Title
PLN19-0564 - Phase II Alameda Marina Master Plan Project - 1815 Clement Avenue (between Chestnut Street and Willow Street) - Applicant: Alameda Marina, LLC. Public hearing to consider Phase II of the Alameda Marina Master Plan Project. The approvals requested by the Applicant include a Development Plan and Design Review application for 182 townhouse units in 31 buildings, a waiver from the 100% visitability requirement under the Universal Design Ordinance, and approval of the Affordable Housing Plan and Transportation Demand Management Plan for the entire Master Plan project. The environmental effects of the proposed project were considered and disclosed in the Alameda Marina Master Plan EIR (State Clearinghouse #2016102064). No further environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Allen Tai, City Planner
BACKGROUND
In July 2018, the City Council approved the Alameda Marina Master Plan, which established requirements for mixed use development of up to 760 multifamily housing units, up to 250,000 square feet of commercial and maritime commercial space, approximately 3.59 acres of shoreline open space, and a 530 slip marina at the Alameda Marina site. The Master Plan is available at: <https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/minor-planning-projects/alameda-marina-master-plan-approved-by-council-july-2018.pdf>. Subsequently, the Planning Board in 2019 approved the open space plan for the site and Development Plan and Design Review for a 360-unit apartment in Phase I. On December 9, 2019, the Planning Board held a Study Session on Phase II, which consists of development of 182 townhomes. The Planning Board provided comments on the architectural design of the buildings, which the Applicant addressed in revised plans.
The Applicant is now requesting Planning Board approval of:
1. Phase II Development Plan and Design Review for 182 townhomes (Exhibit 1)
2. Waiver from the 100% visitability requirement of the Universal Design Ordinance (AMC Section 30-18)
3. Transportation Demand Management Plan
4. Affordable Housing Plan
DISCUSSION
The Alameda Marina Master Plan requires Development Plan and Design Review approval for buildings in each phase. Phase II of the Master Plan consists of residential development located on the eastern portion of the project site along Clement Avenue between Willow Street and Chestnut Street. This report evaluates project compliance with the Master Plan, the site configuration, and architectural design of the buildings. In addition, because the Master Plan requires Planning Board approval of the site wide Transportation Demand Management and Affordable Housing Plans, those draft documents are also presented for consideration by the Board.
Development Plan
Stacked Flats vs. Townhomes: The Master Plan anticipates two housing types in Phase II. In Phase II, the Master Plan shows a “Multifamily Residential” are for +/- 143 townhomes and a “Multifamily Residential Medium Density” for +/- 48 multifamily, elevator-served, stacked flats for a total of 191 units. See Exhibit 6.3 Land Uses, page 44. The applicant is now proposing in their Design Review application to construct a total of 182 townhomes and no stacked flats. The Medium Density Area that was originally planned for 48 stacked flats is now programmed for 57 townhomes. Although the number of stacked flats in Phase II is being reduced, it should be noted that Phase I “Wrap A” included 360 multifamily stacked flats, which is 15 more flats than the “+/-345” stacked flats shown on page 44 for Phase I.
Staff finds that the proposed substitution of stacked flats with townhomes is generally consistent with requirements of the Master Plan and would not increase environmental impacts from the proposed project. Staff’s determination of substantial conformance with the Master Plan is based on the following considerations:
1) Affordability - There is no change to the number of affordable housing units that will be provided in Phase II. The affordable housing units in Phase II will include a range of bedroom counts and unit sizes, which shall be provided in proportion to the range of bedroom counts and unit sizes for the market rate units.
For the market rate units, the Master Plan anticipates multi-family stacked flats ranging from 1,600 to 2,200 square feet in size containing 2 to 4 bedrooms. The Design Review application proposes townhomes ranging from 1,462 to 2,689 square feet in size and containing 2 to 4 bedrooms. The Applicant cites higher construction costs for stacked flats over townhomes as the primary reason for not including any stacked flats at Alameda Marina. The Applicant argues that higher costs to build the stacked flats would transfer to homebuyers through higher home prices.
