Title
Draft Meeting Minutes-December 10, 2018
Body
DRAFT MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2018
1. CONVENE
President Sullivan convened the meeting at 7:01pm
2. FLAG SALUTE
Board Member Cavanaugh led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: President Sullivan, Board Members Cavanaugh, Curtis, Saheba, Rothenberg, Saheba, Teague. Board Member Mitchell arrived at 7:03pm.
Absent: None.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
*None*
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
6A 2018-6286
2019 Planning Board Regular Meeting Schedule
Board Member Teague made a motion to approve the Consent Calendar. Board Member Curtis seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2018-6291
Consider Final Approval of Krusi Park Recreation Center Color Palette
Staff Member Thomas introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3765445&GUID=4D5114C5-F20E-4D65-8DC0-31EC41DE700C&FullText=1> .
Staff Member Divas gave a presentation.
Board Member Teague made a motion to approve Option 1 (scheme 3 in the packet.) Board Member Mitchell seconded the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
7-B 2018-6292
Public Hearing to consider Design Review and Development Plan Amendment to allow an approximately 113,000-square-foot five-story hotel with 172 guest rooms, and an approximately 7,000-square-foot restaurant with coffee shop, located approximately 400-feet northwest of the corner of Harbor Bay Parkway and Bay Edge Road. The property is located within the C-M-PD, Commercial Manufacturing - Planned Development zoning district. The Harbor Bay Isle Environmental Impact Report was prepared for the development of the Harbor Bay Business Park Planned Development
Staff Member Thomas gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3765446&GUID=1E3BAC77-9BFE-4C3D-904D-BA8C62EBD040&FullText=1>
Staff Member Butler gave a presentation related to hotels and economic development in Alameda.
Board Member Curtis ask what rate of occupancy the tax projections are based on.
Staff Member Butler said that they are based on 70% (full) occupancy.
Robert Leach, applicant, explained his Alameda roots and history of hotel development. He said they are proposing the nicest hotel Alameda has seen. He said it would be a 4 star hotel if the hotel were inside the building but they wanted to serve the ferry terminal and community with a separate facility. He highlighted the design and programming for the project. He said he is proud of the efforts made to partner with labor.
Ty Hudson, UNITE HERE, said they support the project. He said that this project will take the high road approach to providing a living wage to hotel workers.
Board Member Saheba asked what the BCDC requirements and status were.
Staff Member Thomas said that Harbor Bay Isle has a settlement agreement with BCDC and all projects must meet the obligations of that agreement.
Board Member Mitchell asked if the cafe and restaurant could be removed from the project after the board approves it.
Staff Member Thomas said that they could not remove it without coming back to the Planning Board.
Board Member Teague sought and received clarification of FAA height requirements. He asked what the duration of the ferry parking requirements would be and whether it would be deed restricted.
Staff Member Thomas said the parking requirements would be in perpetuity and those conditions run with the land.
Board Member Teague asked and received answer from staff regarding several technical questions regarding the 1989 development agreement. He asked if the site was larger or smaller than 5.5 acres in order to determine what the lot coverage and landscape requirements are.
Staff said they would double check their math and confirm the size of the three combined parcels.
Board Member Teague asked about an old condition requiring a “clearly defined boundary” between the public park and private property.
Staff Member Thomas said that condition is from 1981 and in recent years in the area city staff, BCDC staff, and planning boards have gone in a different direction trying to blue the boundary between park and private setbacks.
President Sullivan asked about the operational implications of having the restaurant and cafe have to stand alone from the hotel.
Staff Member Thomas said legally subdividing the property to sell off the restaurant parcel in the future would be tricky because of the floor area ratio requirements. He said there is nothing in our requirements that prevents them from selling the operation itself and being separate from the hotel.
President Sullivan asked where the 35’ setback line is applied.
Mr. Leach said the setback line would be on the first set of improvements on the site, in this case the pool fencing and patios.
President Sullivan opened the public hearing.
Brian Tremper, Freeport HOA, asked if Alameda really wants this type of massive, pre-fab, 24/7 hotel. He said the hotel will lead to increased crime. He said there is no traffic study for the neighborhoods. He said it is too tall and not consistent with the neighborhood. He said there has not been proper noticing of the neighbors. He said they recommend against approval of the hotel for this location at this time.
