City of Alameda - File #: 2016-2468

Details

File #:

2016-2468

Type:

New Business

Body:

Recreation and Park Commission

On agenda:

1/14/2016

Title:

Site A Waterfront Park Design Review

Attachments:

1. Design Review Submittal for Phase 1 Waterfront Park

Text

Title

Site A Waterfront Park Design Review

Body

Re: Site A Waterfront Park Design Review

Date: January 14, 2016

Re: Provide Comments on Design Review of Phase 1 of Waterfront Park within Site A at Alameda Point

BACKGROUND

In July 2014, the City Council approved a Waterfront Town Center Specific Plan (Town Center Plan) for the area of Alameda Point that includes the land at the gateway to Alameda Point from Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway (RAMP) and the taxiways and several of the seaplane hangars along the northern edge of the Seaplane Lagoon at the entrance to the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District (Historic District).

On June 16, 2015, the City Council approved the "Site A" Development Plan for the 68-acre area within the Town Center Plan area that extends from the RAMP gateway at Main Street to the Seaplane Lagoon. The Site A Plan was designed to achieve a number of important General Plan, Zoning, and park and recreation objectives. The final review of the Site A Development Plan by the Recreation and Park Commission (Commission) occurred in spring 2015. The Illustrative Site Plan (page 8 of the Site A Development Plan) is shown below and the remainder of the document, including the open space drawings on pages 33-49, can be found at <http://alamedaca.gov/alameda-point/final-planning-documents>. The Site A Development Plan commits $36 million to parks and open spaces, including $5 million towards an initial phase of the regional sports complex, neighborhood and community parks, and 7.2 acres of waterfront promenades and parks along the Seaplane Lagoon, which require expensive shoreline and flood protection improvements.

Since the City Council action on the Development Plan, the project developer, Alameda Point Partners (APP), has been working with their design consultants, park planners, a Planning Board Subcommittee and City staff to prepare detailed designs for the individual buildings and parks within Site A. APP has submitted an application for design review for a 2.63-acre Phase 1 of the waterfront park along the northern edge of the Seaplane Lagoon (Phase 1 Waterfront Park) (Exhibit 1) that is intended to be constructed concurrent with Block 11. In January, the Planning Board and Historical Advisory Board (HAB) will hold public hearings to review the designs of the Phase 1 Waterfront Park.

DISCUSSION

At this time, City staff is requesting that the Commission review and comment on the current plans for the Phase 1 Waterfront Park. Based upon comments received from the Commission, Planning Board, HAB and the community, APP’s design team will make final revisions to the plans of the Phase 1 Waterfront Park.

The following discussion is organized as follows:

• Community Planning Process: A discussion of the public planning process that guides the proposed designs.

• Site A Development Plan: An overview of the Site A Development Plan and its key land use and development objectives.

• Waterfront Park Design: A discussion of the design objectives for the Phase 1 Waterfront Park.

The plans for the Phase 1 Waterfront Park are attached as Exhibit 1.

Community Planning Process

On June 16, 2015, the City Council unanimously approved the Site A Development Plan. The City Council’s action was made possible, in part, by a unique and extensive community-based planning process that began in 1993, and continued for over 20 years. The major milestones during this extensive community effort include:

• The adoption of the 1996 Alameda Naval Air Station Community Reuse Plan (Community Reuse Plan) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in 1998, which envisioned reuse and redevelopment of Alameda Point with 5.5 million square feet of employment uses and 1,425 residential units. The Seaplane Lagoon waterfront park was originally envisioned by the Alameda community and depicted in the 1996 Community Reuse Plan.

• The adoption of the Alameda General Plan Alameda Point Element and EIR in 2003, which placed the Reuse Plan vision into the Alameda General Plan.

• The July 2013 endorsement of the Alameda Point Vision Guide reconfirming the community’s support for the vision and goals presented in the Community Reuse Plan and General Plan.

• The adoption of the Alameda Point Zoning Ordinance, Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) and third EIR consistent with the Community Reuse Plan in 2014, which established the zoning and development regulations and the Alameda Point Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) necessary to support 5.5 million square feet of employment uses and 1,425 residential units, after over 30 public hearings and community meetings.

• The May 2014 adoption of the Alameda Point Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM Plan) consistent with the General Plan and the Alameda Point EIR, which creates a comprehensive program of strategies, measures, and transit services that supports a transit-oriented development at Alameda Point, achieves the City of Alameda’s General Plan goals to reduce automobile trips, and mitigates potential traffic impacts.

