Title
Summary: This is a public hearing to address the following items: (1) certifying Alameda Point's Final Environmental Impact Report, a document assessing environmental impacts associated with the Alameda Point project, (2) approving changes to the City's General Plan as it relates to Alameda Point which will result in increased employment opportunities and will modify the street network supporting a transit-oriented development, (3) amending the zoning code, and (4) approving a Master Infrastructure Plan to establish standards for backbone infrastructure to accommodate the redevelopment of Alameda Point.
Public Hearing to Consider Certifying the Environmental Impact Report, and Approving a General Plan Amendment, Zoning Ordinance Amendment, and Master Infrastructure Plan for the Alameda Point Project:
1. Adoption of Resolution Certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report, and Adopt Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, Mitigation Measures, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Programs for the Alameda Point Project;
2. Adoption of Resolution Approving a General Plan Amendment to Modify General Plan Table 2-7 to Provide Additional Opportunities to Increase Employment at Alameda Point Consistent with the 1996 Community Reuse Plan and to Modify Transportation Element Street Network to Support a Transit Oriented Mixed Use Development at Alameda Point;
3. Introduction of Ordinance Amending Various Sections of the Alameda Municipal Code Contained in Chapter XXX (Development Regulations) to Ensure Consistency between the City of Alameda General Plan and the City of Alameda Municipal Code for those Lands Generally referred to as "Alameda Point;" and
4. Adoption of Resolution Recommending Approval of the Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) Establishing the Requirements and Standards for the Backbone Infrastructure to Support the Redevelopment and Reuse of Alameda Point. (Base Reuse 819099)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John A. Russo, City Manager
Re: Public Hearing to Consider Certifying an Environmental Impact Report, and Approving a General Plan Amendment, Zoning Ordinance Amendment, and Master Infrastructure Plan for the Alameda Point Project:
1) Recommending that the City Council Certify the Final Environmental Impact Report, and Adopt Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, Mitigation Measures, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Alameda Point Project;
2) Recommending that the City Council Approve a General Plan Amendment to Modify General Plan Table 2-7 to Provide Additional Opportunities to Increase Employment at Alameda Point Consistent with the 1996 Community Reuse Plan and to Modify Transportation Element Street Network to Support a Transit Oriented Mixed Use Development at Alameda Point;
3) Amending Various Sections of the Alameda Municipal Code Contained in Chapter XXX (Development Regulations) to Ensure Consistency between the City of Alameda General Plan and the City of Alameda Municipal Code for those Lands Generally referred to as "Alameda Point;" and
4) Resolution Recommending Approval of the Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) Establishing the Requirements and Standards for the Backbone Infrastructure to Support the Redevelopment and Reuse of Alameda Point
BACKGROUND
In 1997, the United States Navy (Navy) terminated its operations at Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda). The largest portion of the former NAS Alameda west of Main Street is commonly referred to as Alameda Point. The departure of the Navy from the former NAS Alameda resulted in the loss of over 18,000 jobs for the Bay Area and the City of Alameda. In response to the economic impacts of the closure, the federal government agreed to convey the property to the City for civilian reuse and redevelopment consistent with the 1996 NAS Alameda Community Reuse Plan (Reuse Plan), as amended. Seventeen years later in June 2013, the Navy conveyed 510 acres of the 878 total acres to be transferred to the City of Alameda at no cost.
To enable private reinvestment and redevelopment of the Alameda Point property, the City Council directed City staff in June 2012 to complete the necessary Environmental Impact Report (EIR), General Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments, and a Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) required to ensure that redevelopment proceeds in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City of Alameda General Plan and the Reuse Plan.
Over the course of the last 18 months, the Alameda community, City staff, the Planning Board, and City Council have undertaken an extensive community planning effort to complete the many required documents.
On January 13, 2014, the Planning Board held a public hearing and voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council certify the Final EIR and approve the draft General Plan amendment and Zoning Ordinance amendment. In addition, the Planning Board voted to recommend City Council approval of the MIP with one member voting against adoption due to concerns about the plan for sea-level rise. The Planning Board's final recommended changes to the documents are described below.