Wendy Poulson said this is not the right project for this location. She said it is too big and not a good fit.
Jennifer Drimmer, Exelixis, Inc., said they support the hotel which will help them meet their needs as tenants of the business park.
Michael McDonough, Chamber of Commerce, said he would welcome this project in his neighborhood. He said Alameda is going to face a budget crunch in coming years and we need every project like this that we can get.
Roger Alexander read a statement on behalf of Greenway Golf. He said the hotel will help them meet the golf course’s needs and goals of hosting professional golf tournaments in the future.
Adrienne Chaix said she welcomes the project because we need a quality hotel in the area and more dining options.
Adam Elsesser, Penumbra, said the hotel would be a positive addition for the business park.
Mark Cachia-Riedl, Bay Colony HOA, said the nature of the site will result in essentially a six story hotel. He said this location within the business park is unique when compared to other open parcels in the business park. He said Residence Inn is not a very nice hotel. He said the tax revenue from this hotel is overstated because it will cannabilize the revenue from other hotels in Alameda.
Carole Robie said she supports the project because of the quality hotel and revenue that will be generated for the city.
Kari Thompson said she supports the project. She said there is a lot of demand for more hotel space.
Blair Skellie said she is opposed to this project because it is too large and will impact property values. She said it will add traffic and noise to their neighborhood.
Cathy Leong said the project is too large. She said it will increase traffic and hurt property values. She said this is not what was anticipated for the site. She raised soil and seismic concerns. She said there has not been adequate traffic studies.
Sanford Marshall said Alameda has a lot to offer for his clients, but not quality lodging options. He said this will help round out Alameda’s offerings in the hospitality world.
Mike Leach read a letter of support from the Bay Area Council.
Jeni Marr said she is in favor of the project for many reasons. She said the applicant cares about the well being of this community because it is his hometown.
Jay Harris, environmental attorney for the applicant, said that the applicant and City have absolutely met all of the CEQA requirements.
Amelia Foos said she is not in favor of this project. She cited traffic, noise, safety, and aesthetic reasons. She said it is too tall and that the traffic study was inadequate.
Dan Reidy, Harbor Bay Isle Associates, spoke about the BCDC agreements that apply to the project.
Brock Grunt spoke in favor of the project. He said it is consistent with the goals of the Economic Development Strategic Task Force that he recently participated in. He said it will be a community asset.
Christine Lok said she commutes by ferry every day and supports the project because we need the extra parking for ferry riders.
Kristel Railsback read a letter on behalf of Joe Ernst, owner of the property, outlining the need for the hotel to serve the business park and community.
Bob Osterman said he supports the project because of the food options it will bring to the business park. He said a tall building is better than a wide, short building.
Aimee Cochran said she opposes the project for the safety of her and other children on her cul-de-sac. She said the increase in traffic and crime will decrease safety for the children in the neighborhood.
John McManus said he supports the project because it will help attract business to the business park, which currently lacks amenities.
Robert Doud said many of the same people opposed his project next door when they built two years ago. He said the hotel will benefit the public.
Michael Lozeau said this project was never addressed in the EIR in 1974. He listed environmental concerns of the project that would not have been considered in 1974.
Jennifer Williams said she supports the project. She said it meets the community’s needs, including a new restaurant, conference space, and having a ADA accessible hotel space.
Bassey Obot said he supports the project because of the amenities it will provide and the additional ferry parking. He said he is in law enforcement and does not believe this hotel will cause serious crime issues.
Pat Lamborn urged a no vote. She questioned whether the developer will keep its promises. She said they can’t guarantee a restaurant will operate. She asked the board to drill down into the details and plan for the future.
Maria Gonzalez, speaking through an interpreter, said she works as a housekeeper in a hotel in Emeryville. She asked that there be more hotels in the area where workers have the right to join a union and a better quality of life. She said they struggled for a long time to achieve the benefits they earned with the union.
Karen Bey said she supports the project to create jobs, expand the tax base, and add value to the business park.
Peter Fletcher suggested postponement and mediation between the stakeholders in order to find a way forward.
