body,date,page,text,path
PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,1,"APPROVED MEETING MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2010
1.
CONVENE:
7:12 p.m.
2.
FLAG SALUTE:
Board Member Autorino
3.
ROLL CALL:
Present: President Ezzy Ashcraft, Vice-President Autorino
Board members Kohlstrand, Lynch, and Zuppan.
Absent: None
Staff Present: Jon Biggs, Planning Board Secretary, Andrew
Thomas, Planning Services Manager, Simone Wolter,
Recording Secretary, Farimah Faiz, City Attorney's office
4.
MINUTES:
Minutes from the meeting of June 14, 2010.
Board member Kohlstrand provided a correction to the meeting minutes. Motion to approve
meeting minutes as amended made by Board member Kohlstrand, seconded by Board
Member Lynch. Approved as amended 4-0, Vice President Autorino abstained.
5.
AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION:
None
6.
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS:
Written Report
6-A
Future Agendas
Staff presented an overview of future meetings.
6-B
Zoning Administrator Report
Staff noted the Zoning Administrator hearing of June 15, 2010 was canceled.
Oral Report
None
7.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS:
None
8.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
Planning Board
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PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,2,"None
Board member Lynch excused himself from the meeting.
9.
REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
9-A
Final Environmental Impact Report, General Plan Amendment, Zoning
Amendment, Development Plan and Design Review-2229 Clement Street
(Boatworks Project)- Applicant: Francis Collins. A Final Environmental Impact
Report, a proposed general plan amendment, zoning amendment, development plan and
design review application to construct 242 residential units, internal roadways and alleys
and a waterfront path on a 9.48 acre property located at 2229 Clement Street at the corner
of Clement Street and Oak Street. The Planning Board will also be considering an
alternative zoning amendment for a reduced density alternative of approximately 179
residential units on the site. The site is zoned R-2/PD and M-2 Manufacturing.
The Planning Services Manager gave a power point presentation outlining the proposed
project and applications that were an element of the project.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked if any of the streets included bike lanes or paths.
The Planning Services Manager responded that none of the internal streets have bike lanes
or paths and they need to share the road way with vehicles. He also mentioned that the
proposed street extensions will not be as wide as Elm Street and Blanding Avenue.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked how wide the proposed alleys would be and if it provided
sufficient access to the garages.
The Planning Services Manager stated that the alleys are 22 feet wide.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked if the public safety entities, the Police and Fire Departments,
had reviewed the proposed plans to ensure accessibility in the event of an emergency.
The Planning Services Manager stated that they have reviewed the plans. Although they
have not yet reviewed the most current plan, but the proposed road way system is similar
to the previous plans.
Vice President Autorino asked where guests of those living in the residential units would
park.
The Planning Services Manager stated that all of the guest parking would be located on-
street at Blanding Avenue and Elm Street and in the ""parking loop"" area of the plan. He
added there are a total of 44 guest parking spaces, about one space for every 4 homes.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked for a clarification of the tan area shown at the middle of the
park area. She also asked that.
Planning Board
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PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,3,"The Planning Services Manager stated that the area in question represents paved surfaces
in the conceptual landscape plan. He added that the details for the park area have yet to
be fully developed; noting, this project is simply in the planning stages. He assured the
Board that extensive work on the design of the park areas will come later. He stated that
the area in question is not for vehicular traffic and it is approximately 12 feet from the edge
of the water to the property line of the closest home.
President Ezzy Ashcraft introduced Mr. Philip Banta, architect for the project.
Mr. Banta requested that he be allowed to present his report at the conclusion of the public
comment period.
President Ezzy Ashcraft stated the Board would allow him to make his presentation at the
end.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked for a motion to reduce the speaker time limit to 3 minutes
due to the number of speaker request slips that had been submitted.
Vice President Autorino made the motion and Board member Kohlstrand seconded. The
motion passed 4-0.
President Ezzy Ashcraft opened the public comment period.
Robb Ratto, Park Street Business Association (PSBA), spoke in favor of the project. Mr.
