Title
PLN15-0198 - 1926 Park Street - Applicant: Bridgett Shank on behalf of Park Esquina, LLC. Public Hearing to consider Design Review, a Use Permit, and a Zoning Text Amendment to construct a mixed use complex with office, retail, and a residential unit on a vacant lot at 1926 Park Street. A Use Permit is required for ground floor office space and outdoor seating in the NP-G (North Park Street, Gateway) zoning district. The Zoning Text Amendment is being requested to allow for a proposed building setback on Blanding Street that does not conform to the existing zoning setback requirement. This project is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Section 15332 - Infill Development Projects.
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: David Sablan
Planner I
BACKGROUND
On October 26, 2015, the Planning Board approved Design Review and Use Permit for a development that featured several buildings built out of repurposed shipping containers with a mix of retail and office uses and one upper floor residential unit at the southwesterly corner of the Park Street and Blanding Avenue intersection at the Park Street entrance into Alameda (1926 Park Street). The City Council called the Planning Board approval for review and, on December 1, 2015, overturned the Planning Board’s Design Review approval. The Council directed the applicant to redesign the project without the use of shipping containers, and remanded Design Review approval back to the Planning Board. Despite its concerns about the shipping container design, the Council supported the Planning Board’s decision approving the mix of uses on the site and the associated use permit.
DISCUSSION
Following the City Council’s action, the applicant has redesigned the project (Exhibits 1 and 2). Similar to the prior application, the current application includes 3,288 square feet of office space, 725 square feet of ground floor retail use fronting onto Park Street, a single residential unit on the second floor above the ground floor retail space, and open plazas for outdoor seating, bicycle parking and other related uses and facilities.
The project now features two two-story mixed-use buildings constructed out of conventional building materials with a pair of interconnecting public courtyards. Building A is a multi-use building located along the Park Street and Blanding Avenue frontages at the northwest corner of the lot. Building B is a multi-unit office building located along the project’s rear interior property lines. The majority of Building B is setback approximately 34 feet from Blanding Avenue to create space for a public courtyard facing Blanding Avenue (The zoning code allows for a maximum of a 15 foot setback).
Architecture: The project utilizes a modern architectural style applied to a Workplace building type. The Citywide Design Manual defines the Workplace building type and guidelines for the application of the modern architectural style. On page 82, the Citywide Design Manual states that modern architectural design is appropriate at waterfront locations and infill sites. This project is both an infill site and located in close proximity to the estuary.
Building A is a mixed use building with a retail/café tenant space at the focal point at the intersection of Blanding Avenue and Park Street. Along Park Street, the exterior of Building A’s first floor is a fourteen foot (14’) tall series of glass storefront windows combined with clerestory windows that wraps around the building onto the first twenty feet (20’) along Blanding Avenue, as well as wrapping around the side and interior elevations of Building A. These glass panels are four feet seven inches (4’7”) wide with a five inch (5”) anodized aluminum frame between each panel. There is a six inch (6”) horizontal band of anodized aluminum to separate the bottom nine feet (9’) of the storefront window from the upper four foot six inch (4’6”) tall clerestory window. Building A’s second floor along Park Street has horizontal wood siding that transitions into horizontal wood slats over the first floor clerestory windows as well as the roof deck’s guardrail.
Building A’s design has several changes to massing and materials as the building moves further down Blanding Avenue. The interior stairwell creates a separate vertical element that serves as a tower element offset from the corner. The elevation also features tiles in a hexagonal mosaic and large storefront windows on the Blanding Avenue elevation. The massing of the stairwell separates the Park Street design treatment from the Blanding Avenue entrance to the residential unit, which has powder coated metal accent panels along its exterior. The remainder of Building A along Blanding Avenue features large storefront windows and a smooth stucco finish.
Building B incorporates Building A’s Blanding Avenue design elements and materials. The building features three distinct volumes including the stairwell vertical volume, the building entrance, and the office spaces.