Steven Gortler said he is concerned about the project’s impact on the bay. He said this developer has no intention to get a permit from BCDC. He said the board should not vote on the project until the developer agrees to get a permit from BCDC. He said the 1981 agreement is not good.
Reyla Graber said the project should get a BCDC permit. She said it is not the right project for this location. She said resolution 1203 says prominent buildings should be on the spine of Harbor Bay Parkway. She said the location is not sensitive to the shoreline. She asked for a delay or rejection of the application.
George Humphreys said he is against the proposal. He said there are many potential hotels being discussed and we should consider them in totality. He said the site is vulnerable to storm damage.
David Burton said the developer has been responsive to community and board feedback. He said the city needs the amenities and tax revenue. He said the project meets the objective standards and should be approved.
Charles Thompson said he supports the project but not at that location.
Karen Kenney said she supports the project and the developer.
President Sullivan closed the public hearing and declared a brief recess.
Board Member Teague explained some of the background of the 1989 development agreement and the quasi-judicial nature of the Planning Board. He said the board is limited in its ability to require things like new EIRs or other modern development requirements. He said he would be in support of the proposal with several conditions and modifications. He said they must combine the three parcels to meet the FAR. He said the noise conditions should be spelled out and the public art reviewed. He said the parking use needs clarification. He said he would like to see the solar written into the document. He said he likes the idea of bringing the landscape plan back.
Board Member Curtis said he would like the parking formula should be spelled out with a deed restriction. He said he can see no reason not to vote for the project with the restrictions.
Board Member Rothenberg said they should include a sustainable design standard like LEED Silver to speak to many of the provisions in the resolution.
Board Member Mitchell said he appreciates the concerns of the neighbors. He said the applicant has met all the design standards. He said denying the project could result in an expensive court loss and not getting many of the benefits and conditions they have on the table tonight. He said the quality hotel and amenities are needed. He said it would generate less traffic than the previously approved memory care facility. He said this is a major transit hub and the area needs to be treated as such.
Board Member Saheba said the project has to balance the building height and scale with the view corridors. He said the architecture needs to be a contributor to the neighborhood and not a detraction. He said he would favor eliminating the row of parking that points out onto the Bay Trail. He said he would recommend that the requirement of smooth plaster be included in the resolution. He said some of the lighting choices should be reexamined, especially along the Bay Trail where bollards should be used.
Board Member Cavanaugh said it is not out the ordinary that a five story building be near homes in Alameda. He said he would like to see a rendering of the building at night to examine the lighting plan. He said he would like to see what the lobby area would look like, as well as between the hotel and restaurant. He said he likes the idea of the hotel.
President Sullivan said that if there were nine little office buildings here the views would be greatly diminished. She said we do not have a choice about what we can or can not approve. She said the building design and landscaping need a lot of work. She said she does not see a point approving it given how much work is still to be done.
Board Member Teague asked if the developer would be willing to shoot for a LEED certification.
Mr. Leach said they are going for a LEED Silver certification.
Board Member Teague made a motion to approve with conditions: provisions for providing and advertising at least 100 parking spaces for 12 hour ferry parking; including solar on the roof; joining the three parcels into one prior to issuance of building permit; standard night noise reduction conditions; limiting the time and amount of large trucks coming to the site; including the ferry parking use as a deed restriction; bringing the public art, and landscaping back for review; meeting LEED Silver certification; bringing back the parking layout back to prevent headlights from pointing out towards the bay even if it results in the loss of up to 22 parking spaces; and including the extra elevations and night renderings. Board Member Mitchell seconded the motion.
Board Member Sullivan expressed concern about losing parking for the commuters.
Staff Member Thomas said they will look at the parking plan and bring it back to the board for another review.
The motion passed 7-0.
8. MINUTES
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
9-A 2018-6288
Community Development Department Recent Actions and Decisions
The staff report can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3765443&GUID=8D9395BF-2B96-4DE6-AFA0-816628133565&FullText=1>
9-B 2018-6289
Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development Department Projects
The schedule can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3765444&GUID=56F6D1A8-758B-4D60-B74D-5B378CBE2ABA>
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
13. ADJOURNMENT
President Mitchell adjourned the meeting at 10:20pm.