Ratto urged approval of the staff recommendations and stated that all of the concerns
voiced by PSBA have been addressed in the current plan. He was most pleased by the
additional guest parking on Oak Street just past Blanding Avenue.
Debbie George, Park Street Business Association (PSBA), spoke in favor of the project.
She sees the project as having beneficial consequences for the Park Street business
district and for the Park Street area north Lincoln Avenue.
Jean Sweeney, Estuary Park Action Committee (EPAC), spoke in favor of the project. She
complemented Mr. Banta on the design work and the changes incorporated in the
alternative plan.
Jim Sweeney, spoke in favor of the project. He did, however, express concern about the
Bay Trail and emphasized the importance of including it in the project.
The Planning Services Manager reiterated that the design for the park has not been worked
out yet, but it has always been staff's intention that there would be a continuation of the Bay
Trail through the project site along the waterfront.
Planning Board
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PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,4,"Lois Pryor, spoke in favor of the project. She stated that she was pleased to see multi-
family housing in the plan and the steps being taken to protect the environment, such as
eliminating the wood burning fireplaces. She asked how many of the homes in the project
would provide affordable housing opportunities.
The Planning Services Manager stated that the number of affordable housing units had not
been finalized yet, but it would be somewhere between 20-25 properties.
Rebecca Redfield, Estuary Park Action Committee (EPAC), spoke in favor of the project.
She requested that the site have a kayak ramp instead of a full marina. She likes the
extension of the streets and the positioning of the homes. She would like to see the
Northern Waterfront Plan revisited. She hopes that in the future more land could be
purchased for an extension to the park. She questioned why Elm Street does not line up
and whether the ""park loop"" goes through to Blanding Avenue.
Hadi Monsef, spoke in favor of the project and noted he would like to see approval of the
staff recommendation. He is always pleased to see areas of blight redeveloped especially
along the Northern Waterfront
William Smith, Renewed Hope, spoke in favor of the project. He added that he advocates
for affordable housing and wondered why the affordable housing is not 20% of the total
number of dwelling units. He supports the pedestrian friendly aspects of the project. He
also felt there is a need for market rate multi-family units.
Laura Thomas, Renewed Hope spoke in favor of the project. She feels that the project is a
step in the right direction and will help open up the waterfront to the community. She is
disappointed in the stated number of affordable housing units.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked staff to talk about the number of affordable units.
The Planning Services Manager stated that the Density Bonus Application for the project
has not yet been submitted so the actual number has not been determined. The
requirement is 15% of the base number of dwelling units. It has always been expected that
the developer would be applying for a Density Bonus so the number of affordable units will
meet those required by the Density Bonus regulations.
President Ezzy Ashcraft noted that was the last of the speakers and asked Mr. Banta if he
was ready to make his presentation.
Planning Board
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PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,5,"Philip Banta, project architect, thanked the audience for their support. He began his
presentation by answering some questions brought up during the public comment period.
He stated that there is guest parking on Blanding Avenue, Elm Street and along the loop.
There is also additional parking on Clement Avenue, which is currently available. The
developer will design the park to incorporate the Bay Trail. The waterfront plan does have
a staircase leading down to the water's edge, which could accommodate a kayak ramp.
The plan will also include market rate units available in the multi-family dwellings. He
thanked the City of Alameda for their hard work on the project. Mr. Banta mentioned that
the two parties are on agreement on just about everything except for Item 7 on Exhibit B,
Conditions and Clarifications-Elm Street Extension Park Loop. The developer has planned
a tighter loop that goes behind the homes and not in the front. Mr. Banta asked that the
Planning Board adopt the resolution proposed by staff with an amendment to condition
number 7.
Board member Kohlstand asked how wide the pedestrian walkway adjacent to the parking
at the foot of Oak Street will be.
Mr. Banta replied that it is a 5' sidewalk next to the on-street parking locations.
Boardmember Autorino stated that he liked the developer's idea for the Elm Street
Extension Loop and agreed that the loop should be behind the homes. Regarding the
parking on Oak Street he requested that the area be made aesthetically pleasing.
