Title
Planning Board Study Session to consider preliminary initial development concepts for the 356 dwelling units on the Alameda Landing Waterfront north of the intersection of Fifth Street and Mitchell Avenue. The project is located within the M-X (Mixed-Use) Zoning District.
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Acting Planning and Building Director
Date: June 10, 2019
Executive summary:
The purpose of this study session is to give the project applicant, the Pulte Home Company, LLC, an opportunity to present their initial design and development concepts for this 17.4 acre waterfront site to the Planning Board and the community at large.
Pulte’s plans (Exhibit 1) illustrate the general circulation, general distribution of units, and general architectural concepts. The plans are for discussion purposes only and not intended to serve as a final Development Plan, Landscape Plan, or Design Review plans, which will need to be much more detailed.
The study session provides an opportunity for the Planning Board and community to review the initial concepts and provide the applicant and staff with suggestions and direction for possible improvements to be incorporated into the future Development Plan and Design Review plans for Planning Board review. No action or decision on the plans by the Planning Board is needed or recommended at this time.
BACKGROUND
In 2017, the City Council adopted a Bayport/Alameda Landing Master Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum that allows for 17 acres of maritime commercial uses within 364,000 square feet of existing waterfront warehouses, a 4.5-acre public park on the Alameda Landing waterfront, and a new residential neighborhood of up to 400 residential units on the remaining 17.4 acres. The 2017 Alameda Landing Master Plan amendment is attached as Exhibit 2. The 2006 Alameda Landing/Bayport Master Plan is available for review on the City of Alameda website at https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building-and-Transportation/Planning-Division/Major-Planning-Projects.
Shortly after the Council’s 2017 decision, Bay Ship and Yacht purchased the 17 acres and 364,000 square feet of existing waterfront warehouses and began rehabilitating the structures for maritime commercial uses.
In 2018, the Planning Board approved the final design for the 4.5 acre waterfront park. The park site provides waterfront views of the San Francisco Bay and Estuary, Port of Oakland activities, cranes, and the Oakland and San Francisco skylines. The 4.5 acre public waterfront park is located directly across the estuary from Jack London Square and the Port of Oakland Howard Terminal, which is currently being considered by the Oakland A’s for a possible new waterfront stadium site.
In 2019, Pulte Home Company, LLC submitted a preliminary application to construct a 356 unit neighborhood on the remaining 17.4 acres.
DISCUSSION
The new residential neighborhood proposed by the Pulte Home Company, LLC and shown in the attached drawings is located immediately behind the park facing the Alameda Oakland Estuary. The Marina Square dry boat storage warehouse and Cardinal Point assisted living complex border the site to the east. The Bay Ship and Yacht warehouses border the site to the west. Mitchell Avenue and the extension of 5th Street will provide access to the new neighborhood.
Master Plan Requirements: When reviewing the Pulte concept plan (Exhibit 1), the Planning Board and community should be aware that the Alameda Master Plan establishes certain specific requirements for the project. Those requirements are labeled here in bold text. Where appropriate, staff has included a brief initial comment on the concept plan for Planning Board information and consideration.
Land Use Buffer Area: Provide a minimum 50 foot-wide buffer area between the maritime commercial eastern property line and the western-most residential buildings to minimize land use conflicts between the maritime commercial uses and the adjacent residential buildings. The buffer area may include roadways, landscaped areas, and recreational facilities. The buffer area shall provide public bicycle and pedestrian access from Mitchell Avenue to the public waterfront improvements.
Bicycle Path Crossing: Provide a safe and convenient bicycle path crossing from Bette Street across the Mitchell extension to the waterfront.
Staff Comment: The concept plans provide the buffer area and the Bette Street crossing, but more detailed design work will be needed to provide adequate bicycle and pedestrian access to the waterfront park and along the Mitchell right of way. Additional design details will be needed to ensure bicycle and pedestrian safety. Bette Street provides a Class I separated bike trail from Stargell to Mitchell. The bike trail is intended to continue to the waterfront.
