Title
Adoption of Resolution Approving Tentative Map No. 8500 for the Proposed Subdivision of the Alameda Marina Property Located at 1815 Clement Avenue. Applicant: Alameda Marina, LLC. 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. (Planning, Building and Transportation 209)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On July 10, 2018, the City Council unanimously approved the Alameda Marina Master Plan for the redevelopment of the 44-acre Alameda Marina site located on Clement Avenue between Alameda Marina Drive and Willow Street in the Northern Waterfront Priority Development Area. The site is comprised of approximately 27 acres of uplands and submerged lands owned by Alameda Marina, LLC (Applicant) and an adjacent 17 acres of waterfront land and submerged lands owned by the City in trust for the State of California (Tidelands) that are leased to the Applicant. The Master Plan requires a variety of subsequent approvals and/or permits that will require review and approval by the Planning Board, the City Council and/or regional agencies. The full Master Plan is available at: www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building-and-Transportation/Planning-Division/Major-Planning-Projects <http://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building-and-Transportation/Planning-Division/Major-Planning-Projects>
On March 5, 2019, the Planning Board unanimously approved the Open Space Development Plan, which provides the detailed designs for the waterfront open space, internal streets, and Clement Avenue frontage for the project.
On June 24, 2019, the Planning Board conducted a public hearing and unanimously recommended that the City Council approve the Tentative Map for the project.
BACKGROUND
Planning Process Overview: In 1990, the City Council amended the City of Alameda (City) General Plan to designate Alameda Marina and other industrial and maritime sites along the Northern Waterfront for mixed use development. In 2012, the City Council amended the General Plan and Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) to designate 21.62 acres of the non-Tidelands portion of Alameda Marina land as a multifamily housing opportunity site in support of future mixed-use development on the property. The site’s Mixed-Use Zoning District (MX) zoning designation with a Multifamily Residential Combining District (MF) overlay implements the General Plan’s Mixed Use designation and made it possible for the City to bring its General Plan and AMC into compliance with State Housing Law. Residential uses are prohibited on the adjacent Tidelands and submerged property.
In 2012, the City and the Applicant entered into a new lease for the Tidelands property (2012 Lease). One of the primary purposes of the 2012 Lease was to facilitate reinvestment and improvement of the City-owned Tidelands property. The 2012 Lease requires the Applicant to prepare a Master Plan for the entire site with higher value uses to fund the major investments necessary to improve the City Tidelands property including seawalls, bulkheads, public access, and supporting infrastructure, which are all in very poor condition.
In 2016, the Applicant submitted the first draft Master Plan for the site. Over the next two years, the Applicant made many revisions to the Master Plan to address public concerns raised at approximately 75 community and group meetings, five (5) Planning Board subcommittee meetings and five (5) full Planning Board meetings.
On May 29, 2018, the Planning Board unanimously recommended that the City Council approve the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Master Plan, and on July 10, 2018, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 15413 certifying the Final EIR. On July 24, 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3221 approving the Alameda Marina Master Plan.
MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW:
Mixed Use Development: The Alameda Marina Master Plan provides for the development of a mixed use plan for the property that provides for up to 760 multifamily housing units, up to 250,000 square feet of commercial and maritime commercial space, about 3.59 acres of shoreline open space, about 17.1 acres dedicated to marina operations, and a 530 slip marina.
Green Building and Universal Design: The Master Plan requires all new construction to comply with a LEED Silver or equivalent standard and the City’s 2017 Universal Design Ordinance requirements. In 2020, it is anticipated that the State will adopt new statewide standards requiring that all new residential construction move towards a “zero net energy” standard. Most, if not all, of the new residential building permits issued for Alameda Marina will probably be issued in 2020 or later, and those permits will be subject to the 2020 Residential Building Code.
Reinvestment in City-owned Tidelands and Maritime Facilities: The Master Plan requires significant reinvestment in the City-owned Tidelands and public lands, which are critical to the long-term viability of the land for future maritime use; including reinvestment in City-owned marina facilities, bulkheads and seawalls, and infrastructure necessary to support continued maritime use of the public lands. This investment in city lands is estimated to be in excess of $20 million. The Master Plan requires complete reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of the 4,009 lineal feet of shoreline embankments, seawalls and bulkheads on the property, most of which is on City-owned Tidelands property. The initial estimated cost to upgrade the seawalls is between $15 million and $17 million and includes the necessary upgrades to address three and one-half feet of anticipated sea level rise over the next 50 years. The phasing plan requires the improvements to be completed with each phase of the development. The Master Plan requires rehabilitation and improvement of the 530-slip marina including dredging to accommodate a boat hoist, pier and dock improvements, restroom and shower upgrades, replacement and improvement of the sewer, water, power, and sanitary infrastructure that supports the marina operations, and construction of three parking lots totaling 348 public parking spaces. The Master Plan phasing plan requires the improvements to be completed in phases with each phase of the development.