Staff is recommending that the City Council hold a final public hearing; certify the Final EIR; and approve the draft General Plan amendment, Zoning Ordinance amendment, and MIP. The draft resolutions, ordinance, and related documents are attached to this report. The documents are also available for public review at the City's website at <http://alamedaca.gov/alameda-point/current-draft-documents>
Community Planning Process
Over the last two years, the Alameda community, City Council, Planning Board, and City staff have been working together to prepare the necessary regulatory documents for Alameda Point through an extensive community planning process. This planning process included:
· Preparation of a Planning Guide for Alameda Point, which re-confirms and updates the community priorities for the redevelopment of Alameda Point generally consistent with the Reuse Plan. The Planning Guide was endorsed by the Planning Board on July 8, 2013, and endorsed by the City Council on July 23, 2013.
· Approximately twenty three (23) public hearings, public workshops, and public presentations with the City Council, Planning Board, Transportation Commission, Historical Advisory Board, Recreation and Parks Commission and Commission on Disabilities.
· Nineteen (19) presentations to community groups, with close to 700 people attending.
· Ten (10) community events involving approximately 450 people, including a bike tour of Alameda Point attended by over 130 people.
· E-mail blasts announcing upcoming meetings and opportunities for involvement reaching over 10,000 people.
· Facebook posts and Twitter feeds with over 4,000 hits to followers.
· Three public surveys.
· Numerous front-page articles and advertisements in the local press and website announcements.
The following provides a more detailed description of the public process for each of the proposed planning documents
Environmental Impact Report
The public process for the preparation of the EIR exceeded the requirements of CEQA and included:
· Two public scoping sessions with the Planning Board held on January 28, 2013, and February 25, 2013, to provide ample opportunity for the public to submit comments on the scope of a Draft EIR for the Alameda Point project.
· Publication of the Draft EIR on September 3, 2013, with a 48-day public review period ending on October 21, 2013. The City held two public hearings to take public comment on the DEIR on September 9, 2013, and on September 25, 2013.
· Publication of a Final EIR on December 19, 2013. The Final EIR includes copies of all the letters and comments received on the Draft EIR and the proposed revisions to the Draft EIR in response to those comments.
Zoning Ordinance Amendment
The public planning process for the zoning and General Plan amendments was extensive and included valuable input and participation from the Planning Board. The Planning Board began its work on the draft zoning amendments 20 months ago on April 12, 2012. Additional Planning Board public hearings occurred on the draft zoning amendments in May and September 2012, and in January, April, July, September, October and November of 2013.
The preparation of the draft zoning ordinance amendment benefited greatly from input and assistance of the ad hoc Zoning Sub-committee comprised of Members Tang, Koster, and Knox-White, as well as input from the Historical Advisory Board, Transportation Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission and Commission on Disabilities, and from input and suggestions of many other interested parties and individuals.
Master Infrastructure Plan
The initial draft of the MIP was presented to the Planning Board on August 21, 2013, and the City Council on September 17, 2013. Based on the feedback from the Planning Board, City Council and community members at these meetings, a revised MIP was presented to the Planning Board on November 13, 2013, and to the City Council on November 19, 2013. As a related item, an additional presentation on a fiscal impact analysis occurred before the City Council on December 17, 2013. Lastly, two Planning Board members participated in numerous meetings with an inter-departmental staff group regarding street sections in the MIP.
As stated above, on January 13, 2014, the Planning Board held a final public hearing and recommended that the City Council certify the Final EIR and approve the draft General Plan amendment, Zoning Ordinance amendment, and draft MIP.
DISCUSSION
Environmental Review
As required by CEQA, City staff prepared an EIR for the proposed Alameda Point project. A draft resolution regarding the EIR (see attached) accomplishes the following:
· Certifies the Final EIR;
· Makes the necessary findings regarding the environmental impacts from the project;
· Makes the necessary findings regarding the benefits of the project to the community that outweigh the potential significant and unavoidable environmental impacts of the project;
· Adopts the mitigation measures identified in the Final EIR; and
· Adopts the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
The City of Alameda prepared and circulated for public review a Draft Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse #2013012043) and issued a Response to Comments document on December 19, 2013. Together these documents comprise the Final EIR, which discloses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project at Alameda Point.
The purpose of the Final EIR is to disclose for the public and the policy makers the significant environmental impacts of the proposed project. In this case, the proposed project is the reuse and redevelopment of Alameda Point, a significant portion of the former NAS Alameda, which is facilitated by the adoption of the proposed General Plan and Zoning amendments and the proposed MIP. Chapter 3 of the Draft EIR provides a detailed description of the proposed project.