Mixed Use and Building Heights: The residential development shall include a minimum of 5,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space with 12 foot floor to ceiling dimensions for commercial, retail, and/or commercial recreational uses consistent with the CC Zoning District regulations facing the Waterfront Plaza and water shuttle landing or along 5th Street. Buildings with ground floor commercial space may exceed five stories. All other buildings shall be five stories or fewer in height. The ground floor commercial space may be in freestanding buildings without a vertical mixing of uses.
Staff Comment: The plans show a 5,000 square foot commercial space at the terminus of 5th Street. As shown in Exhibit 1, all the buildings in the plans are 3 or 4 stories in height.
View Corridors: Provide view corridors from Mitchell to the north along the land use buffer area between the maritime commercial and residential subareas, and along the 5th Street corridor. The 5th Street view corridor to Broadway in Oakland shall maintain a minimum 75-foot right-of-way. Upon review of the Development Plan, the Planning Board may reduce the required width without a Master Plan amendment, if it is determined at that time that a full 75 feet is not required for an Estuary Crossing, as described below. The Fifth Street extension shall include two travel lanes, two bicycle lanes, two on-street parking lanes and space for water shuttle drop-offs and kayak launch staging.
Estuary Crossing: Provide access for future bicycle, pedestrian, and/or transit tube or bridge to Oakland within the public rights-of-way along 5th Street and land use buffer corridor.
Staff Comment: The plans show the 75 foot right of way for 5th Street. Per Bay Conservation and Development Commission requirements, the plan also includes two addition view corridors through the project from Mitchell to the waterfront. Staff will be recommending that public access easements be placed on the two internal view corridors, in addition to the 5th Street corridor and the western buffer to preserve public access and view corridors through the project to the waterfront in perpetuity, and provides up to four potential locations to land a future public bicycle bridge or gondola connecting western Alameda to Jack London Square in Oakland.
Staff will be reviewing all the future plans to ensure that the view corridors provide the necessary right of way or easement for a future bridge or gondola.
Estuary Park Access: Provide vehicle and pedestrian access by either: (1) constructing a service road, not to exceed 25 feet in width along the planned alignment of the Mitchell Avenue extension to the planned parking lot for Estuary Park, or (2) constructing a service road, not to exceed 21 feet in width along the planned alignment of the Mitchell Avenue extension to the planned parking lot for Estuary Park and constructing a pedestrian and bicycle path not to exceed six (6) feet around the southwest border of the detention pond from the existing Tri Pointe bicycle path to the eastern end of the Estuary Park.
Staff Comment: Catellus has submitted these plans to the City and is pursuing this improvement independently of the Pulte project.
Affordable Housing: Provide deed restricted affordable housing units consistent with the requirements of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
Staff Comment: Pulte is proposing to construct 38 deed restricted affordable housing units within the project. The very low and low income units would be rented, and the moderate units would be sold. The affordable housing requirements will also be conditions of approval on the plans and future subdivision maps.
Middle Income/Smaller Units: At least 10% of the market rate units shall be 1,200 square feet in size or less.
Staff Comment: The project exceeds this standard. Approximately 38% of the market rate units in the plan are 1,200 square feet or less.
Parking: Provide a maximum of two (2) private off-street parking spaces for each detached single-family unit and each attached single-family unit (townhome). The maximum number of private off-street parking spaces allowed for flats and low income or very low-income deed restricted units shall be 1.5 spaces per unit averaged over the total number of flats and deed restricted low- and very-low income units. Guest and visitor parking for the open space, commercial and/or recreation uses shall be provided by public on-street parking.
Staff Comment: All of the 36 single family homes have two car garages. About 136 of the townhome units have 2 car garages and the other 88 townhome units have one car garages. The flats and affordable units are parked at 1.6 cars per unit. Given that 88 of the townhomes are parked at less than 2 cars per unit, staff believes it is reasonable to add the 88 units to the total number of flats to determine if the project meets the 1.5 standard.
