Title
PLN17-0538 - 1825 Park Street - Applicant: Paul Patel for Ganesha LLC - Public Hearing to consider Design Review and parking reduction application for the construction of a 54’-6” foot, four-story hotel with 96 rooms and rear surface parking with 62 spaces. The property is located within the NP-G, North Park Street Gateway zoning district. The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 - In-Fill Development Projects
Body
BACKGROUND
On October 26, 2017, the applicant Ganesha LLC submitted a Design Review application for a 96-room hotel at 1825 Park Street (Exhibit 1). The project site is an approximately 0.73-acre lot on the southwest corner of Park Street and Clement Avenue. The property was formerly known as the Ron Goode Toyota dealership site and is currently occupied by a business selling scooters. In 2013, the City Council rezoned the area along Park Street north of Lincoln Avenue to establish the North Park Street Gateway District as a way to facilitate redevelopment of obsolete auto row properties into a vibrant commercial gateway into Alameda.
On March 26, 2018, the Planning Board held a study session where it expressed support for the streamline moderne approach of the building design and provided direction on the architecture and parking for the project. Based upon the comments received, HGRA Architects and the applicant revised the design plans. The revised project complies with the General Plan and the Zoning Ordinance, including the necessary requirements for the parking and height exceptions as discussed in this report. Staff recommends approval of the project with conditions.
DISCUSSION
Consistency with Adopted Plans and Regulations: The proposed hotel use is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and the Park Street Gateway District Strategic Plan. This Community Commercial General Plan designation includes the Park Street business district and is intended for a variety of commercial businesses including hotel/motel uses. The project is also consistent with the North Park Street Gateway (NP-G) district regulations. The project site is located within the NP-G zone, where hotels are permitted by-right. Hotel use on the site is also consistent with the City of Alameda Economic Development Strategy recommended by the Planning Board and unanimously approved by the City Council in 2018, which identifies hotels as a critical component of the City’s economic development strategy. Attached as Exhibit 2 is a memorandum from the Economic Development Manager describing in more detail the benefits of hotels to the City’s economic health.
Architectural Design:
Since the Planning Board study session, the applicant has revised the building design to:
• Add horizontal emphasis to the building exterior, including window trim details and horizontal mullions consistent with streamline moderne architecture.
• Add horizontal “eyebrow” overhangs above the windows.
• Carry streamline moderne elements to the back of the building and enhance the south-facing blank wall.
• Dress the building in lighter earth tone colors with green and beige accent colors while eliminating red-brick usage.
• Add accent elements, including vertical marquee signage, horizontal metal base treatment and clerestory windows above the storefront canopies.
• Add trees along rear perimeter to address privacy concerns of adjacent neighbors.
Staff believes the building elevations have improved and address the direction of the Planning Board. The hotel design alludes to the streamline moderne architectural style as outlined in the Citywide Design Review Manual and draws inspiration from other architecture along the Park Street commercial corridor.
Development Standards
The North Park Street development standards are form-based codes that prescribe building placement and orientation requirements to shape a desired building form. As shown on the project plans, the proposed hotel is a four-story, L-shape building placed at the sidewalks along Park Street and Clement Avenue while hiding surface parking and service areas behind the building. Consistent with the requirements for pedestrian-orientation at the street level, the ground floor of the hotel features storefront windows along the sidewalks. These windows look into the lobby and interior corridors of the hotel.
Table 1 summarizes the project’s compliance with the applicable development standards:
|
Table 1 - Zoning Compliance with Development Standards |
|
|
|
NP-G Development Standards |
Project Proposal |
Compliance |
|
Front Setback |
0 feet |
0 feet |
Yes |
|
Side Setback |
0 feet |
0 feet |
Yes |
|
Side Street Corner Setback |
In the Gateway sub-district, 0-feet setback to the side street right-of-way line for a minimum distance of 20 feet from the corner. |
0 feet setback for a distance of 164 feet from the corner |
Yes |
|
Rear Setback |
In the Gateway sub-districts, 5-foot rear setback if the rear property line abuts a Residential or Mixed Use district. |
69 feet |
Yes |
|
Height |
50 feet (New building) except corner towers may exceed the maximum building height limit subject to design review approval |
49 feet and 6 inches, except the corner tower is 54 feet and 6 inches |
Yes |
|
Parking |
96 spaces (1 space per room) |
62 spaces |
Parking Exception Requested |
Building Height: The proposed hotel is a four-story building with an overall height of 49’-6”, which houses all habitable space and storage areas within this portion of the building. The hotel features a corner parapet that extends above the roof to a height of 54’-6”. The Park Street Gateway District Strategic Plan encourages corner treatments in building designs at key intersections such as Park and Clement. The parapet enhances the building’s streamline moderne architecture and provides an important architectural focal point for traffic entering Alameda on Park Street. The North Park Street regulations (AMC 30-4.25(d)5.) allow architectural elements to exceed the 50’ maximum building height limit with design review approval, provided that all habitable and storage areas are below the 50’ height limit. The proposed project complies with this requirement.
