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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,1,"APPROVED MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014
1. CONVENE:
7:02 p.m.
2. FLAG SALUTE:
Board Member Zuppan
3. ROLL CALL:
President Burton, Vice President Henneberry, Board members
Alvarez-Morroni, and Zuppan. Absent: Knox White, Köster,
and Tang.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION: None
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: Speakers:
6. CONSENT CALENDAR: None
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
7.A. Hold a Public Hearing and Recommend that the City Council Approve the
Jean Sweeney Park Master Plan and Mitigated Negative Declaration
Ms. Amy Wooldridge, Director of Alameda Recreation and Park Department provided a
presentation on the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Master Plan.
Board member Zuppan asked about the maintenance costs and would that include capitol
replacement costs.
Wooldridge stated it would not cover replacement cost.
Open public comment period.
Mr. Jim Sweeney, commented on being elated this project is moving forward so quickly.
He reported on the community process and thanked Mr. Köster for his time and talent. He
expressed positive feelings from the informal vetting process. He asked for approval of the
plan.
Ms. Dorothy Freeman, reported on the process of the design, and encouraged the
approval of the plan. She stated Jean would be proud of this design.
Mr. Joseph Woodard, stated that the Board has the power to approve this plan and park
and join the hundreds of people who have already endorsed and approved this plan.
Mr. Bill Delaney, Chair of the Recreation Commission, reported the Commission has been
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,2,"working on this park plan for two years. The Commission have been involved in all of the
community input processes. He stated the design can provide something for everyone in
the community from active use, to passive use.
Mr. Damian Mason, Alameda Backyard Growers, spoke on adding more details to the plan
and design. One of those ideas was to reuse the cattails, but then to clean the
contamination of oil on the site. He provided sketches of the community garden plots, tool
storage, and composting.
Ms. Ester Burlingame, lives next to the park and is supportive of the design plan. She
questioned the 24' of path and the need for it being that wide. She is concerned the path
may become a road in the future.
Mr. Mike O'Hara, Tim Lewis Communities, reported being in support of the park and the
plan. The company will contribute $2 million to the project. He wanted to clarify the
company's role in the park is strictly funding.
Ms. Amanda Soskin, resident stated she is hopeful this plan and park is approved. She is
concerned with parking at the park, and not on the streets. She reiterated Ms.
Wooldridge's comments on safety and maintenance.
Mr. Doug deHaan, spoke in favor of moving the plan forward and approve it. He wanted
to recognize the champions of the committee who have worked tirelessly. He
commended Ms. Wooldridge for her role.
Closed public comment.
Board Member Alvarez-Morroni thanked the public and Mr. Sweeney and stated this to be
a wonderful tribute to his wife. She asked Ms. Wooldridge about the lighting of the park.
Ms. Wooldridge reported there are two aspects for lighting, the cross Alameda trail will be
lit and the pathway will have ground lighting. There is a Park Monitor program in place
that will help. The large path will be for patrol vehicle use.
Board member Zuppan stated being excited to see this back, and remembers Jean
Sweeney being before this Board. She hopes there will be some kind of tribute to her.
Ms. Wooldridge reported there will be educational markers throughout the park.
Board member Zuppan is pleased but encouraged the City to fully look at the long term
costs for maintenance costs. She thanked all who volunteered.
Vice President Henneberry is pleased to see the BMX path gone from the plan. He
supports approval.
President Burton supports the great connections to the adjacent neighborhoods on the
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,3,"streets on the south side, but on Chapin there is no connection.
Ms. Wooldridge stated there is a parking lot owed by Housing Authority who didn't want
access to the park.
President Burton likes the plan, and is excited about the outdoor classroom. He thanked
everyone involved, along with board member Köster who donated his time.
Board member Zuppan motioned to approve the Master Park Plan.
Board member Alvarez-Morroni seconded.
Motioned carried, 4-0
7.B. Public Workshop to Discuss a Draft Master Plan and Development Plan
(PLN14-0059) for the Rehabilitation, Reuse, and Redevelopment of the Former Del Monte
Warehouse Site Located at 1501 Buena Vista Avenue
Mr. Andrew Thomas, City Planner, provided a presentation and update on the history of
the development plan, including the transportation and parking plans.
Mr. Mike O'Hara, Tim Lewis Communities, presented the Board with more details, and
commended staff for working with them. He introduced the rest of his team.
Mr. William Dunkerson, BAR, architects, made a presentation on the materials.
Board member Zuppan asked about the report comparing the Master Plan to the current
Development Plan.
Mr. Thomas stated the draft Master Plan is older than the staff report. There are three
documents for this project. He stated the Development Agreement is the final agreement
between the City and developer.
Board member Alvarez-Morroni asked about Universal Design and how does Measure A
effect this plan.
Mr. Thomas referred to state law, single family homes, and zoning. In 2012 the city
designated 1% of land to be multi-family and this is one of those sites.
Mr. Dunkerson stated Universal Design is an overall design on the property, There is
a
model for aging in place in the ground floor units.
President Burton asked about the live/work design being adaptable.
Mr. Dunkerson stated the first floor is an accessible route throughout the property. The
live/work units have stairs, but there is a possibility for making them accessible.