The Master Plan provides for the construction and rehabilitation of approximately 3.59 acres of publically accessible waterfront open space, including creation of a unique “water life” park with kayak and personal watercraft launching facilities in the former “graving dock”, which was the facility originally constructed to build segments of the Posey Tube. The Master Plan includes a new Bay Trail facility along the waterfront from a new connection to the Grand Marina Bay Trail along the waterfront to the Naval Operations Support Center and out to Clement Avenue.
The Master Plan provides for up to 250,000 square feet of maritime commercial floor area and yard space and all new infrastructure to support maritime commercial uses. The Master Plan requires boat servicing, repair, and maintenance areas on both land and water to support the recreational boating community. To support a future, environmentally clean boatyard at Alameda Marina, the Master Plan requires regrading of the entire site to protect water quality, construction of new infrastructure to support boatyard and other maritime commercial uses, and preservation of the existing boatlift rails and washing areas, which are necessary to move boats out of the water and into the “yard” for “bottom work”.
In 2019, the applicant, with assistance from the City, issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit a qualified boatyard operator. The applicant and the City are currently reviewing the responses from the RFQ and discussing the next steps to expanding boat repair services at Alameda Marina.
Clement Avenue and Cross Alameda Trail Improvements: The Master Plan includes reconstruction of the .3 mile-segment of Clement Avenue that fronts the project site, including a widening of the current substandard public sidewalk to seven (7) feet, removal of the railroad tracks, and construction of new bicycle lanes or a cycle track along Clement Avenue as part of the Cross Alameda Trail. All of the overhead utility lines, with the exception of the high voltage 115 kV lines, will be undergrounded. This eliminates at least eight existing poles and the associated overhead lines on Clement Avenue. Improvements to the City-owned Clement Avenue is initially estimated to cost between $3 million and $4 million.
DISCUSSION
The Alameda Master Plan envisioned that a Tentative Subdivision Map would be required to implement and finance the project. A preliminary draft subdivision map, grading plan and infrastructure plan was included in Appendix A to the Master Plan. The appendix was provided to ensure that all the decision makers and the public understood how the property would be subdivided at a future date to implement the project.
In December of 2018, the applicants submitted their draft Tentative Map application. The staff review of the draft Tentative Map found it to be in substantial conformance with the Alameda Master Plan and Alameda Subdivision Ordinance (Section 30-73 through 88). However, the review also revealed two issues with the Tentative Map that could be attributed to the Master Plan related to the impact of the project on City facilities on Grand Street and on Clement Avenue. Those two issues are described below.
Issue #1: Grand Street Boat Ramp Secondary Access.
The Master Plan requires construction of a new 60-boat dry storage yard with a three (3)-ton boat hoist in the first phase of the development. The on-site hoist will allow dry boat storage owners to place their boats in the water from within the dry boat storage area. The facility is designed to accommodate boats on trailers. Cars and trucks will not be allowed in the space, but a powered device (“mule”) for moving the trailers around will be provided and maintained by the marina. In addition, the Master Plan diagram on page 35 shows a secondary driveway access to the nearby Grand Street public Boat Ramp, which might be used to launch non-keeled boats.
City staff and the applicant are recommending that dry boat storage yard be constructed without the requirement for a secondary vehicle access driveway to the Grand Street Boat ramp for the following reasons:
• The addition of the secondary access will disrupt and impact the operations at the adjacent City-owned and operated corporation yard.
• The vast majority of the boats in the dry boat storage area will be sailboats with keels, which cannot be launched from the Grand Street Boat Ramp, and a power boat stored in the dry boat storage area that wishes to use the Grand Street Boat Ramp needs to be moved out of the storage area with the “mule” then hooked up to a vehicle, then driven to the Grand Street Boat Ramp. A boat cannot be launched at the Grand Marina Boat Ramp from a mule. Therefore, the driveway between the two facilities will have extremely limited use.