TDM Assessments: Impose annual assessments on each residential unit for transportation services as follows:
• Single Family Detached home with 2 car garage: $550 (2017 dollars)
• Attached Single Family home with 2 car garage: $450
• Flats with shared parking and Townhomes less than 1,500 square feet in size: $350
All fees to increase annually consistent with Bay Area Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Metropolitan Area.
Land Use Disclosures: Provide disclosures to all future residents of the residential area that the existing environment includes adjacent and nearby maritime manufacturing industries, the Port of Oakland, and heavy industrial uses such as Schnitzer Steel which may operate 24 hours a day.
Staff Comment: The TDM Assessments and land use disclosure requirements shall be required as conditions of approval on the plans and future subdivision maps.
Universal Design: The Development Plan, Design Review, and building permit plans shall specify that at least 15% of the units have a ground floor bedroom, full bathroom and kitchen facilities. All ground floor living space shall include:
• Accessible route of travel to dwelling unit from public sidewalk to the unit’s primary entrance or an easily adaptable route and an accessible route of travel from garage/parking to the unit’s primary entrance.
• Minimum 32” clear primary entry doorway and a “no step entry” (1/2” or less threshold) with dual peephole and doorbell. All exterior and interior doors to meet Chapter 11a. code required maneuvering clearances, hardware, thresholds, and strike side clearances.
• An accessible route of travel with a minimum 42” wide hallway to all bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms on the primary accessible floor.
• Rocker light switches, electrical receptacles, and environmental controls at accessible heights on the primary accessible floor.
• Minimum required work/floor clearance of 30”x48” in front of stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, sink, and oven, accessible countertops with a 30” wide workspace and/or one or more 15” breadboards installed between 28-32” high and under-cabinet lighting.
• Bathroom with standard shower stall and toilet with grab bar reinforcement, removable base cabinets, lower towel racks, and accessible toilet tissue holder.
Staff Comment: The Alameda Landing Master Plan amendment pre-dates the City adoption of the Universal Design ordinance. Pulte is proposing 96 (27%) elevator served flats that are intended to meet and/or exceed the Master Plan’s 15% requirement.
Staff has not yet reviewed the floor plans to determine if the units meet all of the specific requirements listed in the Alameda Landing Master Plan universal design requirements shown above.
Housing Mix: Provide a variety of housing types, but in no event shall more than 30% of the units be detached single family homes.
Staff Comment: The proposed plan includes 356 dwelling units, which includes:
• 36 For Sale Single Family Detached homes (10% of total). The homes will be 3-story alley load homes with 4-bedrooms floor plans ranging from 2,100 sf to 2,450 sf. with standard 2-car garages for each home.
• 95 For Sale Large Townhomes or “Row houses”. These attached townhomes are 3-story alley loaded townhomes with 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom floor plans ranging from 1,150 sf to 1,900 sf. Each home has a 2-car garage in either a standard or tandem configuration. These units are similar in size and configuration to the townhomes on 5th Street in the adjacent Tripoint neighborhood.
• 129 For Sale Small Townhomes. These smaller attached townhomes are 1-bedroom and 2 bedroom units ranging in size from 900 sf to 1,150 sf. Approximately 70% of the Small Townhomes have a 1-car garage. The other 30% have 2-car garages.
• 96 For Sale Stacked Flats. These single story “apartment style” units are located in 4-story, elevator served buildings. Each building contains 12 units. Each home offers single-level living with its entry accessed from a common lobby and corridor served by a central elevator. These homes range from 2-bedroom to 3-bedroom and 1,200 sf to 1,325 sf. The homes are designed to be 100% accessible. Private 1 or 2 car garages are located on the ground level of the building. Deed restricted low and very low income affordable housing units located within this housing type would be rental units, under the current plan.
Traffic and Unit Count: To ensure that the proposed future residential development of the property would not result in any new or more severe traffic impacts than those anticipated with the 2006 Alameda Landing EIR, the 2017 Master Plan amendment (Exhibit 2) established a cap on the number of daily and peak hour automobile trips that may be generated by the residential project.
