Title
PLN21-0491 - Administrative Use Permit - 2671 Blanding Avenue - Applicant: Rory Crowley for Carbon Health. A public hearing to consider an Administrative Use Permit to allow the operation of a medical clinic within an existing 2,937 square foot commercial tenant space at the Bridgeside Shopping Center. The clinic will operate between 9:00am to 7:00pm seven days a week and will not operate after hours or have overnight stays
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CITY OF ALAMEDA
PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT
ITEM NO: 3-A
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION: PLN21-0491 - Administrative Use Permit - 2671 Blanding Avenue - Applicant: Rory Crowley for Carbon Health. A public hearing to consider an Administrative Use Permit to allow the operation of a medical clinic within an existing 2,937 square foot commercial tenant space at the Bridgeside Shopping Center. The clinic will operate between 9:00am to 7:00pm seven days a week and will not operate after hours or have overnight stays.
GENERAL PLAN: Community Commercial
ZONING: NP-W, North Park Street, Workplace
ENVIRONMENTAL
DETERMINATION: This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15301 - Existing Facilities and as a separate and independent basis, Section 15061(b)(3) - where it can be seen with certainty the project will have no significant impact on the environment.
PROJECT PLANNER: David Sablan, Project Planner
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: Find the project categorically exempt from CEQA and approve the project with conditions.
PROPOSAL SUMMARY:
On October 21, 2021 the applicant applied for an Administrative Use Permit to operate a medical clinic at 2671 Blanding Avenue. The project site is an approximately 2,937 square foot tenant space in a pad building (Building F) located in the southeasterly corner of the Bridgeside Shopping Center. Building F currently has four (4) tenant spaces, the project will occupy the two tenant spaces located on the west end of the building. The north side of Building F is the “front” and faces the shared parking lot. Directly west of Building F is a gas station. The rear of Building F is oriented towards Tilden Avenue, but has an approximately 40 foot wide landscaping buffer on the Bridgeside property in addition to an approximately 50 foot wide vacant railroad right of way between the building and the sidewalk on Tilden Avenue. In 2004 the Bridgeside Shopping Center was redeveloped, the Planning Board conditioned the redevelopment’s approval requiring that faux arbors be added around the windows on the rear of Building F, which are still present. Staff recommends as a condition of approval that building permit plans show these arbors and note that they will not be removed. The applicant intends to install three wall signs on the North, South, and West elevations of Building F, these signs will be reviewed and approved under a separate sign permit application.
The applicant will create six exam rooms along with staff offices and a 504 square foot reception area at the north end of the tenant space, facing the parking lot. The applicant anticipates up to 50 daily visitors for the clinic. The applicant is not proposing any exterior changes to the building other than the addition of new signs. The Bridgeside remodel included an approved Use Permit for extended hours within the shopping center, however the applicant is only proposing operating between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Additionally, the clinic will not provide overnight care of patients.
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.
The proposed use is a low impact small medical clinic within an existing shopping center. The applicant only anticipates 50 visitors per day which is consistent with the anticipated daily traffic for a tenant in the shopping center and will not interrupt the retail shops, services, and restaurants that existing the Bridgeside Shopping Center.
2. The proposed use will be served by adequate transportation and service facilities, including pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities.
The property is fully developed and does not require additional service facilities. The Bridgeside shopping center was developed with ample parking for all businesses, the proposed medical clinic will not generate additional traffic beyond what was previously anticipated for the site. Additionally, several AC Transit bus routes, including 51A, 20, and O, have stops within a quarter mile of the project site.
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 project site is located within the North Park Street Workplace subdistrict, which has the stated purpose of providing lands for a mix of workplace, commercial, light industrial and manufacturing uses adjacent to the Clement and Blanding Avenue truck routes. The establishment of the medical clinic will not eliminate opportunities for other workplace, light industrial and manufacturing uses to be located adjacent to the Clement and Blanding Avenue truck routes.
4. The proposed use relates favorably to the General Plan.
The project relates favorably to Land Use Policy 9, which states the City should provide enough service space, which would include professional offices, to provide Alameda residents with the full range of retail business and services. The project is an expansion of health care services provided for Alameda residents.
1. Compliance with Plans. Any modification on this site shall be in substantial compliance with the use permit application, prepared by Environments for Health Architecture, date received on October 21, 2021 and on file in the City of Alameda Planning, Building and Transportation Department, except as modified by the conditions listed in this report.
2. 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 and Building Department for review and approval.
3. Vesting: The Use Permit approval shall expire two (2) years after the date of approval or by December 13, 2023 unless substantial 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.
4. Signs: The applicant shall obtain a separate sign permit for signage on the building pursuant to AMC Section 30-6.
5. Arbor Preservation: The final plans submitted for Building Permit shall show the existing arbors around the windows on the south elevation of the building and note that they will not be removed as part of this project.
6. 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.
7. Hold Harmless: To the maximum extent permitted by law, the applicant 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.
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: December 13, 2021