The EIR includes an analysis of a wide range of environmental issues to ensure that all potential impacts are publicly disclosed. The issues studied in the EIR are organized into the following chapters:
A. Land Use Consistency and Compatibility
B. Population and Housing
C. Transportation and Circulation (including impacts on bicycle, transit, and pedestrian levels of service)
D. Cultural and Paleontological Resources (including impacts on historic resources and the NAS Alameda Historic district)
E. Biological Resources (including impacts on the endangered species and the Least Tern colony)
F. Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases
G. Noise
H. Geology, Soils, and Seismicity
I. Hydrology and Water Quality
J. Hazards and Hazardous Materials
K. Aesthetics
L. Public Services and Recreation
M. Utilities and Service Systems
The EIR evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed Alameda Point project in comparison to the existing conditions in 2013, notwithstanding that the Alameda Point site was formerly used by the Navy and the site included major industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, office, and residential uses and approximately 18,000 jobs during Navy operations. The existing conditions in 2013 include approximately 1,000 jobs and 267 occupied housing units at Alameda Point. Therefore, the EIR discloses the environmental impacts of increasing the jobs from 1,000 to approximately 9,000 in 5.5 million square feet of non-residential buildings, and increasing the number of housing units from 267 to 1,425, for a total residential population of approximately 3,278 people. The EIR also includes an analysis of "cumulative impacts," which are the environmental impacts that may be caused by the Alameda Point project in combination with general regional growth and other specific projects that may be constructed in the Alameda and Oakland vicinity over the next 20 years.
The major environmental impacts disclosed by the EIR are summarized as follows:
Transportation Impacts (Chapter 4.C of the EIR).
In summary, the EIR finds that:
· Redevelopment of Alameda Point will increase the volume of automobiles traveling to and from Alameda Point. The increased volume will result in impacts to automobile levels of service (LOS), bicycle LOS, pedestrian LOS and transit LOS in Alameda and Oakland, based upon City of Alameda and City of Oakland thresholds of significance.
· Reducing automobile trips through Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies will reduce the LOS impacts to all four (automobile, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit) modes of transportation. Reducing the number of automobiles through TDM will reduce, but not eliminate the transportation impacts.
· Alameda Point traffic will access the Webster Posey Tubes, but the limited capacity of the tubes will cause a diversion of traffic from the tubes to the other estuary crossings. The diversion results in impacts in Oakland and eastern Alameda.
· The existing transportation network in Alameda and Oakland was near capacity in 2013. With the anticipated growth in Oakland's Priority Development Areas along the I-880 corridor, which will add over 15,000 housing units and over 10 million square feet of non-residential development,1 other regional development, and other anticipated developments in Alameda along the Northern Waterfront and elsewhere over the next 20 years, the local and regional transportation network in Alameda and Oakland has little capacity to accommodate additional vehicles.
· It is not financially feasible for the Alameda Point project, or the City of Alameda, to fund and improve the regional transportation network that is necessary to accommodate the additional traffic from Alameda Point and other projects in Alameda and Oakland and regional growth. Furthermore, expanding the local roadway network to accommodate more automobiles may be detrimental to the City's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and address climate change, and it may be detrimental to the quality of life in Alameda neighborhoods. Finally, numerous studies examining the feasibility of constructing a new bridge over, or a new tunnel under, the Estuary have been completed over the 17 years since the Navy decommissioned the Naval Air Station. All of these studies, including the most recent Estuary Crossing Study Feasibility Report prepared in May 2009, by City of Alameda, found that such crossings are not financially feasible.
