Title
PLN20-0500 - 650 West Tower Avenue (Bldg. 41) - Applicant: Wrightspeed, Inc. A public hearing to consider a Use Permit to allow light industrial and outdoor storage for purposes of: engineering, development, testing and assembly of electric vehicle powertrain units; and, manufacture of custom, remotely operated or human occupied submersible vehicles, and complementary components and accessories at Building 41. The project is located within the AP-WTC, Alameda Point - Waterfront Town Center District.
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CITY OF ALAMEDA
PLANNING, BUILDING AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT
ITEM NO: 3-A
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION: PLN20-0500 - 650 West Tower Avenue (Bldg. 41) - Applicant: Wrightspeed, Inc. A public hearing to consider a Use Permit to allow light industrial and outdoor storage for purposes of: engineering, development, testing and assembly of electric vehicle powertrain units; and, manufacture of custom, remotely operated or human occupied submersible vehicles, and complementary components and accessories at Building 41. The project is located within the AP-WTC, Alameda Point - Waterfront Town Center District.
GENERAL PLAN: Specified Mixed Use
ZONING: AP-WTC, Alameda Point - Waterfront Town Center
ENVIRONMENTAL
DETERMINATION: Categorically Exempt from State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301 - Existing Facilities because the project consists of operation, permitting or leasing of existing private structures involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that which exists.
PROJECT PLANNER: Brian McGuire, Planning Technician
PUBLIC NOTICE: A notice for this hearing was mailed to property owners and residents within 300 feet of the site, published in local newspapers and posted in public areas near the subject property. Staff has not received any public comments on this proposed project.
EXHIBITS: 1. Project Plans
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the project with conditions.
PROPOSAL SUMMARY: The applicant is requesting a Use Permit for the existing light industrial and outdoor storage uses for the site located at 650 West Tower Ave, also known as Building 41, an approximately 109,000 square foot former Naval Air Station hangar. Wrightspeed, Inc. has leased the property from the City of Alameda since 2015 and is developing and manufacturing electric vehicle drivetrains for installation in medium and heavy-duty vehicles. The lease agreement contains a provision requiring necessary use permits be obtained, as light industrial and outdoor storage uses require a conditional use permit in the Alameda Point - Waterfront Town Center District pursuant to AMC Section 30-4.24. Wrightspeed leases a portion of Building 41 to DOER Marine, who also conducts light industrial operations producing remotely operated and human occupied submersible vehicles.
FINDINGS:
1. The location of the proposed use is compatible with other land uses in the general neighborhood area, and the project design and size is architecturally, aesthetically, and operationally harmonious with the community and surrounding development.
Building 41 sits in a row of large hangar buildings on the former Naval Air Station, and it is a contributing building to the historic district that is being preserved with the proposed use. The building is in the Alameda Point - Waterfront Town Center District, which permits light industrial uses with a Use Permit. The site, with the Seaplane Lagoon to the south, is adjacent to the redeveloping mixed-use area of Site A to the east. To the north are specialty craft beer production facilities with tasting rooms and an energy research facility. To the west is a large fitness and sports complex in a similar hangar building.
No changes are proposed for the existing building. The clean energy and blue technology uses are similar to other nearby uses, with no reasonable foreseeable off site impacts. Outdoor activities on the site will occur on the west side of the site behind a perimeter fence that provides adequate screening. The project is architecturally, aesthetically, and operationally harmonious with the community and surrounding development.
2. The proposed use will be served by adequate transportation and service facilities, including pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities.
The facility is located on West Tower Avenue at Pan Am Way near the terminus of West Atlantic Avenue, an Island Arterial. It is less than half a mile to the new Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal and three quarters of a mile to the Main Street Ferry Terminal. AC Transit’s line 96 serves Alameda Point and stops across the street from the facility. The newly constructed Cross Alameda Trail provides safe access to the facility for people biking and walking. The site has ample off-street parking available and easy access for delivery trucks. Therefore, the proposed use is served by adequate transportation and service facilities, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities.
3. The proposed use, if it complies with all conditions upon which approval is made contingent, will not adversely affect other property in the vicinity and will not have substantial deleterious effects on existing business districts or the local economy.
The proposed uses include green tech (Wrightspeed) and blue tech (DOER), which are two of the key sectors targeted for growth in the 2018 Economic Development Strategic Plan. Alameda Point is an especially attractive location for these types of businesses and the proposed uses present opportunities with high quality jobs that can grow our local economy and have positive effects on existing business districts. The applicant will be required to operate in a fashion consistent with light industrial uses that avoid off-site impacts such as smoke, noise, odor, or vibration. The proposed uses, if they comply with all conditions, will not have substantial deleterious effects on existing business districts or the local economy.
4. The proposed use relates favorably to the General Plan.
The Land Use Element of the General Plan envisions commercial uses in the Alameda Point Civic Core. Guiding Policy 9.5g of the General Plan states the City should preserve Alameda Point’s Historic District, buildings, development patterns and open spaces. Implementing policy 9.5.l of the General Plan states that the City should make every reasonable effort to incorporate compatible adaptive uses for buildings in the Alameda Point Historic District such as Building 41. The proposed light industrial uses are an excellent way of adaptively re-using the historic building and addressing the long-term preservation goals while correcting deficiencies in building safety and access for people with disabilities.
1. Approved Uses: This Use Permit approves, with conditions, the existing light industrial and outdoor storage activities for the engineering, development, testing and assembly of electric vehicle powertrain units, and manufacture of custom submersible vehicles and their components and accessories.
2. Light Industrial: Consistent with the definitions listed in Alameda Municipal Code 30-2, light industrial activities shall be conducted primarily indoors, and do not produce significant off-site impacts such as smoke, noise, odor, or vibration.
