Title
Draft Meeting Minutes - February 5, 2015
Body
DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA HISTORICAL ADVISORY BOARD
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
1. CONVENE: 7:02 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Owens, Vice Chair Rauk, Board Member Piziali and Vella (arrived later). Absent: Board Member Chan.
3. MINUTES: Vice Chair Rauk motioned approval of the minutes from the March 6, 2014 meeting. Chair Owens seconded the motion. The motion carried, 3-0.
Vice Chair Rauk motioned approval of the minutes from the May 1, 2014 meeting. Board Member Piziali seconded the motion. The motion carried, 3-0.
Vice Chair Rauk motioned approval of the minutes from the March 6, 2014 meeting with edits. Chair Owens seconded the motion. The motion carried, 3-0.
Vice Chair Rauk motioned approval of the minutes from the August 7, 2014 meeting. Board Member Piziali seconded the motion. The motion carried, 3-0.
Vice Chair Rauk motioned approval of the minutes from the September 4, 2014 meeting. Board Member Piziali seconded the motion. The motion carried, 3-0.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSIONS: None
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS:
Mr. Mark Rodgers, owner of Lola's Chicken Shack, asked the Board for permission to replace the signage reading "Park Café" and replace it with signage for his business.
Chair Owens asked Mr. Rodgers about the style of lettering he would use. Mr. Rodgers explained his choice.
Chair Owens asked if such a choice needed to be submitted to the Board.
Mr. Allen Tai, Secretary to the Board, explained that the Board had previously made a decision to approve changes in sign typeface, with a condition that the typeface should be as close to the original signage of Boniere Bakery as possible. Therefore, any changes to the sign should conform to the Board's previous decisions. However, the current sign, Park Café, is not a historic sign.
Vice Chair Rauk stated she wants to make the process as easy as possible for the applicant.
Chair Owens asked Mr. Rodgers how long he was in business. Mr. Rodgers replied that his business has been open since December 2013.
Chair Owens noted that the Alameda Museum offered to archive the current sign, and that the original Boniere Bakery sign is located there.
Board Member Piziali said that there is no historic sign currently at the property, and therefore there is no need to come back to the Board. Vice Chair Rauk agreed.
Chair Owens explained that, because the sign was changed, the property does not have a historic sign, and therefore would not be required to come to the Board.
Mr. Tai suggested that the speaker visit the Permit Center and staff can provide assistance on the permit application to remove and install a new sign.
6. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: Chair Owens acknowledged receipt of a letter sent to the Board from the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society, and an email from Mr. Chris Buckley. The letter and email stated that there should be more open space along the taxiway of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point.
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
7-A. Public Workshop on the initial development for Site A.
Mr. Andrew Thomas, City Planner, introduced Mr. Joe Ernst, of Alameda Point Partners. Mr. Ernst introduced Mr. William Duncanson, of BAR Architects. Mr. Duncanson gave a presentation.
Vice Chair Rauk asked for clarification about the proposed plans for Site A. Mr. Thomas explained the illustrative design of the plans. Mr. Duncanson further explained how parking would be incorporated into residential, commercial, retail and open space areas.
Board Member Piziali asked about the difference between the precise plan and the Alameda Point Partners plan. Mr. Thomas explained that the precise plan is the City-approved guidelines for the property. The Alameda Point Partners plan is the developers' plan to implement the City's precise plan.
Vice Chair Rauk asked Mr. Thomas for an update on the directional signage proposed for Alameda Point. Mr. Thomas explained that staff was procuring building permits for free-standing signs, and said staff was looking at paint pallettes for signs to be painted on existing buildings.
Vice Chair Rauk asked Mr. Thomas about how the development team would choose the buildings to be kept on the site. Mr. Thomas explained the process that staff and the development team have taken to keep existing buildings.
Chair Owens asked staff to clarify the ownership status of the parcel. Mr. Thomas explained that the federal and state governments swapped land after the Navy left. The lands that make up the perimeter of Alameda Point are held in trust by the State of California and owned by the City. The City cannot sell this land, but the City is asking the developer to make improvements on the land. The rest of the land is owned by the City and can be sold to a developer.
Chair Owens asked Mr. Ernst if his team is planning to construct any buildings taller than 50 feet high. Mr. Ernst replied that all buildings built will be in compliance with height envelopes in the areas, some of which are over 50 feet.
Board Member Piziali asked Mr. Ernst to clarify his remarks about the height of some of the buildings to be constructed. Mr. Ernst clarified his comments.
The Board opened public comment.
Mr. Christopher Buckley, representing the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society, explained that his email was originally sent from Mr. Dick Rutter. He thanked the developer for trying to incorporate the original feel of the Naval Air Station into the new plans. He clarified some of the points made by the developer, and suggested various uses for some of the proposed empty space within Site A. Mr. Buckley said that all new construction should be subordinate to the existing building in terms of scale and surface treatments.
Ms. Trish Spencer, Mayor of Alameda, clarified that she was speaking in her individual capacity. Ms. Spencer said she appreciated the Board's questions to staff and the developers. She said that many of the same questions were being asked at an open house on January 29th, 2015. She asked for a legend or a key of the colors and symbols on the proposed plans for the benefit of the public.
The Board closed public comment.
Board Comments:
Board Member Piziali said that he has walked the area every day for the past 15 years.
Board Member Vella said she is happy of the proposed gradual height increase above the water. She wants to have as many people enjoy the view of the Bay as possible. That being said, she wanted to make sure that the space is used productively. She thinks that there has to be a comprehensive plan for surface types between each stage of development. There can be some distinguishing of surface material between the areas, but she suggested looking into proposed surface types sooner than later. Board Member Vella asked for an overlay of the proposed buildings available for the public.
Vice Chair Rauk said that many residents see the grassy knoll with the airplane as the main symbol of Alameda Point. She liked that the residential and commercial spaces in the plan are distinct from each other. She wanted to know about the status of designated bike and pedestrian trails, and how the developer planned to define the main entry to the area.
Mr. Thomas clarified that Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway would be the most direct route for pedestrians and bicyclists to access the water. There would be a dedicated bus lane for the first half of the route, and then the street would narrow. AC Transit would route their buses to the ferry terminal. There would be many different ways for drivers to enter and exit Alameda Point. Mr. Thomas emphasized that staff's main goal is to integrate the new development at Alameda Point with the rest of the Island.
Vice Chair Rauk said that there is only one courtesy dock for boaters in Alameda, and she would like to see more docks. Mr. Thomas agreed, and that the developers and the Planning Board also agreed with her comments. He said there are plans to make the development accessible to all watercraft, including smaller boats and kayaks.
Board Member Vella noted that response times for emergency services in Alameda Point are higher than those for the rest of the City. Mr. Thomas explained that there will be a fire station built Alameda Point as development proceeds.
Board Member Piziali asked about the possibility of relocating Alameda Municipal Power's substations in the area. Mr. Thomas said that the substations would stay in their current locations as it is prohibitively expensive to move them.
Chair Owens said that the integration of new and old buildings will lead to a nice mix in the area. He also liked how the height of the new buildings will be limited and that many historical aspects of the Base will be retained. He reminded the staff and the developers that projects brought before the Board need to comply with the Secretary of the Interior's standards, and alerted the development team they might might need to make changes to their plans in order to comply with those standards.
7-B. Introduction to the Design Review Process and Certificates of Approval.
Mr. Tai gave the presentation. He explained the Design Review amd Certificate of Approval process in the City of Alameda, what actions trigger design review, and what the process entails.
Chair Owens asked for clarification on the minimum size of a building that would trigger Design Review.
Mr. Tai explained that the minimum size of a building for Design Review is 220 square feet, and that is based on current building code threshold.
Board Member Piziali praised staff's work and urged the public to have staff look at all projects before they file for a permit.
Mr. Tai defined a Certificate of Approval for the Board. He explained that Design Review can be done at the staff level, but a Certificate of Approval for alterations to main buildings is issued by the Board after a hearing.
Chair Owens asked Mr. Tai about the reasoning behind his presentation.
Mr. Tai said that the presentation was for the Board's benefit. The presentation could also be used for staff training for better customer service at the counter. He added that the presentation would be posted online for the public's benefit. Staff also intends to bring forward proposed amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance that captures some of the best practices discussed tonight.
Mr. Christopher Buckley, Alameda resident, praised staff's presentation. He explained that the 2003 update of the list of properties supplemented the list of pre-1942 buildings. He seconded Chair Owens's comments about requiring a Certificate of Occupancy for demolition, and offered clarification on the matter. He explained that when a pre-1942 property comes to the Board for demolition, a Certificate of Approval is not necessary if the property is not considered historic.
Trish Spencer, Mayor of Alameda, spoke in her individual capacity. She thanked Mr. Tai for the presentation. She asked if staff could substitute pictures of Alameda on the presentation and use Alameda examples.
The Board closed public comment.
Board Comments:
Chair Owens called the presentation thought-provoking.
7-C. Meeting Schedule for 2015
Vice Chair Rauk motioned to approve the meeting schedule. Board Member Vella seconded the motion. The motion carried, 4-0.
7-D. Board Elections. Continued.
8. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS: None
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS:
9-A. Chair Owens asked to return to the Minutes, and said that Board Member Vella was present at the December 5, 2013, and the April 3, 2014 Meeting. Board Member Owens motioned to approve the April Minutes. Board Member Vella seconded the motion. The motion carried, 3-0. There was not a quorum to approve the December 2013 minutes.
Mr. Tai summarized the contents of the Certified Local Government annual reports for the past three years. He explained that the City has been a Certified Local Government since 1986, and said that, because of this certification, the City is eligible for state grant money. The City last applied for a state grant in 2002, but it was denied. Mr. Tai said that the Department would need to have more staff, in order to work on grant applications.
Chair Owens asked Mr. Tai if there are other benefits for being a Certified Local Government. Mr. Tai said that the City can provide tax incentives for to historic properties in accordance with the Mills Act.
Board Member Vella asked who is in charge of the grant money. Mr. Tai answered the State Historic Preservation Office. He noted that the grant money is awarded on an annual basis.
9-B: Mr. Tai informed the Board on the status of a project at 1350 Mound Street. He said that the applicant is working with Mr. Jim Smallman and they are making good progress.
Mr. Tai also updated the Board on a project at 1203 Park Street. He said a building permit was issued last year to repair fire damage at the site, but there have been issues with the property because the owner lives out of state and the property recently went through probate. Mr. Tai also noted that the applicant has hired a restoration contractor and that the Building Official has indicated that there is progress on the restoration work.
10. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None
11. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.