2) Traffic - From a CEQA traffic perspective, the change does not change the conclusions from the Project EIR. Upon full buildout, the total number of stacked flats will be reduced by 39 units and the total number of townhomes will increase by 39 units. In terms of trips generated, the change results in an increase of +/- 6 trips.
From staff’s perspective, the value and importance of stacked flats under the City’s overall TDM strategy is the ability to influence behavior and reduce single-occupant vehicle trips. This is achievable with stacked flats where parking is in a common garage where parking spaces can be unbundled from the individual units. Unbundled parking cannot be achieved in townhomes with private garages. The proposed townhome units all have private two-car garages, compared to unbundled parking for stacked flats at 1.5 spaces per unit. The impact of the change to the overall parking plan from the shift to townhomes is an overall reduction in the number of unbundled parking spaces in the plan (-59) and an increase in private spaces (+78).
To compensate for the change and minimize the potential increase in automobile use generated by an additional 78 parking spaces, staff is recommending that at least some of the new townhomes be constructed with one car garages. Staff has included a recommended condition of approval that requires the applicant to submit building permits that show at least 10 townhomes with one car garages (see condition #4). Should the Board disagree with staff analysis, then the Board should remove or modify Condition #4 before approving the project.
Site Plan and Orientation: The subject 9.8-acre area of the Alameda Marina site is characterized by the Graving Dock running down the center of the site, creating a “U” shaped building site. The Bay Trail enters this area along the marina waterfront from the west, and continues to the graving dock with options to proceed north to the estuary or exit south to Clement Avenue. The Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) is located immediately to the east of the site. With the exception of two buildings, the remaining 29 townhome buildings are organized in a horizontal east-west configuration, in rows parallel to Clement Avenue. The horizontal configuration is further emphasized by the corresponding internal paseos and private driveways, which create a repetitive alternating pattern of townhomes, paseos, and private streets. Despite the repetition, the site plan is laid out in an orderly, logical manner.
With respect to building orientation, the Alameda Marina Master Plan Section 7.2 Building Design Guidelines calls for “orienting building fronts toward the streets, pedestrian promenades/paths, waterfront and other public spaces.” The Master Plan also calls for aligning building façades to frame the edges of the street, pedestrian promenades/paths and other public spaces.
The applicant’s proposed site plan aligns buildings perpendicular to the Graving Dock water feature. Staff believes the site plan would be improved by re-orienting some of the buildings to fact the water feature and adjacent public amenities. At staff’s request, the Applicant explored alternatives to face buildings around the Graving Dock. Exhibit 2 presents an alternate site plan recommended by staff.
The applicant disagrees with the staff recommended changes. The applicant does not believe that the change improves the project, because it results in 15 townhomes facing Willow Street and the adjacent Navy facility. In addition, the staff recommended change requires that the guest parking on Willow Street be removed. Staff’s recent experiences at Bayport and Alameda Landing reveal that these guest parking spaces are used exclusively by the project residents as alternatives to their two car garages.
Despite the applicant’s concerns, staff still believes the alternative plan provides a better site plan. By rearranging buildings to focus on the Graving Dock, more units will actually front onto this water feature, establishing a direct relationship between the buildings and the public space. The pathways around the Graving Dock will be framed by more townhomes units, consistent with how the City has treated similar water features in the past, such as the townhomes facing the Alameda Landing waterfront. In addition, staff believes the alternate site plan provides relief to repetitive rows of buildings and the variated positioning of building could provide greater visual interest.
Staff has included a recommended condition of approval that requires the applicant to submit building permits that reflect the alternate plan, to the satisfaction of the Planning Director (see condition #3). Should the Board disagree with staff analysis, then the Board should remove Condition #3 before approving the project.
