Title
PLN17-0140 - 1100 Marina Village Parkway - Applicant: Steelwave, LLC. - Public Hearing to consider the historic preservation design features for the Shipways Residential Project, a 329-unit multi-family housing complex with a waterfront park. The project will require the approval of a Certificate of Approval by the Historical Advisory Board but no action will be taken at this public hearing. The environmental impacts of the proposed project were considered in the Alameda Shipways Residential Project Environmental Impact Report (SCH#2017041011)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and
Members of the Historical Advisory Board
From: Linda Barrera
Planner II
Date: December 6, 2018
Re: PLN17-0140 - 1100 Marina Village Parkway - Applicant: Steelwave, LLC. - Public Hearing to consider the historic preservation design features for the Shipways Residential Project, a 329-unit multi-family housing complex with a waterfront park. The project will require the approval of a Certificate of Approval by the Historical Advisory Board but no action will be taken at this public hearing. The environmental impacts of the proposed project were considered in the Alameda Shipways Residential Project Environmental Impact Report (SCH#2017041011).
BACKGROUND
Steelwave Acquisitions, LLC is proposing to demolish the existing structures on the property at 1100 Marina Village Parkway and construct a multi-family housing project comprising of four separate structures of four to six stories, subterranean parking, and a public waterfront park on a site of approximately 8.1 acres. A total of 329 residential units, including 54 deed-restricted affordable housing units and 515 parking stalls are proposed. The public waterfront park will include a dual purpose dock for possible future ferry shuttle service and public kayak launch, bathrooms, waterfront amenities, and an extension of the Bay Trail. The project plans are included as Exhibit 1.
The shipways site is currently occupied by the remains of the 1942 Bethlehem Alameda Shipyard that played a major role in shipbuilding during World War II. The shipways are arranged in two pairs. Around the ends and sides of each pair were large preassembly and welding parks. Each pair of ways was served by three crane tracks, on in the center and one on each side, making six crane ways to serve four building ways. The ways were built on reinforced concrete. On the landside, offices, storerooms, lockers, lavatories, and specialty shops were constructed under each way.
Historic Preservation consultants Carey & Co, Inc. provided an evaluation of the site (Exhibit 2), which determined that the site is a historical resource due to its association with wartime efforts at a national and regional level and the development of steel ship building and repair at the local level. It was also determined that the shipways retain significant integrity to communicate their significance.
The City of Alameda also determined that the proposal required preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The EIR (available on city website at: https://alamedaca.gov/shipways-1200-marina-village-parkway-alameda) found that the site and the shipway structures are a historical resource under CEQA and that the proposed project would result in significant and unavoidable impacts to Cultural Resources due to the removal of the former “shipways” structures. Mitigation measures were recommended to minimize the impact, even though the impact cannot be mitigated to a level of less than significant. The EIR recommends that the project mitigate the impact to Cultural Resources to the extent feasible by requiring:
• Photo documentation and public interpretation of the shipways overseen by a Secretary of the Interior-qualified architectural historian.
• Public interpretation of historical resources provided on the site. This could include a plaque, kiosk, or other method describing the historic importance of the shipways to the public.
The EIR and staff analysis has also considered the feasibility of retaining two of the four Shipways structures with their associated head houses as part of the proposed housing project. The EIR and staff analysis found that retaining the existing structures and designing a residential project around the existing structures would not be feasible. Exhibit 3 includes an engineer’s report by Moffatt and Nichol, documenting the structural and geotechnical problems that would be encountered if an attempt were made to rehabilitate the existing structures for a residential development with a waterfront park. Exhibit 4 includes a report by Bay Area Economics evaluating the economic feasibility of retaining the shipway structures. These reports support staff’s conclusion that rehabilitation of the existing structures is not a viable strategy for the redevelopment of the site for reasons including:
• The Partial Preservation Alternative would not permit 35 percent density bonus based on gross acreage as required by state law;
• Retaining the head-houses and shipways at the expense of a public open space and residential units would underutilize the Project Site;
• The Partial Preservation Alternative would cause the retained elements of the site to be located at a different grade than rest of the project and, thus, would not be protected from sea-level rise;
• Due to the deteriorated condition of the shipways, public access would not be permitted on the retained elements, which would result in substantially reduced open space compared to the proposed project. Retained shipways could also be an attractive nuisance for children and trail users; and
• Based on the BAE report, the Partial Preservation Alternative is not financially feasible because it would not generate sufficient profits upon completion based on the costs associated with the entitlement process and the construction process.
It should also be recognized that the shipways site was designated as a housing opportunity site by the City Council in 2012, which was required to bring the City of Alameda’s General Plan into compliance with State Housing law. Under State Law, the City is not able to deny a housing proposal or reduce the number of units proposed on the site, unless a finding can be made that the reduction would mitigate a threat to public health or safety that is caused by the project and that there is no other feasible mitigation to eliminate the threat to public health and safety. In this case, neither the EIR nor the staff analysis has identified any impacts to public health or safety as the result of the project.
On May 3, 2018, the Historical Advisory Board held a public hearing to consider the adequacy of the Draft EIR mitigation and the design of the project. Upon reviewing the project’s design concepts that pay tribute to the site’s history, the Board requested that the staff and the applicant consider:
• Preserve head house façades and use at garage entrance,
• Preserve shipways signage and reuse on new building,
• Reflect elements of the ramps in the architecture,
• Integrate history into public art on site, and
• Enhance trail entrance to draw people into the site.
The Board also directed staff to prepare a resolution for the Board to adopt to add the Shipways site at 1100 Marina Village Parkway to the Historical Building study list. One June 7, 2018, the Board approved the resolution to add the Shipways site to the City’s Historical Building Study List in an effort to document the historic significance of the site due to its strong association with wartime shipbuilding efforts.
ANALYSIS
Since the May 3, 2018 public hearing, the applicant has revised their plans. At this time, staff is requesting that the Historical Advisory Board review and comment on the new and revised design elements incorporated to the project design to acknowledge the unique history of the site. Staff will then transmit the Board’s comments on the design concepts to the Planning Board in time for their review of the Design Review application for the project. If the Planning Board certifies the EIR and approves the project, the applicant will be required to submit an application for a Certificate of Approval for review and approval by the Historical Advisory Board for demolition of the study list property.
In summary and as shown in Exhibit 1, the revised plans include:
• All four existing concrete head house “Shipway” walls signs, which will be saw cut and incorporated into the new building’s front elevation to reflect the location of the four existing shipways. (See Exhibit 1 page H-3 and 4.)
• Laser etched steel panels along the sides of the building depicting ship building images accompanied by historical information displays with historic photos. (See Exhibit 1 page H-5, 6 and 7.)
• Graphics of former shipway construction “blue prints” incorporated into art work on site and historic interpretive signage throughout the site. (See Exhibit 1 page H-8.)
• Custom ship play structures as a homage to the shipbuilding history in the children’s play area. (Exhibit 1 page L-22.)
• Building materials that draw inspiration from the existing building structures and crane ways, including corten steel wall cladding inspired by the existing sheet pilings and brick pavers inspired by the historic Powerhouse brick. (Exhibit 1 page H-9.)
• Sloped roof building forms inspired by the existing sloped shipways. (Exhibit 1 page H-4.)
• Park entrances widened and enhanced with seating. (Exhibit 1 page L-3.)
• Four new, publically accessible docks extending into the Estuary in the general location of the four original crane ways that currently extend into the Estuary. The outer two docks have been kept shorter than the inner two docks to minimize privacy and possible noise impacts from the park users on the adjacent boaters. (Exhibit 1 page L-5.)
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposal is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A Final EIR (State Clearinghouse No. 2017042021) has been drafted and circulated for public review and comment per CEQA requirements.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This agenda item was advertised in the Alameda Sun and public notices were distributed to property owners within 300 feet of the project site as required by the AMC. No comments were received by staff at the time this report was written.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and endorse the project historic preservation design elements. No action on the proposed project Certificate of Approval is requested of the Historical Advisory Board at this time.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY:
Linda Barrera
Planner II
Exhibits:
1. Project Plans
2. Carey & Co, Inc. Historic Resource Evaluation
3. Moffatt & Nichol Technical Memorandum
4. Bay Area Economics Report