· Consistent with General Plan policy, the primary mitigation recommended by the EIR is a comprehensive TDM program/plan specifically designed to reduce the volume of automobiles traveling to and from Alameda Point. As required by the General Plan Transportation Element, the City of Alameda's primary strategy to address automobile traffic congestion is to reduce the volume of traffic generated by the project, as opposed to mitigations which are designed to increase the capacity of the street network to accommodate additional automobile traffic. General Plan policy finds that widening streets to accommodate more cars can be detrimental to pedestrians, bicyclists, and the quality of life in Alameda neighborhoods. In contrast, the TDM Plan for Alameda Point is intended to incentivize future Alameda Point residents and employers to use transportation alternatives to the single-occupancy vehicle; generate funds for alternative modes of transportation (i.e., shuttles, buses, ferry and/or water taxi services, car share services, etc.); and facilitate and support a transit-oriented development at Alameda Point. The City is actively preparing the TDM Plan for Alameda Point and has discussed numerous aspects of the TDM Plan with the Planning Board and Transportation Commission. Staff will be presenting a draft TDM Plan for Alameda Point to these commissions in early 2014.
· In response to a number of public comments, CEQA does not require that the Alameda Point EIR evaluate the potential environmental impacts of an earthquake on the regional transportation system and State Route 260 (the north end of Webster Street through the tubes). Nevertheless, the potential for the tubes to incur some level of damage following a substantial earthquake cannot be fully ruled out and that damage could require temporary closure of one or both tubes. If such circumstances should occur, traffic would be routed to one of the other bridges that access the island, in addition to expanded ferry service that would occur under the Water Emergency Transit Authority mandated by Senate Bills 976 and 1093. Catastrophic failure of the tubes is not considered likely by Caltrans, the State agency primarily responsible for the tubes.
Air Quality Impacts (Chapter 4.F of the EIR).
In summary, the EIR finds that project- related traffic emissions and emissions from operations of the development at Alameda Point will result in significant and unavoidable air quality impacts, based upon Bay Area Air Quality Management District thresholds of significance. TDM strategies to reduce automobile traffic and other on-site building standards can reduce, but not eliminate these impacts. All other potential air quality impacts can be mitigated to a less than significant level with standard mitigation measures.
Noise Impacts (Chapter 4.G of the EIR).
In summary, the EIR finds that project-related traffic and on-site construction activities will result in significant and unavoidable noise impacts. TDM strategies to reduce automobile traffic and other on-site building construction requirements can reduce, but not eliminate, these impacts. All other potential noise impacts can be mitigated to a less than significant level with standard mitigation measures.
Cultural Resource Impacts (Chapter 4.D of the EIR).
In summary, the EIR finds that redevelopment of Alameda Point could potentially have a significant and unavoidable adverse impact on historic resources within the NAS Alameda Historic District. The NAS Alameda Historic District has over 100 contributing elements, including buildings, landscape features, open taxiways, open water areas, and view corridors. The Alameda Point project will facilitate development that includes:
· Physical changes within the NAS Alameda Historic District in order to address sea level rise, infrastructure improvements, and address health and safety issues.
· Alterations and possible demolition of certain contributing buildings and/or features that may not be economically feasible to rehabilitate and reuse, due to the cost of installing new infrastructure to support these buildings (many of the buildings have be vacant for over 15 years).
· Modifications and improvements to the Seaplane Lagoon and adjacent taxiways (contributors to the Historic District) to accommodate future ferry services, a marina, waterfront recreational activities, and waterfront visitor serving development (restaurants, kayak rentals, etc.).
The EIR identifies mitigation measures to lessen the potential impacts, but also concludes that some of these impacts may be significant and unavoidable.
Biology, Hazardous Materials, Geology, Seismicity, Water Quality, and Aesthetics.
The EIR includes extensive discussion and analysis of the potential impacts on biological resources (species and habitat), hazardous materials, water quality, aesthetics, geology and seismicity. The EIR finds that all of the potential impacts to these environmental concerns can be mitigated through appropriate procedures and standards to be implemented with the project.
Land Use, Population and Housing and Public Services.
The EIR finds that the proposed project is consistent with local and regional plans, including the regional Sustainable Communities Strategy required by SB 375 (Plan Bay Area) and that no impacts in these areas would occur.
