Title
PLN19-0051 - Proposed Final Development Plan Amendment, Design Review, and Tentative Parcel Map for 1310, 1430, and 1410 Harbor Bay Parkway- Applicant: Joe Ernst on behalf of srmErnst Development Partners Public hearing to consider a Final Development Plan Amendment and Design Review to develop three new single-story flex-space buildings, totaling 310,945 square feet on 18 acres of vacant land. The application includes a Tentative Parcel Map to create commercial condo maps for each new building. The project is located in the C-M-PD (Commercial Manufacturing, Planned Development) Zoning District. A Final Environmental Impact Report for Harbor Bay Isle, including the Harbor Bay Business Park, was certified in 1974 and the 1988 Addendum to the EIR was certified in 1989 in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, no new significant impacts have been identified and no additional CEQA review is required.
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas
Acting Planning Building and Transportation Director
Date: June 24, 2019
BACKGROUND
In April 1985 the City approved a Final Development Plan (FDP-85-2) for the development of a 30-acre site with five two-story office buildings, a central landscaped area, and parking lots in the Harbor Bay Business Park (Exhibit 1). The 30-acre parcel was bounded by Harbor Bay Parkway to the north and encircled by the entirety of South Loop Road to its east, west, and south. FDP-85-2 approved approximately a total of 608,000 square feet of office space. The City also approved a Tentative Parcel Map to subdivide the 30-acre site into five (5) separate parcels. The site layout anticipated the development to be a multi-building campus for one entity, and therefore amenities like the water features were spread across the five parcels.
Only two of the approved buildings totaling 243,194 square feet of floor area were built along with landscaping and parking lot improvements on their individual parcel. From the original Tentative Parcel Map, the developed parcels were Parcel 2 and Parcel 4, while Parcels 1, 3, and 5 remain vacant. Landscaping improvements and the water features were built up to Harbor Bay Parkway across Parcels 1 and 5, even though those buildings were never constructed.
The current applicant is requesting a Final Development Plan Amendment and Design Review for a new site layout and new building designs for Parcels 1, 3, and 5 along with landscape and parking layout modifications (Exhibit 2). The Final Development Plan Amendment includes the removal of one of the water features that was built across Parcel 1 and Parcel 5. The applicant is also requesting the approval of a Tentative Parcel Map to create two commercial condominium units within each of the three proposed buildings.
ANALYSIS
Site Layout
The prior development of Parcel 2 and Parcel 4 cut the project site into two parts: two vacant parcels (Parcel 1 and Parcel 5) located to the buildings’ north, and one vacant parcel to the buildings’ south (Parcel 3). In FDP-85-2 all five buildings had matching footprints and floor plans, and were two stories. Each approved building had approximately 121,600 square feet of floor area. The applicant is proposing different building footprints and designs and alterations to the site’s landscaping and parking layout. The two northern buildings fronting on Harbor Bay Parkway are located on Parcel 1 (1320 Harbor Bay Parkway), and Parcel 5 (1410 Harbor Bay Parkway). Parcel 3 (1430 Harbor Bay Parkway) is located to south of the existing buildings. All three proposed buildings have a larger footprint than the buildings from FDP-85-2 because they are one-story, with mezzanines, as opposed to FDP-85-2’s two story office buildings. However, in aggregate the three proposed buildings have a smaller floor area than the three previously approved buildings. Table 1 provides basic building information for all three buildings.