Consistency with Design Review Manual: The project is located within the North Park Street zoning district, specifically in the Gateway sub-district. This project utilizes a Workplace building type, which is described above and is permitted in the Gateway sub-district. Further, the project complies with the Manual’s guidelines for the modern architectural style, which the Design Review Manual lists as a common architectural style for Workplace building types.
Building A’s Park Street elevation complies with the Design Review Manual’s guidelines for Workplace building types by having a different façade treatment for the ground-floor and upper-floor, and that the primary street - Park Street - design elements wrap around to the side street - Blanding Avenue. Both buildings incorporate Design Review Manual guidelines for modern architecture. In summary, staff believes that the new design is an attractive modern architectural design for the site and will improve the visual appearance of this important gateway into the City.
Compliance with North Park Street Development, Gateway Standards: Table 1 summarizes project compliance with development standards in the NP-G sub-district: The project meets all of the NP-G development standards with the exception of the street side yard setback, which is discussed in more detail below.
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Table 1: Project Complies with NP-G Development Standards. |
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Requirement: |
Proposed: |
Compliance: |
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Maximum Building Height |
60 ft. |
35 ft.10 in. |
Complies |
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Front Yard Setback (Park St) |
No setback |
No setback |
Complies |
|
Maximum Street Side Yard Setback (Blanding Ave) |
0-15 ft. |
0-34 ft. |
Does Not Comply |
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Minimum Side Yard Setback |
0 ft. |
0 ft. |
Complies |
|
Minimum Rear Yard Setback |
0 ft. |
0 ft. |
Complies |
Revised Site Plan and Zoning Text Amendments: The new site plan includes two multi-tenant two-story buildings orientated along opposite corners of the property. Building A is located directly on the property line along Park Street. Building B is set at the rear of the lot facing Blanding Avenue. The orientation of the buildings creates a large courtyard facing Blanding Avenue in front of Building B, which links to a second courtyard situated behind Building A. These interior courtyards can also be accessed by a breezeway on Park Street that is created by the first floor of Building A being setback ten feet (10’) from the adjacent building.
Building B’s large setback and location at the rear of the parcel is not consistent with the minimum setback established by the North Park Street zoning district. The proposed street side yard setback along Blanding Avenue exceeds the maximum allowed setback of 15 feet.
The intent of the North Park Street zoning district’s setback maximums is to support a pedestrian environment by ensuring that storefront windows and building facades support and enhance the pedestrian experience on the adjacent public right-of-way and sidewalk consistent with commercial design along Park Street. The purpose of the Gateway sub-district regulation as stated in AMC Section 30-4.25(c).i is:
To guide the redevelopment of the Park Street commercial area with attractive buildings located near the sidewalk with a mix of commercial workplace, retail, and compatible residential uses that support a pedestrian and transit friendly environment.
Along Blanding Avenue, the side street for this project, the maximum allowed setback is fifteen feet (15’). A sixteen foot (16’) portion of Building B is located along the Blanding Avenue street frontage, but the majority of Building B is setback thirty-four feet (34’) from Blanding Avenue, exceeding the fifteen foot (15’) maximum.
As part of its review of this project, staff asked the applicant to prepare an alternative site plan that conforms to the Zoning Ordinance for Planning Board consideration. In the conforming plan (Exhibit 3), Building B is moved up to Blanding Avenue and joined to Building A to create a more private inner courtyard. Upon consideration of the alternative, staff agrees with the applicant that the interconnecting set of two smaller courtyards and the opening of the space onto Blanding Avenue will result in a more successful and more inviting space. Furthermore, staff does not believe that the courtyard opening up onto Blanding is a detriment to the pedestrian experience, and in fact could enhance the pedestrian experience.
To avoid similar problems in the future with small parcels with two street frontages, staff is recommending a Zoning Text Amendment to modify the language of AMC 30-4.25(d).iii.b. The new sentence is shown in underlined text:
Side Street on Corner Parcels. Within the Gateway sub-district, buildings shall be built to the side street right-of-way line for a minimum distance of twenty (20′) feet from the corner. Portions of the building beyond twenty (20′) feet may be set back up to fifteen (15′) feet for outdoor seating or other public spaces. A setback greater than fifteen (15’) may be approved with a Design Review application, if a finding can be made that the greater setback is needed to create pedestrian-oriented courtyards, plazas, and seating areas that will benefit the public pedestrian experience.
