File #: 2016-3319   
Type: New Business
Body: Recreation and Park Commission
On agenda: 9/8/2016
Title: Approve Conceptual Design of Neighborhood Park within Site A at Alameda Point
Attachments: 1. Alameda Neighborhood Park, 2. Presentation

Title

 

Approve Conceptual Design of Neighborhood Park within Site A at Alameda Point

Body

 

To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission

 

From: Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director

 

Re: Approve Conceptual Design of Neighborhood 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.

On June 16, 2015, the City Council approved the "Site A" Development Plan for the 68-acre area within the own 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.  Phase 1 of the Waterfront Park was reviewed by the Recreation and Park Commission in January and approved by the Planning Board in March 2016. 

 

APP has now submitted an application for conceptual design review for the 1.35-acre neighborhood park along the northern edge of the residential blocks (Exhibit 1) that is intended to be constructed concurrent with Phase 1 of the Site A project.  A diagram of the Phase 1 footprint within the Site A project is provided below.  On September 26, 2016, the Planning Board will hold public hearings to review the designs of the Neighborhood Park.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

At this time, City staff is requesting that the Commission approve the conceptual plans for the Neighborhood Park.   Based upon comments received from the Commission, Planning Board, and the community, APP’s design team will make final revisions to the plans of the Neighborhood Park.

 

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.  Two hundred of the 800 units (25%) are restricted to very low-, low- and moderate-income households. The other 600 units will be market rate units.

 

•                     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.

Neighborhood Park Design

The 14.8 acres of parks within Site A are comprised of three “park districts”: the “Neighborhood Park District”, the “Waterfront Park District”, and the “Urban 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 Neighborhood Park District emphasizes active recreational and community uses adjacent to primarily residential areas, such as children’s play areas and “tot lots”, a basketball half-court, and other neighborhood and community serving open space and recreational facilities; the Waterfront Park District emphasizes spaces for passive recreation and access to the water, waterfront promenades, water viewing areas, seating areas, and gathering spaces, and 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 1.35-acre Neighborhood Park (Exhibit 1) is designed to meet primarily the needs of the resident community within Site A consistent with the community’s design objectives established by the Alameda community through the Community Reuse Plan, the General Plan, the Town Center Plan, and the Site A Development Plan.  The following provides an overview of the conceptual design of the Neighborhood Park:

 

1.                     The Neighborhood Park is designed to provide a variety of public spaces for both active and community recreational opportunities with a focus on the needs of resident Site A and Alameda Point neighborhood populations, including families.

2.                     There are active structured spaces, including playground facilities with thematic play structures, a basketball half-court, a game area with chess checker tables and outdoor table tennis, and an outdoor fitness area.

3.                     There are less structured community spaces, including a large-scale central lawn for community events and gatherings, picnic and fixed seating areas, a smaller lawn space with “wave” landforms, and other landscaping, and a bike trail on the southern boundary of the Park.

4.                     The Neighborhood Park will most likely be maintained by the Recreation and Park Department and final amenity, landscape and equipment specifications will be reviewed and approved by the Recreation and Park Director prior to construction.

RECOMMENDATION

Approve Conceptual Design of Neighborhood Park within Site A at Alameda Point

 

Respectfully submitted,

Andrew Thomas, Assistant Community Development Director

Jennifer Ott, Base Reuse and Transportation Planning Director

 

Exhibit:

1. Conceptual Design Submittal for Neighborhood Park