The Master Plan amendment “Trip Matrix” anticipated that the number of units that might be permissible under the automobile trip cap would depend on the types of units that are proposed. The Trip Matrix recognizes that single family units generate more trips than single story “flats” in multifamily buildings, and that rental units in multifamily buildings and deed restricted affordable units generate less trips than for-sale townhomes or for-sale condominium units in multifamily buildings.
Therefore, the matrix established four categories of residential units, each with its own Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip rate. The following four categories are listed in order of trip generation:
1. Single family detached home (highest trip generation rate)
2. For Sale Attached Townhome with 2-car garage (second highest trip generation)
3. For Sale Flats (less than 1200sf) and for sale stacked flats in Multifamily Buildings (third highest)
4. Rental Flats in Multifamily Buildings and Deed Restricted Units. (lowest)
The Trip Matrix also established a “trip credit” or “adjustment” for trips removed from the roadway network by the Alameda Landing Transportation Demand Management program. The credit is measured by commute period ridership data provided by the Alameda Landing TDM administrator. Specifically, the TDM Adjustment will be the most recent six-month average of the number of riders on the Alameda Landing BART Shuttle during the respective two-hour morning (outbound) and evening (inbound) commute periods. For example, if over the course of six months, the Alameda Landing BART Shuttle had an average of fifty riders during the two-hour morning commute period and an average of fifty riders during the two-hour evening commute period, the TDM Adjustment would be 50 trips for the morning peak period and 50 trips for the evening peak period. The sum of the Unadjusted Trip Budget and the applicable TDM Adjustment is the “Remaining Trip Budget” for the Residential Sub-Area. The actual mix of uses in the Residential Sub-Area shall be subject to compliance with the applicable Remaining Trip Budget.
Staff Comment: Prior to final approval of the plan by the Planning Board, staff will use the Trip Matrix approved by the City Council in 2017 to confirm that the number of trips generated by the proposed project as depicted in the final plans does not exceed the allowable number of trips.
An initial review reveals an interesting question or issue for the project’s trip calculation:
The Pulte plans include 129 “for sale” small townhomes that are less than 1,200 square feet. Ninety one (91) of these 129 unit have one car garages. These 91 small townhomes with one car garages have less usable square footage (i.e. fewer bedrooms) than the “for-sale flats” and some of the “for sale flats” have two car garages. These small townhomes don’t seem to fit neatly into one of the four categories in the Matrix. They are not “For Sale Townhomes with 2 car garages” and they are not “For Sale Flats in Multifamily Buildings. It can certainly be argued that a very small townhome with a one car garage will generate less traffic than a large townhome with a 2-car garage. But does it generate more traffic than a condominium or “stacked flat” in a multifamily building?
Staff will be considering this question and the ITE rates in the matrix and will have a recommendation on how best to characterize the units in the matrix when the project returns for final review and decision.
Development Plan Review: Location of Housing Types within the Plan Area: The Planning Board, community and staff will need to consider the location and distribution of the housing within the planning area as part of the review of the Development Plan for the project.
The Master Plan does not provide any specific standards or guidance regarding the location or distribution of different housing types within the waterfront plan area, but the Master Plan intent and purpose statements (page 44) do provide the following guidance for the Board.
• Create a walkable, human-scaled, tree-lined mixed-use development area that de-emphasizes the impact of the automobile.
• Organize the site in a manner that creates a variety of interesting open spaces encouraging a richness of urban fabric.
As shown in Exhibit 1, Pulte is proposing to cluster each housing type within its own subarea. The 36 single family detached homes are clustered at the center of the project. The most likely footing for a future bike bridge or gondola crossing runs through the middle of the single family home area. The 96 four story multifamily stacked flats are segregated to the east side of 5th Street. The rest of the land area is devoted to the 224 townhomes.