Landscaping: The project qualifies as a covered project under the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO). The total aggregate area of the new landscaping for the project is approximately 673 square feet, which exceeds the 500 square foot threshold. However, since the total area of new landscaping is less than 2,500 square feet, the project has opted to utilize the Prescriptive Compliance Option described in AMC Section 30-48.4(d). The project landscape architect has completed Appendix B of the City’s Landscape Document Package, and the standard Prescriptive Compliance Option conditions of approval will be enforced with any subsequent approval of the project.
Parking: Per AMC Section 30-4.25.d.vi, the project is subject to the off-street parking requirements of the Community Commercial zoning district, so the project is required to provide a total of nine (9) off-street parking spaces; seven (7) spaces for office, one (1) each for the retail space and residential unit.
The applicant proposes nine (9) off-site parking spaces at 2410 Clement Avenue, which is a vacant parking lot not associated with any other development and which is an approximately 500-foot-walk from the project site. AMC Section 30-7.7 allows off-site parking arrangements provided they meet the standard conditions pertaining to adequacy of accommodating peak parking demand, wayfinding signage, proximity to the project site, and a minimum seven-year parking agreement. The project will be conditioned to comply with these requirements prior to issuance of building permits. In addition, the applicant will be providing tenants with transit passes to encourage public transit use.
Bicycle Facilities: The project proposes eight (8) on-site bicycle parking spaces as required by the AMC. The project will be conditioned to provide at least two long-term bicycle parking spaces, one required for the residential unit and the office use. The project will also be conditioned to utilized bicycle racks that are compliant with the City’s adopted Bicycle and Design Standards, which would prohibit the use of “wave”-style bicycle racks.
Use Permit: Per AMC Section 30-4.25(e), ground floor office uses and outdoor seating require the approval of a conditional use permit. Ground floor office requires a conditional use permit in the NP-G zoning district because General Plan guiding policy 2.5.e discourages offices from occupying ground floor space suitable for retail within the Community Commercial business districts. The ground floor office of this project will be located along the secondary frontage of Blanding Avenue and not the main Park Street frontage. Retail space is provided along Park Street, and the office uses are reserved for Blanding Avenue which better accommodates such ground floor uses.
The location of the outdoor seating area to the interior of the site eliminates potential use conflicts with the public right of way traffic on Park Street and Blanding Avenue. The surrounding land uses are a mix of retail, office and light industrial uses that are not sensitive to noise generated by outdoor seating areas. Standard conditions are proposed to ensure safety and security of the interior spaces after business hours. Staff is able to make all the required findings to support the Use Permit approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is determined to be Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines Section 15303, New Construction of Small Structures, based on the following findings:
(1) The project is located in an urbanized area and is comprised of two buildings with a total size less than 10,000 square on a property zoned for such a use.
(2) The project will not utilize a significant amount of hazardous substances.
(3) All necessary public services and facilities are available and the surrounding area is not environmentally sensitive.
PUBLIC NOTICE and Comments
Property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project’s boundaries were notified of the public hearing and given the opportunity to review and comment on the proposal. As of the writing of this report, staff did not receive any public comments.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and:
1. Approve a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the proposed text amendments (Exhibit 4);and
2. Approve a Resolution approving Design Review and Use Permit for the site as shown in Exhibit 1 which shall be contingent on the City Council’s approval of the recommended Zoning Text Amendment (Exhibit 5).
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Respectfully submitted,
David Sablan
Planner I
Exhibits:
1. Project Plans
2. Project Renderings
3. Alternative Site Layout Renderings
4. Draft Resolution Recommending City Council Approval of the draft Zoning Text Amendment
5. Draft Resolution Approving Conditional Use Permit and Design Review