3. Outdoor Storage: Outdoor storage is permitted in the existing fenced-in yard on the western side of the site. Such storage shall be items that are temporary, needed for permitted, ongoing uses and kept in an orderly, tidy manner. Stacked shipping containers shall not be allowed.
4. No Barbed Wire Fencing: Consistent with Alameda Municipal Code 30-5.14(e), barbed wire, razor wire and other similar materials shall not be permitted as any part of any barrier or fence. Existing barbed wire shall be removed from storage yard fence within 120 days of approval of this Use Permit, or the Use Permit shall be subject to revocation.
5. Exterior Windows: Applicant shall make all reasonable efforts necessary to maintain the appearance and condition of the historic, gridded windows of the building.
6. Painting Exterior Surfaces: Within one year of approval of this Use Permit, applicant shall make reasonable efforts to paint exterior wall surfaces impacted by apparent overspray of silver-grey coating used on doors, window frames and trim in order to maintain a more uniform, clean exterior appearance. Touch up painting of small areas may match existing colors, however, when repainting entire surfaces, applicant shall follow Alameda Point Exterior Paint Guidelines for Existing Buildings.
7. Compliance with Plans. Any modification on this site shall be in substantial compliance with the use permit application submittal dated January 21, 2021, by Krys Juszcze, on file in the City of Alameda Planning, Building and Transportation Department, except as modified by the conditions listed in this report.
8. Changes to Approved Plans: This approval is limited to the scope of the project defined in the project description and does not represent a recognition and/or approval of any work completed without required City permits. Any changes to the approved scope of the project shall be submitted to the Planning, Building and Transportation Department for review and approval.
9. Arrangements shall be made and maintained with the City’s franchised hauler, Alameda County Industries (ACI), to have adequate solid waste, commingled recycling services and appropriate organic collection capacity as a condition of this Permit. Call 510-483-1400 to arrange for and/or revise service.
10. Driveways or aisles shall provide unobstructed access for collection vehicles and personnel and provide at least the minimum clearance required by the collection methods and vehicles used by the City’s designated collector or hauler.
11. All solid waste containers, including dumpsters and individual cans or carts, must have fitted lids which shall remain closed at all times when the container is not being used or emptied. Facility waste management practices shall be consistent with all current standards for waste reduction, sorting, and recycling.
12. Applicant must ensure that no pollutants, including trash/litter, liquid wastes, facility operations debris, or any other materials, wastes or wash waters are discharged in an uncontained manner or otherwise subject to dispersal to the City's right-of-way, storm sewer system (including gutters, curbs and storm drains) and/or directly to waters of San Francisco Bay. Facility operations shall incorporate pollution prevention best management practices (BMPs) to prevent pollutant dispersal or discharges. BMPs implementation shall be consistent with the “Tips for a Cleaner Bay”, attached as reference with these conditions and provided by the PW Clean Water Program office, representative of BMPs guidance documents prepared by the Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program.
13. The proposed facility shall not discharge uncontained wash water from any surface cleaning activities, including from sidewalks or any other facility pavement areas, and shall implement the surface cleaning best management practices described in the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA) “Pollution From Surface Cleaning” guidance document.
14. Applicant shall confirm/provide the City (Attn: PW Clean Water Program Office) with the facility operation’s Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code number(s) and confirm status of applicability of operations to the State’s Industrial General Stormwater Permit Program. <https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/industrial.html>
15. Applicant is hereby notified that any work to the subject site involving any disturbance or creation of 5,000 square feet of impervious surface area shall be subject to Clean Water Act 401 Conditions of Approval by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, US Army Corp of Engineers, and Regional Water Quality Control Board. Any such work shall require City approval in compliance with the City’s Alameda Point Stormwater Management Plan.
16. Vesting: The Use Permit approval shall expire two (2) years after the date of approval or by March 15, 2023, unless authorized construction or use of the property has commenced. The applicant may apply for a time extension, not to exceed two (2) years. An extension request will be subject to approval by the Zoning Administrator and must be filed prior to the date of expiration.
17. Revocation: This Use Permit may be modified or revoked by the Zoning Administrator, pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-21.3d should the Zoning Administrator determine that: 1) the use or conditions under which it is being operated or maintained is detrimental to the public health, welfare or materially injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity; 2) the property is operated or maintained so as to constitute a public nuisance; or 3) the use is operated in violation of the conditions of the Use Permit.
Indemnification. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the applicant (or its successor in interest) shall defend (with counsel acceptable to the City), indemnify, and hold harmless the City of Alameda, its City Council, City Planning Board, officials, employees, agents and volunteers (collectively, “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all claims, actions, or proceedings against Indemnitees to attack, set aside, void or annul an approval by Indemnitees relating to this project. This indemnification shall include, but is not limited to, all damages, losses, and expenses (including, without limitation, legal costs and attorney’s fees) that may be awarded to the prevailing party arising out of or in connection with an approval by the Indemnitees relating to this project. The City shall promptly notify the applicant of any claim, action or proceeding and the City shall cooperate in the defense. The City may elect, in its sole discretion, to participate in the defense of said claim, action, or proceeding and the applicant (or its successor in interest) shall reimburse the City for its reasonable legal costs and attorneys’ fees.
18.
Environmental Determination
The Zoning Administrator has determined that this project qualifies for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption and no additional environmental review is necessary pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 - Existing Facilities because the project consists of operation, permitting or leasing of existing private structures involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that which exists.
Use Permit
The Zoning Administrator hereby approves the Use Permit with conditions.
The decision of the Zoning Administrator shall be final unless appealed to the Planning Board, in writing and within ten (10) days of the decision.
Approved by: Date: March 15, 2021___
Allen Tai, Zoning Administrator