• The July 2014 adoption of the Town Center Plan, which established the form-based development standards, height limits and pedestrian oriented development standards for the lands at the gateway and surrounding the Seaplane Lagoon at the heart of Alameda Point. The Town Center Plan included the most detailed plans prepared to date for a waterfront park on the Seaplane Lagoon taxiways.

• Monthly meetings from January 2015 through June 2015, with both the Planning Board and the City Council to review progress and develop the Site A Development Plan prepared by APP, which provided detailed plans for 68 acres at the center of the Town Center Plan, including preliminary designs of the waterfront parks. This work was also informed by meetings with the Recreation and Parks Commission, HAB, Transportation Commission, and public open houses and public walking tours.

Overview of Site A Development Plan

The approved Site A Development Plan implements the Community Reuse Plan, General Plan, the Zoning Ordinance for Alameda Point, and the requirements of the MIP and Town Center Plan. The Site A Development Plan and project include:

• Approximately 14.8 acres of publicly accessible open space, parks and plazas within three park districts (Waterfront Park, Urban Park, and Neighborhood Park Districts), representing approximately 22% of the 68-acre property, and approximately 16.3 acres of public streets and sidewalks representing an additional 24% of the property.

• Eight hundred of the 1,425 total residential units programmed for Alameda Point and up to 400,000 square feet of commercial development in existing buildings, approximately 200,000 square feet of retail and hotel space in new buildings.

• Residential units are provided in multifamily building types on eight blocks located immediately adjacent to the primary transit corridor along the Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway (RAMP) that links a future ferry terminal at the Seaplane Lagoon with the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Site A and downtown Oakland.

• All residential units on Site A will be within a one-block walk or less of the BRT line, protected bicycle lanes along RAMP and public open space to facilitate a pedestrian oriented environment.

• Of the 800 units, approximately 635 of the units will be in stacked flat buildings over parking and approximately 165 of the units will be in attached or stacked townhomes and row houses.200 of the 800 units (25%) are restricted to very low-, low- and moderate-income households. The other 600 units will be market rate units.

• One hundred twenty-eight (128) of the 200 affordable units are permanently restricted for very low-, and low-income households. These units are proposed to be constructed by Eden Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, in one or two buildings on a shared or separate podium on Block 8 in the first phase of the development. Eden Housing is exploring either providing 128 units for very low-, low-income family housing or 50% of the units as low- and very low income senior housing and the remaining 50% as very low- or low-income family housing. Eden Housing will also provide long-term property management and resident services targeted to the needs of its residents. Seventy-two (72) moderate-income units will be dispersed throughout the remaining residential blocks of Site A in buildings to be constructed as part of the Site A Development Plan.

• To create a comfortable transition between the adjacent Bayport neighborhood and the commercial center at the Seaplane Lagoon, the height and residential density of the eight residential blocks increase along RAMP and across Site A from Main Street to the Seaplane Lagoon. The blocks facing Main Street and the Bayport neighborhood are the lowest density blocks with three-story townhomes. The blocks closest to the Seaplane Lagoon and the commercial center of the project will provide space for the higher density multifamily housing units that will support the commercial uses and waterfront activities.

• To facilitate a pedestrian oriented “town center” environment, Blocks 3, 4, 8, 9, and 11 in the Development Plan will have ground floor retail and/or adaptive spaces for retail facing RAMP.

• Existing buildings will be marketed primarily for flexible R&D, office and/or light industrial and retail uses or ancillary retail uses. These uses are complementary to existing uses within the adjacent adaptive reuse area, which include clean-tech companies and food and beverage manufacturing production uses.

• A TDM Compliance Strategy that includes dedicated annual funding for transit services and transportation programs.

• $10 million for construction of the new Ferry Terminal at the Seaplane Lagoon to support expanded ferry services to San Francisco and the region.

• Over $8.5 million to construct complete streets in and around Alameda Point, including key transit improvements, such as dedicated bus lanes on RAMP to support expanded transit services from Alameda Point to downtown Oakland and BART.

Waterfront Park Design

The 2.63-acre Phase 1 Waterfront Park (Exhibit 1) represents the first phase of a larger 7.2-acre waterfront park along the northern edge of the Seaplane Lagoon and is designed to meet the community’s design objectives established by the Alameda community through the Community Reuse Plan, the General Plan, the Town Center Plan, the Site A Development Plan, and the cultural landscape guidelines for the Historic District.