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Table 1: Development Regulations |
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Standard Regulations |
Parcel 1 Building A |
Complies |
Parcel 3 Building B |
Complies |
Parcel 5 Building C |
Complies |
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Total Building Coverage |
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99,890 S.F |
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75,990 S.F. |
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80,690 S.F. |
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Total Floor Area |
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125,853 S.F. |
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93,450 S.F. |
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101.957 S.F. |
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Maximum Building Height |
35 ft |
34 ft |
Yes |
34 Ft |
Yes |
34 ft |
Yes |
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Maximum FAR |
1 |
0.458 |
Yes |
0.358 |
Yes |
0.417 |
Yes |
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Maximum Building Coverage |
35% |
35% |
Yes |
29% |
Yes |
33% |
Yes |
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Minimum Landscape Coverage |
25% |
27% |
Yes |
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Minimum Interior Setback |
20 ft |
80 ft |
Yes |
85 ft |
Yes |
80 ft |
Yes |
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Minimum Setback from South Loop |
20 ft |
145 ft |
Yes |
28 ft |
Yes |
145 ft |
Yes |
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Minimum Setback from Harbor Bay Parkway |
50 ft |
50 ft |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
50 Ft |
Yes |
Parking and Site Circulation
The original Tentative Parcel Map that created five parcels included reciprocal parking, ingress and egress easements between parcels, which will remain in place with this project. When Parcel 2 and Parcel 4 were developed some of the approved parking for the entire project was built on Parcel 3. Those parking spaces will be removed to accommodate the new parking layout on Parcel 3. Additionally, in 2008 the City approved a Design Review application for a small parking area on Parcel 5 that served the existing building at Parcel 4. That parking area will be removed to accommodate the new parking layout for Parcel 5. Truck traffic will enter the project through the proposed driveways on the west end of South Loop Road and would be restricted to one-way travel (west to east) through the project site to access loading docks and exit through driveways on the east end of South Loop Road.
Landscaping
The landscape concept is based on native coastal plants and Bay-Friendly principals. Key components include meadow plantings and tall evergreen trees for maximum screening. An outdoor patio is located adjacent to each building and features seating areas as well as wood and planter privacy screens. A 6-foot tall earthen berm and dense tree plantings are proposed along the rear property line to screen the project from nearby residential properties. Within the parking area, a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees are proposed to provide shade and reduce heat. The parking lot area meets the City requirement of one tree per four parking spaces.
The plan follows LEED, Bay-Friendly, and EBMUD water conservation guidelines. Bio-swales that feature rain garden plantings are provided to catch and filter surface and roof runoff water. Currently there are two large water features built from the original approval. One water feature is located between the buildings on Parcel 2 and Parcel 4, which are not a part of this project. The other water feature was built along with landscaping on the property line between Parcel 1 and Parcel 3. This water feature will be removed and replaced with parking and a bioswale featuring Thatching Reed and California Gray rush plantings.
Building Design
All three proposed buildings feature the same basic design with minor differences based on varying building widths due to the difference parcel sizes. Building A and Building C are both oriented north towards Harbor Bay Parkway while Building B is oriented to the south towards South Loop Road. All are three buildings will be tilt up concrete panel construction with large window bays repeated along the front elevations. Side and rear elevations will have smaller window bays. Each building will have large formal entries at the corners of the buildings on their front elevation. These large entries will feature tall windows, approximately twenty-six feet (26’) tall. These entries will also be accented with fiber cement rainscreens and wood panels. Roof mounted equipment will be centered in the middle of each building’s roof and will be screened with corrugated metal panels.
The design complies with design guidelines for landscaping and architecture by maximizing landscaping in key view shed areas and using materials and shapes in the buildings to relate to existing structures in the Business Park. In addition to City review, the proposal is subject to approval by the Harbor Bay Business Park Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The ARC has reviewed and approved the proposal.
Condominium Map
The proposed Tentative Parcel Map will allow the conveyance of two commercial spaces to two separate owners within each proposed building (Exhibit 3). Tentative Parcel Map 10960 has been reviewed by City staff and determined to meet the requirements contained in the City of Alameda Subdivision Ordinance and the California Subdivision Map Act. Common area maintenance will be addressed in the condominium covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). Staff recommends a condition of approval that these CC&Rs are subject to review and approval by City staff prior to recordation. Based on this review staff believes that the required findings found in the Draft Resolution (Exhibit 4) can be made by the Planning Board to recommend approval of Tentative Parcel Map 10960 to the City Council.
Conclusion
The proposed site layout makes good use of the site layout, and provides ample parking and on-site amenities. The building design is complementary to the surrounding office park while featuring articulation and design details that also make its design unique.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City previously prepared and certified/adopted the Final Environmental Impact Report for Harbor Bay Isle (EIR) and the Addendum to the EIR (together, Previous CEQA Documents) in accordance with CEQA, which contemplated development of the entirety of the Harbor Bay Business Park. None of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present, thus the City can rely on the Previous CEQA Documents.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a Final Development Plan Amendment and Design Review and recommend approval of Tentative Parcel Map.
Respectfully submitted,
David Sablan, AICP
Planner II
Exhibits:
1. FDP-85-2 - Plans
2. PLN19-0051 - Plans
3. Tentative Parcel Map 10960
4. Draft Resolution