Title
Hold a Public Workshop to Consider Design Review Amendments for Block 11, Phase I Waterfront Park and Preliminary Designs for Block 15c and Phase II Infrastructure at Alameda Point Site A
Body
To: President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
Date: September 9, 2019
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In June 2015, the City Council unanimously approved the Site A Development Plan and Development Agreement for a three phased development on a 68-acre area within Alameda Point that extends generally from the Main Street entrance to Alameda Point to the Seaplane Lagoon and the eastern edge of the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District. The Development Plan established a sequence of subsequent actions that would need to be accomplished to design and construct Site A. Over the next three years, the Planning Board and the Site A Master Developer, Alameda Point Partners (APP”), completed:
• Final Design Review approvals for Site A Blocks 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 in Phase I;
• Final Design Review approvals for the 2.6 acre Phase I Waterfront Park and 2.4 acre linear Neighborhood Park in Phase I;
• Final Design Review approval for the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal in Phase I; and
• Tentative Map for Phase I, and
• Development Plan Amendments for Phases II and III of Site A.
Based upon these approvals, APP has completed construction of over 50% of the construction for the new roads and infrastructure to support Phase I of Site A, and work construction has begun on several of the residential blocks, including the 60 unit senior affordable housing building on Block 8.
In the next six months, APP will be making a number of requests of the Planning Board. Those requests include:
• Design Review modifications for the 220-unit residential building approved for Block 11 by the Planning Board in 2016, (Exhibit 1)
• Design Review modifications for the Waterfront Park design approved in 2016, (Exhibit 2)
• Design Review approval for 90 new affordable housing units on Block 15c in Phase II (Exhibit 3)
• Tentative Map approval for Phase II, and
• A General Plan and Development Plan Amendments to allow 80 additional units, 20 of which are restricted to very low-, low- and moderate-income households, to Phase II.
The purpose of this report and public workshop is to provide the Planning Board and public with an overview and update on the progress of Site A and to introduce the proposed changes for Block 11 and the Waterfront Park and the initial plans for Block 15c. The plans are being reviewed concurrently by the Public Works Department, Fire Department, Parks Department and Planning Department; therefore, no action is being requested of the Board at this time.
BACKGROUND
The 2015 Site A development plan for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development at Alameda Point implements a number of important community plans, including:
• The 1996 Naval Air Station Alameda Community Reuse Plan;
• The 2003 Alameda Point Element of the General Plan;
• The 2013 Alameda Point Vision Guide;
• The 2014 Alameda Point Zoning Ordinance and Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP);
• The 2014 Alameda Point Waterfront and Town Center Precise Plan; and
• The 2014 Alameda Point Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM Plan).
The 68 acre Site A Development Plan:
• Approximately 14.8 acres of publicly accessible open space, parks and plazas representing approximately 22% of the 68-acre property, and approximately 16.3 acres of public streets and sidewalks representing an additional 24% of the property.
• Eight hundred of the 1,425 total residential units programmed for Alameda Point and up to 400,000 square feet of commercial development, and approximately 200,000 square feet of retail and hotel space in new buildings. Residential units are provided in transit oriented, multifamily building types on eight blocks located immediately adjacent to the primary transit corridor along West Atlantic Avenue that links a future ferry terminal at the Seaplane Lagoon with the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Site A and downtown Oakland. All residential units on Site A will be within a one-block walk or less of the BRT line, protected bicycle lanes along West Atlantic Avenue and public open space to facilitate a pedestrian oriented environment. Of the 800 units, approximately 620 of the units will be in stacked flat buildings over parking and approximately 180 of the units will be in attached or stacked townhomes and row houses. .
• Two hundred (200) of the 800 units (25%) are restricted to very low-, low- and moderate-income households. One hundred twenty-eight (128) of the 200 affordable units are permanently restricted for very low- and low-income households. These units are proposed to be constructed by Eden Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, in two buildings on Block 8 in the first phase of the development. The development also includes two (2) moderate-income units. Eden Housing will also provide long-term property management and resident services targeted to the needs of its residents. The 70 moderate-income units are proposed to be developed in partnership with Alameda Unified School District for teacher and staff housing.
• 400,000 square feet will be marketed primarily for flexible R&D, office and/or light industrial and retail uses or ancillary retail uses. These uses are complementary to existing uses within the adjacent adaptive reuse area, which include clean-tech companies and food and beverage manufacturing production uses.
• Dedicated annual funding for transit services and transportation programs. In addition, the project is providing $10 million for construction of the new Ferry Terminal at the Seaplane Lagoon to support expanded ferry services to San Francisco and the region and over $34.5 million of backbone infrastructure including $7.8 million to construct complete streets in and around Alameda Point, including key transit improvements, such as dedicated bus lanes on West Atlantic Avenue to support expanded transit services from Alameda Point to downtown Oakland and BART.
DISCUSSION
Although great progress has been made over the last four years, the project has been forced to confront unanticipated financial and site specific setbacks and obstacles. Construction costs in the Bay Area have risen dramatically since 2015, and previously unknown concrete structures beneath buildings, unknown underground storage tanks, and unknown utility lines left behind by the Navy have been discovered and have needed to be removed at the expense of the project.
As the result of these increasing costs, APP is proposed a number of design changes to Block 11 and the Waterfront Park that will require Planning Board review and approval. In addition, APP will be requesting that the Planning Board and City Council consider changing the General Plan and Site A Development Plan to add an additional 80 residential units at Site A.