The 14.8 acres are comprised of three “park districts”: the “Waterfront Park District”, the “Urban Park District”, and the “Neighborhood Park District” as shown below (page 33 of the Site A Development Plan), and each district is designed to provide a range of public open space and park facilities. In general, the Waterfront Park District emphasizes spaces for passive recreation and access to the water, waterfront promenades, water viewing areas, seating areas, and gathering spaces. The Urban Park District emphasizes public spaces adjacent to and within an urban commercial fabric, including an emphasis on outdoor cafés, restaurants, seating areas, and similar public spaces in and around retail areas. The Neighborhood Park District emphasizes active recreational uses adjacent to primarily residential areas, such as children’s play areas and “tot lots”, basketball courts, and other neighborhood and community serving open space and recreational facilities.

As shown on page L-7 of the Phase 1 Waterfront Park submittal, the design and programming of the Phase 1 Waterfront Park must be considered within the larger context of the other parks planned within Site A. The Phase 1 Waterfront Park is located at the very heart of Alameda Point and at the entrance to the Historic District. Given its unique location, the Phase 1 Waterfront P ark is designed to:

1. Provide a Public Gathering Place at the Water's Edge and Create Varied Park and Open Space Experiences. Phase 1 Waterfront Park is designed to provide a variety of public spaces for passive recreation and opportunities for the public to enjoy the waterfront location and special events, and appreciate the views of the San Francisco skyline and the historic row of seaplane hangar buildings at the entrance to the Historic District, along the northern edge of the Seaplane Lagoon. The 2.63-acre Phase 1 Waterfront Park is designed to create three primary sub-areas (i.e., the Overlook, the Promenade & Terraces, and the Taxiway).

a. The Overlook starting on page LW-4 includes a pavilion for a café with outdoor seating and restrooms, as well as an elevated salvaged or reclaimed wood outdoor area for overlooking the promenade at the water’s edge, as well as portions of the promenade adjacent to the water. The Overlook also accommodates flexible event and programmable space.

b. The Promenade and Terraces starting on page LW-9 consists of a series of terraces and promenade spaces leading down to the water’s edge that provide for a variety of more passive spaces for enjoying and experiencing the waterfront. Access to the waterfront promenade allows for universal design through slightly sloped walkways and seating elements that provide for a variety of all age groups and needs.

c. The Taxiway area starting on page LW-14 is intended to pay homage and respect to the historic elements of the former NAS Alameda by engraving a timeline along the major east west gathering area into the concrete to remind and educate the public about the history of the site and the Historic District, and by minimizing tree plantings and planted areas to preserve the "openness" of the historic taxiways consistent with the Historic District guidelines. This area includes open and unobstructed areas planned for special events and food trucks and future retail buildings as conceived in the Site A Development Plan and a temporary multi-purpose lawn for active recreation uses until future phases of the Waterfront Park are constructed and this area is designed consistent with the areas to the north.

2. Address Sea-Level Rise. With anticipated sea level rise, the existing taxiways will flood. Consistent with the approved MIP and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) policies, the Phase 1 Waterfront Park is designed to address 24-inches of sea level rise and additional sea level rise in future years beyond 24 inches through adaptive management strategies. The Phase 1 Waterfront Park design maintains the "horizontality" of the space and minimizes the use of walls in order to respect the cultural landscape guidelines for the Historic District. Additionally, the sea level rise strategy is designed around a series of short terraces spread over a larger space to minimize the impression of changes in elevation. This approach also allows for the preservation of the existing bulkhead, which is a character defining feature of the Historic District. During storm events and "King Tides" (unusually high tides), the bulkhead and adjacent promenade will flood occasionally as the sea level rises over time, but major portions of the public park and Bay Trail will remain above the flooded areas behind the stepped terraces. As such, the design balances the competing needs to address sea-level rise, preserve the bulkhead, and maintain the horizontality of the site.

Conclusion

City staff requests that the Commission provide comments on the design review submittal of the Phase 1 Waterfront Park.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

On February 4, 2014, the City of Alameda certified the Alameda Point Final EIR in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Final EIR evaluated the environmental impacts of redevelopment and reuse of the lands at Alameda Point consistent with the Town Center Plan, which included Site A. No further review is required for this review of the project designs.

RECOMMENDATION

Provide comments on design review of the Phase 1 Waterfront Park within Site A at Alameda Point.

Respectfully submitted,

Andrew Thomas, City Planner

Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer - Alameda Point

Exhibit:

1. Design Review Submittal for Phase 1 Waterfront Park