Planning Board Comments
At the January 13, 2014, the Planning Board and staff addressed public comments and questions raised by the public, as follows:
o The City is not "hiding traffic impacts." The 2014 Final EIR is the third EIR that the City has prepared for the Naval Air Station Alameda property. All three EIRs disclosed that the redevelopment of the Alameda Point project would result in significant traffic impacts.
o The EIR traffic analysis utilizes the most sophisticated traffic model available. The model was developed by the Alameda County Transportation Commission and is recommended by the Commission for these types of projects.
o The EIR utilized the City of Alameda's adopted thresholds of significance for determining significant impacts in Alameda and the City of Oakland's adopted thresholds of significance for determining significant impacts in Oakland. Both sets of thresholds focus on "peak hour" traffic (i.e., commute hours). Some speakers requested other information that they felt would be useful to understand the traffic impacts. Under CEQA, the City is not required to provide every analysis requested by every speaker.
o The City has retained complete control over the phasing of the development, and is able to monitor the traffic impacts associated with each phase of the development, so the City has a built in mechanism to ensure that traffic impacts are not worse than projected.
After considering all of the public comments and responses from City staff and consultants, the Planning Board unanimously approved the resolution recommending City Council certification of the Final EIR with the following minor amendments:
1. All references to the "speculative nature" of transportation demand management strategies were removed from the resolution. That is because TDM is a proven strategy to reduce traffic volumes.
2. The findings related to the "Multifamily Alternative" were amended to acknowledge that a more compact development pattern could reduce infrastructure costs without jeopardizing the future of the Alameda Point Collaborative.
3. Tables 5-6 and Table 5-7 were revised to address comments about the relative merits of certain alternatives.
4. The Mitigation Measures and Mitigation Monitoring Report were amended to: 1) include an annual review of mitigation measure implementation related to physical transportation improvements, 2) clarify mitigation measure 4-F-2, and 3) clarify that the bicycle paths on Stargell and Main would be Class I paths (Mitigation Measures 4.C-2m, -2n and 2o).
General Plan Amendment
Staff recommends that the City Council amend the General Plan. The proposed amendments are designed to achieve the following public objectives and benefits:
Expand Employment Opportunities:
The proposed amendments to Table 2-7 in the Land Use and Alameda Point Elements of the General Plan increase non-residential development at Alameda Point from 2.3 million to 5.5 million square feet to reflect the Reuse Plan and maximize the City's opportunities to attract new businesses to Alameda Point in existing historic and newly constructed buildings. One proposed amendment revises Table 2-7 to reflect the Community Reuse Plan's goal of 5.5 million square feet of employment generating land uses at Alameda Point to replace the 18,000 jobs lost to Alameda and the region by the departure of the Navy. Currently, there are over 5 million square feet of existing buildings at Alameda Point (approximately 2.5 million square feet of buildings in the Historic District alone) and only 1,000 jobs at Alameda Point. In addition, Table 2-7 is amended to allow the City to adjust to changing market conditions and changing community priorities over the 20- to 30-year build out of Alameda Point. The amendments allow the City to move development from area to area within Alameda Point, or change the relative amounts of development within use categories without a General Plan Amendment as long as the changes do not result in any new or more severe environmental impacts.
Facilitate Property Conveyance:
To complete conveyance of the property from the Navy to the City, the City's plans should be consistent with the Navy's environmental review documents for conveyance of the property to the City. The Navy's documents, which were based upon the Reuse Plan, anticipate 1,425 housing units at Alameda Point. For this reason, the table reduces the number of housing units at Alameda Point from 1,925 to 1,425.
Street Classifications for All Modes of Travel:
The General Plan amendment includes changes to the Transportation Element street classification system at Alameda Point. The proposed amendments ensure that the Transportation Element street network and the Alameda Point MIP street improvement plans are consistent and reflect the community's long-standing policy goal to create a truly transit-oriented, walkable, and bicycle friendly environment at Alameda Point.
After considering all of the public comments and responses from City staff and consultants, the Planning Board unanimously approved the resolution recommending City Council approval of the General Plan Amendment.
Zoning Ordinance Amendment
The existing zoning at Alameda Point is not in conformance with the City of Alameda General Plan, or with the community's vision for the property, as articulated in the Reuse Plan and General Plan. Alameda Point is zoned M-2/G (General Industry/Government Overlay), which was the zoning that the City applied to the property when it was occupied by the Navy's industrial uses. For example, the existing zoning does not allow residential uses, but it does permit "rabbit killing and dressing" and "asphalt batching plants." A draft ordinance amending the zoning and map for Alameda Point is attached.
The recommended ordinance amending the zoning ordinance provides a basis for future City decision-making regarding private and public reinvestment in Alameda Point. It also provides a regulatory framework for more detailed master plans for the Waterfront Town Center and Main Street Neighborhood Sub-districts. The master plan for the Waterfront Town Center Sub-district is currently funded and work is underway. Work on a Main Street Neighborhood Master Plan has not commenced.