Design Review: Architecture. The Planning Board, community and staff will need to consider the architectural design of the homes as part of the Design Review approvals for the project. Pulte provided their initial architectural design concepts for the project in Exhibit 1. Pulte and their architects, KGTY are proposing a contemporary architectural design that they believe will complement the nearby maritime light industrial uses and waterfront context.
The Master Plan does include a number of architectural design guidelines beginning on page 69 of the Master Plan to guide the Design Review process. As stated in the Master Plan, the Planning Board is empowered to approve a design that does not comply with a guideline if the Board feels the design supports the intent and purpose statements on page 44 of the Master Plan. The following excerpts are from those guidelines:
• Respect and reflect the maritime history of the site through a variety of means, including architectural detailing, interpretive signage, and public art.
• Ensure an authentic architectural character and provide high-quality materials for all buildings and public places.
• Buildings fronting on the water should incorporate landmark features to provide a visual “anchor” and visibility for Waterfront Plaza.
• All buildings that front onto the Waterfront Plaza must have their primary entries onto the Plaza.
• Encourage high- quality building materials and sustainable building design that meets LEED standards for green building features. Encourage use of alternative energy resources, such as photovoltaic cells and wind turbines, subject to approval of applicable non-City agencies, as part of the Development Plan. To this end, the City and Project developers shall work with prospective tenants and architects to include sustainable and green building design features within the project.
• Bold, simple forms should express an individual identity while maintaining a sense of overall unity with surrounding buildings and landscape.
• Bold simple building forms with strong geometric detailing and bold offsets in wall planes should be provided.
• Provide for a high level of architectural design and materials.
• Provide straightforward design: clean, modern, utilitarian, and expressive of construction technology.
• Reinforce the streetscape.
• Facades should be articulated to reduce the massive scale and the uniform, impersonal appearance of large buildings.
• The architecture should use expressive walls, wall planes, and color, and be animated with detailed building components such as canopies.
• A unified architectural identity should be expressed but allow for individual expression.
• Secondary building facades facing public rights-of-way should include articulation which provides relief in scale through the use of patterns, shadows, and accent colors.
• Facades should recognize and reflect the human scale through the use of horizontal and vertical coursing elements.
• Flush windows are discouraged. Openings for windows should be recessed into the wall surface in order to express the difference in materials.
• Where visible from public streets, long building facades should seek to avoid monotony by establishing a rhythm that is not repetitious, but that serves to lend a sense of scale and variety.
• Building facades must include repeating pattern that shall include no less than three of the following elements: color change; texture change; material module change; and expression of architectural or structural bay through a change in plane no less than 24 inches in width, such as an offset, reveal, or projecting rib. Not encouraged: Period historicist styles Monotonous facades
• Roof features should be used to complement the character of the neighborhoods. Variations in rooflines should be used to add interest to and reduce the massive scale of large buildings.
• Design roofs and parapets to be visually attractive and integrated with the building architecture.
• Parapets concealing fl at roofs and rooftop equipment from public view. The average height of such parapets shall not exceed 15 percent of the height of the supporting wall and such parapets shall not at any point exceed one-third of the height of the supporting wall.
• Overhanging eaves should extend no less than 3 feet past the supporting walls.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On December 5, 2006, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Landing Mixed Use Development Project (a Supplement to the 2000 Catellus Mixed Use Development Project EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse #2006012091). The City has prepared several addenda to the 2006 SEIR. On July 18, 2017, the City Council approved an Environmental Assessment of the Bayport/Alameda Landing Master Plan Amendment. The Environmental Assessment concluded that the Master Plan Amendment (provided that the traffic trip cap established by the Master Plan is maintained) would not generate any new, or substantially more severe, impacts than might be expected as compared to those identified in the 2006 SEIR.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a study session and review and comment on the Alameda Landing Waterfront Neighborhood Plans (Exhibit 1).
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Acting Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. Alameda Landing Waterfront Residential Plan
2. 2017 Alameda Landing Master Plan Amendment