Health Department requirements and obtain a City of Alameda business license prior to initiating operations. The intended hours of operation for the food and beverage service will adhere to the gofd course hours of operation, which fluctuate seasonally, but will not open before 7:00 AM or remain open after 10:00 PM. The existing parking lot serving the golf course contains approximately 400 parking stalls, which is more than sufficient to serve the proposed use, especially considering the use is intended to serve existing patrons. The applicant has indicated that while the service area may be used during special events, the use permit request is not intended to capture the various special events that occur periodically on the subject property. Those will remain subject to separate permit.
Surrounding land uses include a closed landfill to the north, residential properties with predominantly single-family dwellings to the south and west, and the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport to the east.
FINDINGS:
1. The location of the proposed use is compatible with other land uses in the general neighborhood area, and the project design and size is architecturally, aesthetically, and operationally harmonious with the community and surrounding development.
The proposed commercial concessionaire use is compatible with the other land uses in the Open Space district and the surrounding golf course area. Clubhouse Memorial Drive is a dead-end street that leads solely to the golf course, diverting from a portion of Island Drive that acts as a wide division between the low-density residential dwellings to the west. The building on the subject property proposed for the service use has no defining architectural characteristics but is consistent with the design of other buildings on site, and the proposed concessionaire use will be operationally harmonious with the surrounding land uses. The only exterior improvements that are proposed as part of the project will not be visible from the public right-of-way and are generally nominal and aesthetically consistent.
2. The proposed use will be served by adequate transportation and service facilities, including pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities.
The existing establishment is already served by adequate transportation and service facilities. The property is located on Clubhouse Memorial Drive, a dead-end Neighborhood Local Street that diverts from Island Drive, just north of its intersection with Maitland Drive. Island Drive is served by AC Transit Line OX, Clubhouse Memorial Drive is not served by public transit, but contains a large parking lot intended to serve the site’s users. The parking lot is centrally located just north of the proposed food service area and is intended to primarily serve employees and customers. The existing parking lot contains approximately 400 stalls, and the proposed use is not expected to generate a significant volume of new users because it is intended to enhance the experience of existing users.
3. The proposed use, if it complies with all conditions upon which approval is made contingent, will not adversely affect other property in the vicinity and will not have substantial deleterious effects on existing business districts or the local economy.
Permitting a commercial concessionaire, as conditioned, will not adversely affect other properties in the vicinity. The existing building is located near the center of the over 60-acre site, the proposed use would be integrated into the existing range shop, and the outdoor operations would be within the boundaries of the golf course. The existing restaurant business will not be adversely affected by the presence of a new concessionaire service in the vicinity, because the customers served by the concessionaire services prefer a lower price point not typically afforded by a sit-down restaurant, therefore the clientele of each business should remain distinct. The proposed use will not generate any nuisance given that the proposed hours of operation are coterminous with the operating hours of the golf course itself.
4. The proposed use relates favorably to the General Plan.
The site is designated for Public Parks and Open Space in the Alameda 2040 General Plan which emphasizes preservation of public parks, greenways, and recreational facilities. Policy LU-17 in the Land Use Element of the General Plan notes that adaptive reuse and restoration of existing structures should be supported and encouraged to retain the structure’s embodied energy and reduce the generation of waste.
1. Compliance with Plans. Any modification on this site shall be in substantial compliance with the use permit application submittal dated July 28th, 2025, by Lena Jones, on file in the City of Alameda Planning, Building, and Transportation Department, except as modified by the conditions listed in this report.
2. Changes to Approved Plans: This approval is limited to the scope of the project defined in the project description and does not represent a recognition and/or approval of any work completed without required City permits. Any changes to the approved scope of the project shall be submitted to the Community Development Department for review and approval.
3. Hours of Operation: The outdoor food and beverage service hours of operation shall begin no earlier than 7:00 AM and continue until no later than 10:00 PM every day of the week. Any changes to hours of operation shall require the applicant to file a separate application to amend this Use Permit.
4. Conflicts: The applicant's use of the Premises shall avoid material conflicts with Golf Tenant's operation of the Golf Complex under Golf Tenant's agreement with City.
5. Alcoholic and Beverage Control: The applicant shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to onsite provision and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Any sale of alcohol for off-site consumption is prohibited.
6. Best Management Practices: Applicant and/or operator shall effectively implement best management practices (BMPs) for food service operations to protect stormwater runoff water quality consistent with established guidelines and the expectations of the Alameda Municipal Code Chapter 18, Article III. Operator shall reference the Alameda County Clean Water Program’s “Tips for a Cleaner Bay: How Your Food Service Facility Can Prevent Stormwater Pollution” as relevant guidance.
7. Vesting: The Use Permit approval shall expire two (2) years after the date of approval or by October 6, 2027, unless authorized construction or use of the property has commenced. The applicant may apply for a time extension, not to exceed two (2) years. An extension request will be subject to approval by the Zoning Administrator and must be filed prior to the date of expiration.
8. Revocation: This Use Permit may be modified or revoked by the Zoning Administrator, pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-21.3d should the Zoning Administrator determine that: 1) the use or conditions under which it is being operated or maintained is detrimental to the public health, welfare or materially injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity; 2) the property is operated or maintained so as to constitute a public nuisance; or 3) the use is operated in violation of the conditions of the Use Permit.
9. Indemnification. The Applicant shall defend (with counsel reasonably acceptable to the City), indemnify, and hold harmless the City of Alameda, the Alameda City Planning Board and their respective agents, officers, and employees from any claim, action, or proceeding (including legal costs and attorney’s fees) against the City of Alameda, Alameda City Planning Board, and their respective agents, officers, or employees to attack, set aside, void or annul, an approval by the City of Alameda, the Community Development Department, Alameda City Planning Board, the City of or City Council related to this project. The City shall promptly notify the Applicant of any claim, action, or proceeding and the City shall cooperate in such defense. The City may elect, in its sole discretion, to participate in the defense of said claim, action, or proceeding. No judicial proceedings subject to review pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.5 may be prosecuted more than ninety (90) days following the date of this decision plus extensions authorized by California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6
Environmental Determination
The Zoning Administrator has determined that this project qualifies for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption and no additional environmental review is necessary pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 - Existing Facilities because the project consists of permitting operations or leasing of existing private structures involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that which exists.
Use Permit
The Zoning Administrator hereby approves the Use Permit with conditions.
The decision of the Zoning Administrator shall be final unless appealed to the Planning Board, in writing and within ten (10) days of the decision.