Addressing/New Street Names: Under the City Council Street Naming Policy, the Planning Board shall name new streets as part of its approval of entitlements. The Building Official and Fire Department determined that all Phase II townhome units would be addressed off Stanford Street or Willow Street. Only Buildings 20 and 21 would be addressed off the two “loop” alleys between Stanford and Willow streets. The Applicant proposes “Barnes Wharf” and “Tibbitts Harbor” as the namesakes for the original 1916 boatyard founders J.D. Barnes and Walter Tibbitts.
Staff supports these name choices.
Design Review
Clement Avenue Frontage and Experience: A primary focus of the Master Plan design guidelines is the Clement Avenue street interface. The proposed project satisfies the Master Plan requirements with design features that focus on activating the streetscape. Walking along the Clement Avenue sidewalk, pedestrians will experience a wide space between the building and the street shaded by street trees and bordered by a future cycle track. Four townhouse buildings front onto Clement Avenue, with steps leading up to porches with private entries to individual townhome units. Numerous glass windows and second story decks provide “eyes” on the street. The board and batten materials on the townhouses resemble existing buildings across Clement Avenue. Meanwhile, along the street the cycle track is designed to be separated from the cars and be on the same level as the sidewalk. This design provides safety to bicyclists while street trees separate pedestrians from the cycle track. The overall Clement Avenue frontage is an active scene for residents, pedestrian and bicyclists alike as envisioned in the Master Plan.
Architecture, Massing, Articulation, and Building Materials (Exhibit 1, Sheets A.1.3.0 - A.3.11.0):
With regard to the contemporary style of the buildings, the Master Plan specifies that building massing and form shall be appropriate to the architectural style and consistent with existing buildings on the site. The proposed contemporary architecture complements the design of the Wrap a building that the Planning Board approved as part of Phase I. The building form and materials of the townhomes are also reminiscent of the existing buildings on the site and its maritime history. The buildings and colors are modern in their style and flat roofs are utilized, consistent with this style as well as the roof forms on existing buildings. Bay windows, corner projections, and rooftop elements are used to provide varied heights and visual interest. Simple parapet edges are employed in the designs, consistent with a modern architectural language suggested in the Master Plan building design guidelines.
Building architecture for Phase II is divided into two groupings consisting of waterside and landside designs. Waterside buildings have a strong rhythm of cantilevered bays that create a definitive transition. Landside buildings use a combination of bays and balconies to differentiate the upper floors from the ground floor. The overall primary exterior building materials are stucco, fiber cement siding, and metal is used on roof railings and awnings. Various vertical and horizontal transitions allow the building to express the differences in scale, but the transitions occur at appropriate intervals and maintain an identifiable design hierarchy and patterns. Waterside building materials feature vertical tongue and groove (cement fiber) siding while landside buildings feature board and batten designs. Townhomes on the ends of buildings have their entries on the side of the building or on the corner. While rear building elevations feature a simpler design to keep construction costs manageable, key features on the front elevation wrap around the side and part of the rear so as not to de-emphasize the appearance of the rear elevations. Windows will provide a minimum two-inch recess from the exterior wall surface. Taken as a whole, the building features create a well-articulated façade on all sides of the building resulting in a distinctive yet attractive architectural design consistent with Master Plan guidelines.
Open Space, Landscaping, and Site Amenities (Exhibit 1, Sheets L1.0-L6.0): All of the residents of this development will benefit from Alameda Marina’s 3.6 acres of public waterfront and open space, which are within immediate walking distance. In addition, the residents will have access to the Graving Dock, which will be improved with floating docks to provide direct access into the water. Many townhome units also have access to private open space balconies and roof decks. Sharing the space on the roof are solar panels providing clean energy for this development.
The Landscaping Plan for Phase II is consistent with the previously-approved landscape plans for the waterfront open space and Phase I. The plant palette consists of the plants selected for other areas in Alameda Marina, which are primarily Bay-Friendly species that also meet State water-efficient landscape requirements. Landscaping and small-planting areas in the public and private transition zones welcome visitors to experience the space while also providing a buffer between residential townhomes and public access open spaces.
Sidewalk and paved areas feature decorative salt-finish or broom-brushed concrete surfaces, which appear on the Chestnut Lane emergency vehicle access. Seventeen bicycle racks providing thirty-four short-term parking spaces, per requirements of the Master Plan, are also strategically placed around the site.