In summary, the draft Zoning Ordinance Amendment will:
· Bring the City of Alameda Zoning Ordinance into conformance with the City of Alameda General Plan policies for Alameda Point;
· Facilitate the redevelopment and reuse of Alameda Point as envisioned in the Reuse Plan, General Plan, and Planning Guide;
· Support creation of unique transit-oriented, pedestrian friendly sub-districts and neighborhoods;
· Support and protect the wildlife habitat at Alameda Point;
· Protect and enhance the NAS Alameda Historic District; and
· Effectively guide future City Council, Planning Board, and staff decision-making as the City attracts and guides private investment for the rehabilitation and improvement of existing infrastructure, structures, and open spaces at Alameda Point.
The major important characteristics of the draft zoning ordinance amendment include:
Unique Sub-Districts and Desired Character.
The General Plan envisions a series of districts and neighborhoods at Alameda Point each with a unique mix of uses, purposes, public improvements, and community facilities. The zoning ordinance amendment is designed to support and facilitate the creation of a variety of unique and special sub-districts, each with its own unique character. The zoning ordinance amendment includes nine individual sub-districts at Alameda Point:
Waterfront Town Center - This Sub-district provides lands for a mix of uses that include waterfront and visitor-serving uses, including retail, service, entertainment, lodging, recreational, and medium to high-density residential uses.
Main Street Neighborhood - This Sub-district provides lands for a variety of housing types with complementary small-scale neighborhood-serving retail, urban agriculture and parks uses, and a mix of residential densities.
Enterprise-1 - This Sub-district provides lands for employment and business uses, including office, research and development, bio-technology and high tech manufacturing and sales, light and heavy industrial, maritime, community serving and destination retail, and similar and compatible uses.
Enterpise-2 - The E-2 Sub-district serves the same purposes as the E-1 Sub-district, but uses in the E-2 area are restricted to uses that are compatible with the Waterfront Town Center.
Figure 1: Draft Zoning Map
Enterprise-3- The E-3 Sub-district encompasses a one hundred foot wide band of land that fronts onto Main Street and the adjacent neighborhood. Residential uses are conditionally permitted fronting Main Street in this Sub-district to create a more seamless
integration between the E-1 Sub-district and the existing adjacent residential neighborhood.
Enterprise-4 - The E-4 Sub-district is restricted to maritime uses consistent with the Public Trust Exchange Agreement. Residential and other non-maritime oriented uses are prohibited.
Adaptive Reuse - (AR) - This Sub-district provides lands for employment and business uses, including office, research and development, bio-technology and high tech manufacturing and sales, light and heavy industrial, maritime, commercial, community serving and destination retail, and other uses that support reinvestment in the existing buildings and infrastructure within the NAS Alameda Historic District and residential uses are conditionally permitted in two former residential buildings.
Open Space (OS) - This Sub-district provides lands for parks, recreation, trails, and large-scale public assembly and event areas consistent with the Public Trust Exchange Agreement.
Nature Reserve/Government (NR\G) -This Sub-district provides lands for wildlife habitat on federally owned land.
Zoning to Reduce Automobile Use.
Reducing automobile use and traffic congestion from redevelopment and reuse of Alameda Point is a major policy objective of the General Plan and Reuse Plan. The zoning ordinance amendment addresses this issue in three important ways:
· All new projects must comply with the Alameda Point TDM Plan, the Alameda Point EIR Mitigation Monitoring Program, and the proposed Alameda Point parking program for public parking.
· The Site Planning and Building Design Requirements establish a number of form-based standards to ensure that buildings are placed on the property in a manner that facilitates pedestrian, bicycle, and transit modes of travel and "de-emphasize" the automobile as required by the General Plan.
· The Off-Street Parking Requirements establish maximum off-street private parking requirements for all new development, which assumes public shared parking will be available to ensure that the total private and public supply of parking at Alameda Point is adequate to serve the various uses, but that an over-supply of parking does not become a disincentive to transit, bicycle, or pedestrian modes of travel or prevent the City of Alameda from achieving its trip reduction goals for Alameda Point. The TDM Plan being prepared by the City will include a parking strategy that incorporates the private off-street parking requirements contained in the zoning with a comprehensive public parking program.
