Title
Draft Meeting Minutes - March 25, 2019
Body
DRAFT MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019
1. CONVENE
President Sullivan convened the meeting at 7:00pm
2. FLAG SALUTE
Board Member Curtis led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: President Sullivan, Board Members Cavanaugh, Curtis, Mitchell, Saheba, Teague.
Absent: Rothenberg.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
*None*
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
*None*
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2019-6700
PLN19-0046 -Design Review for Alameda Marina Waterfront Park 1829 Clement Avenue. Applicant: Alameda Marina Development, LLC. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing to consider a Design Review application to construct approximately 3.5 acres of publically accessible waterfront open space, parks, landscaping and roadway and sidewalk improvements on the Alameda Marina property generally located between Clement Avenue and the Oakland Estuary and between Alameda Marina Drive and Willow Street. The environmental effects of the proposed project were considered and disclosed in the Alameda Marina Master Plan Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse #2016102064). No further environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act for the proposed improvements.
Staff Member Thomas introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3889844&GUID=AB4AF026-CA46-44C5-BBF6-D380DF015D78&FullText=1>
President Sullivan asked if they were reviewing a final plan or just a general layout for the open space.
Staff Member Thomas said that this is the final public hearing on the open space plan. He said they do have several conditions of approval that will require more details to be approved at the staff level before it goes to construction drawings. He said there are a number of subsequent approvals that will be required before the project proceeds. He said the lighting plan will come back to the Planning Board.
Board Member Curtis said the condition about issuing the boatyard RFQ needs to be stronger.
Staff Member Thomas said staff agrees with Board Member Curtis’ position regarding the boatyard and is balancing the need to give the applicant a resolution that they can take to BCDC.
Cindy Ma, project architect, gave a presentation, detailing the changes that have been made since the previous study session.
Board Member Mitchell asked why we are creating a vegetative buffer along the shoreline in the Harbor View Park.
Ms. Ma said they got feedback from various stakeholders. She said the softer edge allows for a more attractive shoreline edge condition as compared to having a seawall with a railing.
President Sullivan explained her concern about maintaining decomposed granite and asked exactly where it was planned.
Ms. Ma showed where the decomposed granite would be placed in the plan.
The landscape architect explained where and why they wanted to use the decomposed granite.
President Sullivan said she does not think the Chinese pistache trees would do well in the salt water environment. She gave feedback on other tree options to be considered.
Board Member Teague asked if the Water Life Park would be named that and signed as such.
Clay Fry, project architect, said HAB would review and approve names for the parks, including Water Life Park.
President Sullivan suggested that the applicant recycle some of the large, old, beams from the site’s original buildings as benches.
Board Member Curtis asked how frequently the decomposed granite would need to be maintained.
The landscape architect said that every five years is a good estimate.
Board Member Saheba asked if the decomposed granite provides any benefit near the wharf promenade, given that it is only covering a very small area.
Sean Murphy, applicant, agreed that the decomposed granite near the wharf promenade could be removed at the board’s pleasure.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked if the decomposed granite would spread onto the Bay Trail and create a potential safety issue. He said a rock on a sidewalk can ruin his day when he is rollerblading.
The landscape architect said that they can remove all of the decomposed granite given the board’s concerns.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked if the BBQs would be available to the entire community or only the project residents.
Staff Member Thomas said they would be available to all residents.
Board Member Teague said he would like park users here and throughout the city to be provided information on how to use the BBQs in the most ecologically friendly way.
Board Member Mitchell asked about the status of the view corridor through the building.
Staff Member Thomas said that the two corridors would be designed with the buildings when they came back to the board for design review.
Board Member Saheba said that he would be comfortable with that as long as the parameters of the easement are established.
Staff Member Thomas said the height and width are established in the master plan.
Suzanne Diers said she is concerned that the project does not have adequate parking and will spill over into the neighborhoods. She suggested using concrete benches like the ones used at Jean Sweeney
There were no more speakers. President Sullivan closed the public hearing.