For these reasons, the applicant submitted a tentative map that does not show the additional driveway, and that the City Council find that the revised design is in substantial conformance with the Master Plan. This change would not change the Master Plan requirement to connect the Bay Trail between the two properties for bicycle and pedestrian access.
Issue #2: Union Street Pedestrian View Corridor.
The Master Plan envisioned a large multifamily residential building fronting onto Clement Avenue between Alameda Marina Drive and Schiller Street. Given the length of the building, the Master Plan requires a 20 foot wide pedestrian public access and view corridor through the building from the intersection of Union Street and Clement Avenue to the waterfront. The Master Plan also shows a new curb cut on Clement Avenue to allow access to the parking structure for the new building. The curb cut is located about 30 feet from the Union Street intersection.
After reviewing the Tentative Map’s automobile, bicycle and pedestrian circulation system and the City’s plans for the Cross Alameda Trail on Clement Avenue, staff and the Planning Board are recommending that the Tentative Map be approved with location of the driveway and the pedestrian corridor switched for the following reasons:
• From a vehicle circulation perspective, locating the driveway to the 390+ vehicle parking structure at the intersection of Union and Clement is a safer location than placing it approximately 30 feet from an existing intersection.
• From a bicycle and pedestrian perspective, having the cars from the garage cross the Cross Alameda Trail at the Union Street intersection is safer than having the cars cross approximately 30 feet from the intersection.
• Traffic engineering staff and consultants considered moving the parking garage access to the side street on Alameda Marina Drive. This alternative is not recommended because the Alameda Marina Drive intersection with Clement is off-set from the Minturn intersection and in close proximity to the Grand Street intersection, which would result in a large number of potentially conflicting automobile turning movements on the Clement Avenue Cross Alameda Trail in close proximity to the Alameda Marina Drive intersection with Clement. In addition, Alameda Municipal Power would prefer not to lose any public parking spaces or any of the large trees on Alameda Marina Drive.
• The original pedestrian/view corridor planned at Union Street actually terminates at the existing two-story Harbor Master’s building, which is being preserved. It does not terminate with a view of the water. Moving the pedestrian and view corridor to the west allows the view/pedestrian corridor to extend all the way from Clement Avenue to the water.
For these reasons, the recommended tentative map shows the relocated driveway and view corridor. Furthermore, staff believes the relocated facility are in substantial conformance with the Master Plan objectives to provide a safe and attractive frontage on Clement Avenue.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council could consider the following alternative actions:
1. Deny the Tentative Map, finding that the relocation of the view corridor and elimination of the secondary dry boat storage driveway are inconsistent with the Master Plan.
2. Remand the Tentative Map back to the Planning Board for additional consideration.
3. Approve the Tentative Map with additional conditions to address any additional issues or concerns that might be raised at the City Council meeting.
Two residents spoke at the Planning Board meeting. One resident spoke in support of the project, and a second raised concerns about the four story height of the first residential building to be constructed. The Tentative Map does not dictate the height of the buildings, and the Master Plan allows for five story buildings.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of a proposed Tentative Map does not impact the General Fund or require expenditure of any City funds. The approval of the Map is a required step in the development process for the site, which will result in major financial investments by the applicant into improvements of City owned properties.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
As described above and in the draft resolution of approval, the Tentative Map is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Code and Master Plan for the site.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On July 10, 2018, the City Council certified the Final EIR for the Alameda Marina Master Plan in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse No. 2016102064). None of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present, and thus, prior to approving the Tentative Map, the City can rely on the Final EIR. No further environmental review is required for the approval of the tentative map.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
The site is identified in the Regional Sustainable Communities Strategy (Plan Bay Area) as a development site in a designated “priority development area”, which is necessary to enable the Bay Area to develop in a sustainable manner and meet the regional greenhouse gas reduction objectives.
The Tentative Map is designed to mitigate for 42 inches of sea level rise and allow for future adaptation in the event of increases in sea level rise above 42 inches.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a Public Hearing and approve a Resolution approving the Alameda Marina Tentative Subdivision Map for the Alameda Marina property.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with the Planning Board recommendation to approve a Resolution approving the Alameda Marina Tentative Subdivision Map for the Alameda Marina property.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Acting Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Andrew Thomas, Acting Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Tentative Map
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager