Title
Introduction of Ordinance Amending the Alameda Municipal Code by Amending Section 30-5.15 of Chapter XXX (Zoning Ordinance) to Adopt New Bird-Safe Building Standards and Update Outdoor Lighting Regulations Consistent with Dark Skies Standards. [The proposed amendment is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3), 15305, 15307, and 15183.] (Planning, Building and Transportation 481001)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: David L. Rudat, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2017, the City Council approved two referrals directing staff to draft ordinances to adopt new bird-safe building standards and update the City's outdoor lighting regulations to meet dark skies standards. Staff prepared a draft ordinance that amends Chapter 30 of the Alameda Municipal Code (Zoning Regulations) to address both referrals. The proposed bird-safe building standards require treatment that would only apply to new large buildings with large areas of glass. The proposed outdoor lighting regulations strengthen existing requirements sourced from the California Building Standards Code, public safety guidelines, and international dark skies standards.
BACKGROUND
The San Francisco Bay Area is a major destination along the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory path for birds from Canada to Mexico. Over 200 species of birds migrate through the Bay Area each spring and fall, and Alameda's island setting within the San Francisco Bay effectively makes the entire city potential bird habitat. According to the Golden Gate Audubon Society, over 365 million birds are killed in North America each year as a result of collisions with built structures. Birds tend to collide with glass when the glass is either too reflective or too transparent, because birds cannot recognize the glass as a solid object.
Every jurisdiction in the state of California that is a potential bi...
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