Board Member Teague made a motion to approve the resolution with changes. In condition #4, strike the phrase, “if a qualified boatyard operator is selected pursuant to the RFQ/RFP process,” and begin the sentence with “any.” He said that would specify that they must comply with the boatyard requirements of the master plan and that if there are changes, they can be made by the planning department for small changes or planning board for larger ones. He said condition #10 should add “Water Life Park.” Board Member Curtis seconded the motion.
President Sullivan said she would like the final plant selections and layout to come back to the board for approval.
Board Member Teague accepted President Sullivan’s suggested amendments. He also added the condition specifying that the decomposed granite would not be used for pathways on the site. He restated his proposed change to condition #4.
Board Member Mitchell asked for more information regarding the landscaped buffer and the reasoning for including it.
Ms. Ma said that BCDC gave feedback that they wanted a shoreline portion with a softer edge.
Board Member Mitchell said he would like to see a little more work on this edge within the Harbor View Park and have that portion come back to the board.
Board Member Saheba said it would be awkward to have the buffer that prevents people from being able to reach the water’s edge and look down at the water.
The landscape architect described the different conditions along the bay edge that informed their design choices.
Staff Member Thomas said that BCDC would defer to Alameda’s preference if it came to deciding between a landscaped buffer and allowing people to get all the way to the edge of the water.
Board Member Saheba said the edge slope and the sightlines into the graving dock make the area feel isolated.
Board Member Curtis said one option would be to put the rail in front of the buffer zone while shortening the width of the landscaped buffer.
Staff Member Thomas said the board could have the Harbor View Park edge and Graving Dock edge landscaping plans come back for final approval. He said that would give him time to speak with BCDC staff and refine the plan further.
Board Member Teague added a condition to his motion that the Harbor View Park and Graving Dock edge landscape plans return to the Planning Board for final approval. He suggested exploring putting the railing around the Graving Dock at the top of the slope instead of the bottom of the slope.
Board Member Saheba agreed with exploring that location for the railing. He said the transition of the railing from the Harbor View Park to the Graving Dock would be important.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked to see the presentation material ahead of time when it comes back.
The motion passed 6-0.
8. MINUTES
*None*
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
9-A 2019-6695
Planning, Building and Transportation Department Recent Actions and Decisions
The staff report can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3889842&GUID=AE0E0136-B027-487E-BF1D-DB5EC6C9FD80&FullText=1>
Board Member Teague said he was surprised to see that nothing on the 1300 block of Lafayette was on the Study List.
9-B 2019-6699
Status Report on Design Review and Development Plan for an approximately 113,000-square-foot hotel with 172 guest rooms, and an approximately 7,000-square-foot restaurant with coffee shop at 2900 Harbor Bay Parkway
The staff report can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3889843&GUID=C9418C20-0A7E-4ABE-9085-23CB6D5C6747&FullText=1>
President Sullivan said she was meeting with the developer and the landscape architect this week.
9-C 2019-6702
Oral Report - Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Planning, Building and Transportation Department Projects
Staff Member Thomas previewed upcoming agenda items.
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
Board Member Teague asked what happened at City Council with the appeal of the Park St. hotel project.
Staff Member Thomas said they denied the appeal. Because the hearing was “de novo,” they said the design of the building needed to be redone.
Board Member Teague asked if the cannabis dispensary was appealed.
Staff Member Thomas said the dispensary was not appealed. He said the council is having a hard time with the ordinance but the use permit went through without appeal.
Board Member Mitchell said many design decisions are being made in response to the dark skies ordinance. He wondered “if that ship has sailed.”
Staff Member Thomas said they have always included conditions of approval regarding lighting, and they just have finally been able to put that in the zoning ordinance. He said not much has changed.
President Sullivan asked if the ordinance affects residential properties.
Staff Member Thomas said that they do have requirements that must be met when people come in for permits.
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
13. ADJOURNMENT
President Sullivan adjourned the meeting at 8:35pm.