Zoning for the Protection of Endangered Species.
The federal property on the runways west of Alameda Point provides important habitat for the endangered California Least Tern and other wildlife. Over the course of the last 17 years, the City has worked extensively with United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Navy, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other interested parties to ensure that the redevelopment of Alameda Point does not harm this endangered species. The draft zoning requires that:
· Each new construction project, alteration to existing building, and new use are reviewed for compliance with the conditions set forth in the Declaration of Restrictions for the Former Naval Air Station consistent with the Biological Opinion issued by the USFWS.
· That all proposed lighting is reviewed to ensure that it is in conformance with the Declaration of Restrictions and the lighting mitigation measures contained in the Memorandum of Agreement between the VA and City.
· That feral cat or other predator feeding stations are prohibited at Alameda Point, and fireworks are prohibited during the period from April 1 through August 15.
Zoning for the Protection of the NAS Alameda Historic District.
The NAS Alameda Historic District covers portions of the Waterfront Town Center, Main Street Neighborhood, and Open Space Sub-districts, as well as all of the Adaptive Reuse Sub-district. The draft zoning ordinance amendment:
· Acknowledges and highlights the preservation and protection of the NAS Alameda Historic District as a guiding policy objective.
· Specifies that the setbacks and heights of new buildings must be consistent with the setbacks and heights of the adjacent Historic District contributing buildings to preserve the character-defining features of the Historic District.
· Permits an expansive list of uses for buildings in the Adaptive Reuse Sub-district to maximize the potential for the reuse and rehabilitation of the historic buildings in the Historic District.
· Requires that new buildings and alterations to existing resources in the NAS Alameda Historic District be reviewed by the Historical Advisory Board as required by existing Alameda Municipal Code requirements and EIR.
After considering all of the public comments and responses from City staff, the Planning Board unanimously approved the resolution recommending City Council approval of the Zoning Amendment with the following minor amendments:
1. References to Section 30-4-17 have been consolidated to the introductory section for clarity and simplicity.
2. A footnote was added to Table A to help users find definitions of building types.
3. Table B was amended to require a conditional use permit for all large format retail establishments in all Alameda Point Sub-districts, consistent with the Citywide requirement for a conditional use permit for these uses.
Master Infrastructure Plan
The MIP presents a plan for new backbone infrastructure systems, including new streets, flood and sea-level rise protection, shoreline stabilization, geotechnical mitigations, and wet and dry utilities for the proposed development at Alameda Point consistent with the Reuse Plan. The replacement of aging infrastructure with new infrastructure systems is one of the single most important requirements for supporting new development at Alameda Point. The MIP will guide infrastructure development at Alameda Point over the next 25 to 30 years, and is intended to be flexible and responsive to different disposition and development scenarios. The draft MIP establishes the requirements and standards for the infrastructure to support the redevelopment and reuse of Alameda Point.
Based on the most recent comments from the Planning Board and City Council, City staff proposes revising the MIP, upon approval by the City Council, with the modifications outlined in the Addendum. The current draft of the MIP and the Addendum are attached. Based on the most recent feedback, the key revisions made to the draft MIP include:
· Revisions to the flood protection system to increase the built-in protection from future sea level rise from 18 to 24 inches. The flood protection system has been updated to include a perimeter levee system surrounding both the Development and Reuse Areas that is designed to provide built-in protection for 24 inches of future sea level rise. The timing of the construction of the comprehensive levee system is subject to adequate funds being generated through new development and the Alameda Point development impact / infrastructure fee program. Additionally, to facilitate initial phases of development, the inland Development Areas will also be elevated to provide built-in protection from 18 inches of sea level rise.
· Update the Town Center Sub-Phase 1A scenario to match the limits of the Town Center Core District as depicted in the most recent documents for the Waterfront Town Center Precise Plan (Precise Plan).
· Update the environmental remediation information to reflect the locations of anticipated utilidors and other remedial measures based on the most recent information from the Navy's remediation efforts.
· Describe the value engineering alternative of not stabilizing the northern shoreline.
· Add a street section for West Redline Extension to the VA Project.
· Add a description and figure depicting the alignment and configuration of Central Avenue adjacent to the Project Site.