Mr. Banta stated that the area will be part of the entrance experience and will be treated in
a special way.
President Ezzy Ashcraft asked if any of the board members had any questions or
comments regarding the proposed resolution.
Boardmember Kohlstrand asked whether mitigation measure 4.B-? (top of Exhibit B, p.12)
was stating that queue-jumper lanes would be installed or not. In reference to queue-
jumper lanes, she asked why the queue-jumper lanes at the new Webster Street
intersection had not been installed.
The Planning Services Manager stated that the traffic consultant had re-evaluated the lower
density alternative and had found that the traffic impact from the lower density alternative
would be less than the 242 unit. However, the impact on the speed of public transit on Park
Street would not significantly changed with the lower density alternative. As a result queue-
jumper lanes would not be installed in the short-term, but would be required in the future,
as Park Street would have to be redesigned within the 20-year timeframe. He also pointed
out that Public Works was working on improving the streetscape and increasing transit
speed as needed pending the full build-out of Alameda Point and other large-scale
developments come online.
Planning Board
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PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,6,"Board Member Kohlstrand asked what traffic control measure would be used at Blanding
Avenue and Oak Street.
The Planning Services Manager stated that the traffic would likely be controlled by a four-
way stop sign intersection, but that staff was still working on that aspect of the project with
the applicant.
President Ezzy Ashcraft reiterated her concern for the safety of pedestrians and
encouraged installation of well-marked cross-walks.
Board Member Kohlstrand motioned to adopt the resolution recommending certification of
the EIR, seconded by Vice-President Autorino. Motion passes 4-0.
Vice-President Autorino motioned to recommend adoption of the General Plan Amendment
to the City Council, seconded by Board Member Zuppan. Motion passes 4-0.
Board Member Zuppan motioned to recommend adoption of the Zoning Amendment to the
City Council, seconded by Board Member Kohlstrand. Motion passes 4-0.
Vice-President Autorino preferred that the loop of the road accessing the waterfront be
redirected.
Board Member Kohlstrand preferred that parking be retained along Oak Street. She
recommended that condition numbers 4 and 7 in the proposed resolution be eliminated.
She also recommended that the developer include some housing units that have a single
floor, as opposed to all the units being town houses with multiple floors of living space.
Board Member Zuppan emphasized that the open space needs to be attractively
landscaped and that the Bay Trail needs to be extended.
President Ezzy Ashcraft prefers the pedestrian walkway along Oak Street instead of
additional parking at that location. She supports the multi-family concept and would like to
see a diversity in the height of buildings throughout this development.
Board Member Kohlstrand commended the new design and the applicant's ability to work
with the Board's and the publics' comments.
The Planning Services Manager summarized the amendments to the conditions of approval
contained in the resolution.
Board Member Kohlstrand motioned adopt the resolution endorsing the reduced density
alternative subject to the amendments to the conditions summarized by the Planning
Services Manager, seconded by Board Member Zuppan. Motion passes 4-0.
Planning Board
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PlanningBoard,2010-06-21,7,"9-B
Rezoning and General Plan Amendment - PLN10-0041 - 709 Lincoln Avenue.
The 3,712 square foot parcel would be rezoned from C-C (Community Commercial)
to R-5 (General Residential District) and change the General Plan designation from
Community Commercial to Medium
Density Residential. The current residential
use of the site is nonconforming, which prohibits the expansion of the structure.
These proposed changes will allow the applicant an opportunity to add to the
dwelling.
The Planning Services Manager presented the project.
President Ezzy Ashcraft supports the Zoning Amendment.
The applicant's agent stated his desire to have the project approved.
Board Member Kohlstrand motioned to adopt the proposed resolution, seconded by Vice-
President Autorino. Motion passes 4-0.
10.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS:
Staff reported there were no written communications for the Board.
11.
BOARD COMMUNICATIONS:
The Board had nothing further to communicate.
12.
ADJOURNMENT: 9:28 p.m.
Planning Board
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