Staff is in support of the architectural design of the project.
Universal Design Ordinance Waiver
The Applicant requests a waiver to the 100% visitability standard in the Universal Design Ordinance (AMC Section 30-18) (Exhibit 3). The waiver is necessary due to a combination of physical constraints such as having to build around the Graving Dock and elevating the site 36” with adaptation for sea level rise. These physical constraints limit the ability to provide accessible entry to every townhome unit. But as a whole, the Alameda Marina Master Plan project achieves 92% visitability with 79% of all units designed for full Universal Design accessibility. This 79% well exceeds the 30% requirement in Universal Design Ordinance. It is important to note that this greater number of Universal Design units is a significant benefit to the community that outweighs the project’s shortfall in visitable units. The Commission on Disability Issues will review and comment on the waiver request on March 4, 2020. The staff report is available at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4342367&GUID=EAA6083A-8533-4636-8B9D-71535DDBEAB0> . Comments from the Commission will be presented to the Planning Board at the public hearing.
Staff recommends the Planning Board grant the waiver to reduce the visitability from 100% to 92% in exchange for an increase in universal design units from 30% to 79%.
Transportation Demand Management Plan (Exhibit 4)
The Master Plan specifies that prior to issuance of the first building permit of any phase, the Applicant shall prepare and submit a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan for Planning Board review and approval. The draft TDM plan provided meets the TDM requirements in the Master Plan. The TDM plan includes parking management requirements in Section 6.6 Parking of the Master Plan (page 51). These programs include, but are not limited to, Unbundled Parking, Shared Parking, and enforcement of no residential parking being allowed in marina/public park parking lots, and Car Share Parking as specified on pages 50 and 51 of the Master Plan.
Staff recommends conditions of approval that provide specificity to the annual Transportation Management Association fees and other final implementation details to be approved by the Planning Director.
Affordable Housing Plan (Exhibit 5)
Per the Master Plan, 104 affordable units will be built among the total 760 units on the entire site. With 182 units proposed in Phase II, this calculates to a proportional 25 affordable units to be equitably distributed across the various unit types in the building. For Phase II, 7 of the 182 townhome units will be affordable to very-low income households, 7 units will be affordable to low income households, and 11 units will be affordable to moderate income households. Under this proposed Affordable Housing Plan coordinated with input by the Alameda Housing Authority, the Applicant must execute an Affordable Housing Agreement prior to issuance of building permits for each phase.
Conclusion
In conclusion, staff finds that the project is consistent with the Alameda Marina Master Plan upon meeting the conditions of approval, including modifying the site configuration to face townhomes on the Graving Dock and limiting parking for 10 townhomes to a single-car garages. Otherwise, the proposed architectural building designs and site amenities are consistent with the findings for Development Plan and Design Review approval, as set forth in the Draft Resolution.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This agenda item was advertised in the Alameda Sun and public notices were posted as required by the Alameda Municipal Code. No public comments have been received as of the writing of this staff report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On July 10, 2018, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Alameda Marina Master Plan in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse #2016102064). The proposed Phase II project Development Plan, Design Review, and waiver from the Universal Design Ordinance and site wide Affordable Housing and Transportation Demand Management plans implement the Master Plan and do not change the environmental impacts already disclosed in the EIR. None of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present, and no further environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and approve the Alameda Marina Phase II Development Plan and Design Review for 182 townhouses, Universal Design waiver, and site-wide TDM and Affordable Housing plans per the findings and conditions of approval set forth in the Draft Resolution (Exhibit 6).
Reviewed By:
Andrew Thomas,
Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. Alameda Marina Phase II Development Plan and Design Review Plan
2. Applicant’s Alternative Site Plan Concept
3. Applicant’s Letter Request for Waiver to 100% Visitability Requirement
4. Draft Transportation Demand Management Plan
5. Draft Affordable Housing Plan
6. Draft Resolution