In the upcoming months, APP will also be requesting approval of the Design Review plans for the first block in Phase II of the project (Block 15c) and approval of the Tentative Map for Phase II at Site A.
Block 11 Design Changes (Exhibit 1)
As approved by the Planning Board in 2016, Block 11 fronts onto the Seaplane Lagoon and the new Phase I Waterfront Park where it will provide a transition between the urban fabric of Alameda Point and the natural environment of the Seaplane Lagoon and the San Francisco Bay. The building and adjacent waterfront street are designed to face the water to the south west of the building and make it as easy as possible for residents of the building and visitors to the building to view the water, walk to the water, and enjoy and appreciate the waterfront location.
The major changes to Block 11 proposed by APP may be summarized as follows:
• The average unit size is being reduced. Originally designed and approved with an average unit size of 1,100 sq. ft., the re-designed units are approximately 930 square feet on average. According to APP, even with the smaller unit sizes, the hard costs per unit will still be 10% greater than originally projected in 2016.
• The overall building footprint is reduced. With the reduction in unit size, the building footprint is significantly reduced. The building is 50 feet shorter in the north south dimension and 20 feet shorter in the east west dimension.
• The bio retention plan is changed. With the reduced size, a large portion of the on-site water bio retention areas can be moved to the ground level on the rear and east side of the building in the form of large bio-retention swales.
• Pulling the building back 20 feet on the east side allows for a wider alley between block 11 and the adjacent commercial buildings on Block 10.
• Pulling the building back 50 feet on the north side allows for an increase in the size of the public parking lot planned behind the building on Block 14.
• With the change in building size, the ground floor residential units on the west elevations facing Pan Am Way have been removed and replaced with decorative walls.
• The ground floor retail has been reduced from 22,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet.
• The “prow” element’s structural design is simplified and strengthened, which also improves the livability of the unit by creating more interior wall space.
Phase I Waterfront Park Design Changes (Exhibit 2)
The 2.63-acre Phase I Waterfront Park depicted in Exhibit 2 represents the first phase of a larger 6.7 acre Waterfront Park, which is part of the 14-acre public park plan to be designed and constructed as part of the Site A project.
The Waterfront Park District emphasizes spaces for passive recreation and access to the water, waterfront promenades, water viewing areas, seating areas, and gathering spaces. The Phase I Waterfront Park is designed to provide public access to the waterfront, an entrance to the Historic District, and ensure the long term viability of the area by addressing sea-level rise in a manner that is consistent with the Historic District Cultural Landscape Guidelines.
The Phase I Waterfront Park is designed to provide a variety of public spaces for passive recreation and opportunities for the public to enjoy the waterfront location and special events, and appreciate the views of the San Francisco skyline and the historic row of seaplane hangar buildings at the entrance to the Historic District, along the northern edge of the Seaplane Lagoon. The 2.63-acre Phase I Waterfront Park is designed to create three primary sub-areas (i.e., the Overlook, the Promenade & Terraces, and the Taxiway).
The primary changes to the Park design proposed by APP include:
• Consolidating the five structured terraces into three rolling softscaped terraces,
• Simplifying the water collection and treatment system by using gravity systems instead of mechanical pumping systems,
• Replacing concrete bio retention basins with landscaped basins,
• Reducing the number and types of materials used in the construction of the Park, and,
• Reducing the number and types of seating and public amenities provided in the Park.
Block 15c Proposal (Exhibit 3). As approved by the Development Plan amendments for Phase II in 2018, Block 15 is programed for residential use. As envisioned by APP and shown in Exhibit 3 Page A1.0, Block15 would be comprised of three sub blocks (15a, 15b, and 15c). Block 15a is immediately adjacent to Main Street, and Block 15c is immediately adjacent to Orion Street. Block 15a is across the neighborhood park from Block 6 townhomes, Block 15b is across the park from Block 7 townhomes, and Block 15c is across the park from Block 8 affordable housing.
Block 15c is designed to accommodate 90 deed restricted affordable housing units for the Alameda Unified School District. APP is proposing to develop the block in partnership with the District.
The site plan is places two three story buildings at each end of the block (similar to the site plan for Block 8). Parking is contained in the center of the block. An amenity building is provided mid-block facing a pedestrian paseo that would separate Block 15c from Block 15b. The automobile entrance to the parking would be provided from Orion Street on the west side of the block.
The architectural design reflects a modern interpretation of the traditional multifamily architectural style. The “Waves” Barracks Building, shown below, at Alameda Point provides an excellent example of this traditional architectural style.
Conclusion: As stated above, staff is still evaluating all three of these proposals. For that reason staff is not requesting any final actions or decisions at this time. However, staff would benefit from, and appreciate, any Planning Board comments or suggestions regarding the three designs at this time.
The plans are being reviewed concurrently by the Public Works Department, Fire Department, Parks Department and Planning Department.
Staff will schedule future meetings of the Planning Board for final actions on the proposals.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On February 4, 2014, the City of Alameda certified the Alameda Point Final EIR in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Final EIR evaluated the environmental impacts of redevelopment and reuse of the lands at Alameda Point consistent with the Town Center Plan, which included Site A. No further review is required for this review of the project designs.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a Public Workshop to Consider Design Review Amendments for Block 11, Phase I Waterfront Park and Preliminary Designs for Block 15c and Phase II Infrastructure at Alameda Point Site A
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. Block 11 Design Review Modifications
2. Phase I Waterfront Park Design Review Modifications
3. Block 15c Design Plans