Parking Reduction: Parking for the hotel is located behind the building. Per AMC 30-4.25(d)6, this project would require 96 total parking spaces. Given the desire to meet the NP-G standards for an urban, pedestrian-oriented development and the physical constraints of the site, the applicant proposes 62 parking spaces, including 34 standard spaces, 25 compact and 3 accessible spaces. The applicant is requesting a parking exception pursuant to AMC 30-7.13 and is proposing to implement TDM measures that will reduce parking demand for the life of the project.
Per the Board’s comments from the study session, the applicant has provided a traffic and parking demand study that was approved by the Public Works Director (Exhibit 3). The parking demand study analyzed different parking demand scenarios, including a conservative scenario referenced by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and a scenario based on a similar hotel in Alameda. The study concludes that the Alameda comparison is the most realistic and suitable for evaluating this project proposal. The study projects a demand for approximately 62 parking spaces on weekend days and 38 parking spaces on weekdays. The proposed parking lot of 62 spaces would therefore accommodate the maximum parking demand for this project.
Pursuant to AMC 30-7.13, the applicant will implement the following TDM measures to reduce parking demand:
• Participate in the Alameda Transportation Management Association (ATMA), which would provide each hotel employee with a complimentary AC Transit EasyPass; and
• Offer 24-hour complimentary carpool rideshare services (Lyft and Uber carpool) to transport hotel guests to and from the Oakland Airport, South Shore Center, Fruitvale BART station, Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Alameda Landing, Main Street Ferry terminal, and other destinations within a three-mile radius from the hotel.
The proposal to provide rideshare services and participation in a citywide TDM program in-lieu of surface parking spaces is consistent with the purpose of the NP-G zoning to support a transit-friendly environment.
Bicycle Parking: The project complies with bicycle parking requirements of AMC 30-7.15. The applicant proposes four long-term bicycle parking spaces within an enclosed cage located along the back side of the project and four short-term bicycle parking spaces adjacent to the main entrance at the intersection of Park Street and Clement Avenue.
Frontage Improvements: The project will carry out property frontage improvements on Park Street and Clement Avenue, including upgrades to replace the old car dealership driveways into safe, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, among other operational and safety improvements listed below. Furthermore, the applicant prepared the traffic study with input from the Public Works transportation engineering staff (Exhibit 3). The project frontage improvements draw from the conclusions of the traffic analysis and reflect its recommendations to address traffic safety and pedestrian needs:
• Eliminate two existing car lot driveways on Park Street and two driveways on Clement Avenue; and
• Place the new driveway entrance on Clement Avenue approximately 180 feet from the intersection to prevent eastbound queuing on Clement Avenue; and
• Install “Keep Clear” marking on Clement Avenue in front of the driveway; and
• Rebuild and dedicate to the public new sidewalk, gutters, drainage system, streetlights and street trees.
In addition, signal and signal timing improvements at Park/Clement, which are part of the 2015-2017 Capital Budget, are already under construction by the City. These improvements ensure that the Park/Clement intersection and others in the project vicinity would remain in acceptable operation even with the hotel development.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 - Infill Development Projects (Exhibit 4). The project meets all requirements for the infill exemption, including the following:
1. The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations.
2. The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses.
3. The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species.
4. Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality.
5. The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.
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. Copies of all emails and letters received will be forwarded to the Planning Board and provided for the Board at the public hearing.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve Design Review and parking waiver application for the construction of a 54’-6”, four-story hotel with 96 rooms and rear surface parking with 62 spaces based on the findings and conditions contained in the Draft Resolution (Exhibit 4).
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Barrera
Planner II
Exhibits:
1. Plans
2. Economic Analysis of Proposed Hotel
3. Traffic Study
4. Draft Resolution