· Update the street section for West Atlantic Avenue consistent with the most recent concept from the Precise Plan.
· Update the off-site transportation mitigation measures to be consistent with the FEIR.
· Incorporate a statement about the need for special attention to be paid to future decisions implementing the infrastructure adjustments associated with the Transit Oriented Mixed Use Alternative.
· Update backbone infrastructure cost estimates to incorporate the items outlined above and incorporate costs associated with constructing public parking lots consistent with the public parking strategy envisioned in the TDM Plan and the parking ratios contained in the zoning ordinance amendment.
· Clarify in the Conceptual Financing Plan section that as the City finalizes its other studies and analyses, such as the impact/infrastructure fee program and the TDM Plan, and is closer to implementing new development, the exact amount of a feasible assessment for each type of assessment will need to be analyzed and determined.
· Delete the Fiscal Impact Analysis of Alameda Point development from the Appendix. The final Fiscal Analysis includes comments from the City Council and is attached for informational purposes as Exhibit 1 to this staff report.
These changes will not create new or substantially more severe significant environmental impacts because the proposed levees will be in the same footprint and will not require substantially more construction, and the new/updated street section information is not considerably different from the prior version of the MIP or the proposed project analyzed in the EIR.
After considering all of the public comments and responses from City staff, the Planning Board approved the resolution recommending City Council approval of the MIP on a vote of 5-1-0.
Board member Knox White voted against the resolution. He explained for the record that his no vote was solely based on his stated concerns about the financial feasibility of the proposed sea level rise strategy. He stated that he appreciated and supported the entirety of the rest of the MIP. In response, staff believes that the MIP provides an aggressive, but appropriate, sea level rise strategy, which includes a valid strategy for funding the proposed improvements. In the event that the City must adjust its strategy in the future to accommodate financial, environmental, or technical issues, the City will be able to make those changes, but additional further study at this time will not improve the strategy or eliminate the need for the City to be prepared to make further changes in the future as more information becomes available about sea level rise, funding opportunities, and regional strategies to deal with this global issue.
Next Steps
Following certification of the EIR and approval of the planning documents, City staff will continue working on finalizing other planning documents (i.e., Waterfront Town Center Precise Plan and Transportation Demand Management Plan) for approval in Spring 2014; facilitating remaining conveyance and regulatory efforts with the Navy, State Lands Commission, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Regional Water Quality Control Board this year; as well as facilitating specific development projects with developers consistent with these planning documents over the upcoming months and years.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to the City's General Fund or Base Reuse Department budgets of approving these documents. The projected fiscal impact of the implementation of the Alameda Point development was evaluated and is attached as Exhibit 1.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The approval of the planning documents for Alameda Point amends Table 2-7 in the Land Use and Alameda Point Elements of the General Plan and the street classifications at Alameda Point in the Transportation Element. Additionally, the approvals this evening propose modifying Chapter XXX of the Alameda Municipal Code as follows:
· Section 30-3.1 Designation of Districts shall be amended to include "NAS Alameda Point
· Section 30-4 District Uses and Regulations shall be amended to include a new subsection 30-4.24 (AP, Alameda Point District)
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
As described above, the City of Alameda has prepared and circulated for public review a Draft Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse #2013012043) and issued a Response to Comments document on December 19, 2013. Together these documents comprise the Final EIR, which discloses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project at Alameda Point. The Final EIR and the public process for the review and disclosure of the potential impacts have been completed in compliance with the requirements of CEQA.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and approve the draft resolutions and ordinance recommending that the City Council:
1. Certify the Final EIR,
2. Approve the General Plan Amendment
3. Approve the Zoning Ordinance Amendment, and
4. Approve the Master Infrastructure Plan for Alameda Point.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, City Planner
Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer - Alameda Point
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Fred Marsh, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Fiscal Impact Analysis of Alameda Point Development
Footnotes:
1 As documented on page 7 of the City of Oakland comment letter, the City of Oakland is currently planning over 15,119 new housing units and over 10 million square feet of non-residential development in the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan, the West Oakland Specific Plan, the Broadway/Valdez Specific Plan, the Central Estuary Area Plan, and the Oak to Ninth Project. (The Oak to Ninth/"Brooklyn Basin" Project alone includes approximately 5,000 parking spaces.)