Board member Alvarez-Morroni questioned why the building looks so different and asked
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,4,"staff to talk about the Secretary of Interior Standards.
Mr. Thomas explained the design and asked the public to view the building as to what is
historic and what is an addition. This site design has the addition much more stated as
new. This usually happens at the design review approval process.
Vice President Henneberry asked if Windriver has been approached for parking.
Mr, Thomas stated there have been discussions with Windriver and they are ongoing.
President Burton asked about the retail space uses and parking ratios for retail, and how
was the number decided. He asked about the unbundling of spaces.
Mr. Thomas stated the need will probably be 45 spaces for retail, but there are further
discussions to overall parking. Adjustments can be made. He stated there are 326
spaces within the footprint.
Mr. O'Hara clarified the 2:1 ratios were as the site sits currently.
President Burton asked about the site using Density Bonus and Multi-Family Overlay and
how does that affect affordable unit count, being 414 total.
Mr. Thomas stated the site is zoned at 30 units per acre. He walked through the
calculations of arriving at the affordable number. There will be 55 affordable units.
President Burton asked about the development of pads B and C.
Mr. O'Hara stated there are some agencies they are working with to partner for the
affordable units.
Vice President Henneberry motioned to limit speakers to three minutes.
Board member Alvarez-Morroni seconded.
Motioned carried, 4-0
Open to public comment.
Mr. Tom Mills, resident ask if his house at the corner of Bay and Eagle has been rezoned.
He is against a rezoning and opposed to moving trucks with commerce. He was denied
years ago to add a unit under his home because of no parking.
Mr. Nick Cabral, resident, stateed he remembers being before the board many years ago
and he is completely for this project. Its time to move forward.
Mr. Rion Cassidy, resident, stated he has received no official notification on the project.
He has read about it in the newspaper, or been informed by neighbors. He would like
residents to be involved in parking discussions. He asked if the units will be leased or
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,5,"purchased.
Ms. Dana'l Lamb, resident, agrees with the parking concerns, but is happy to see the
development. She questioned why a low height parking structure can't be built close by.
She expressed concerns with the demographics.
Ms. Kim Baranek, resident, stated being concerned with the asbestos and carcinogens
airborne during construction as she has respiratory issues. She expressed concerns with
traffic impacting the entire island.
Mr. Serge Wilson, resident, commented on this project impacting the entire island, his
children will be impacted with long term decisions. His impression is a lot of the decisions
are being handled in the shadows. Parking and other standards are in place for a reason,
and traffic and parking mitigations aren't based on a good study. He asked them to slow
the project down a little and plan a bit more.
Ms. Debra Arbuckle, resident, provided a petition with 200 signatures opposing the parking
plans. She commented on the affordable housing being planned in the corner of the
project. Adding extra traffic and parking not only with this project, but with the Encinal
Terminal project also. A shuttle bus on Buena Vista isn't a good idea.
Mr. Mark Little, resident, agrees this is a remarkable structure. He encouraged more
planning for walking mobilityand stated the Windriver shuttle is already full during commute
times. He wants plans completed before the development.
Ms. Alison Greene, PLAN! Alameda, stated she is disappointed with time limit, and
dispelled the myth that the project won't bring more cars and traffic to the area. The
transportation plan needs to look at safety, egress and emergency access.
Ms. Heather Little, resident, stated she bought her home nine years ago and still excited
about development of the project. She wants to see a clear plan for transportation before
build out. She thanked the board for hearing public comments before making a decision.
Mr. Sam Greason, Orinda, CA, spoke on being involved in some of the northern waterfront
redevelopment area and he commended staff on development in the area stating that the
area from Boatworks to ShipWays is a blighted waterfront, and now there will be an
opportunity for waterfront living.
Mr. Brock deLappe, resident, asked about the requirements for alternative modes of
transportation and asked about light rail. He asked about a emergency plan if the estuary
tubes become disabled.
Mr. Thomas stated light rail should be removed from the General Plans. Light rail cannot
cross over the Pacific Rail in Oakland. That means a bridge over or tunnel under and that
isn't feasible on the Oakland side. He stated the estuary emergency plans have been in
the works for years.
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,6,"Mr. Bill Smith, resident, reported being excited for the project. He is concerned about the
traffic issues, and really wants this project to succeed. There isn't enough transit options
now and this shouldn't be ignored.
Mr. Lester Cabral, resident, he commented on the transportation issues and that there isn't
anything now. The bus line went away years ago. The people who live in the area don't
want to be inconvenienced by parking and traffic issues.
Ms. Denise Cicuto, resident, commented there were people double parked on Benton
during the weekends for Litltejohn Park. She rents and could leave if traffic gets worse,
but doesn't want to. There are no buses now to the ferry terminal. The transportation
solutions seem to be around commuters only, but there needs to be transportation.
Mr. Frank Thorsberg, resident, stated he cannot build parking on his property and is more
dependent on street parking, which is impacted during the weekend. There needs to be
more planning needed for parking, and transit issues can be dealt with as they arise.
Mr. Robert Byrne, resident, agrees with everyone on both sides. He stated all the same
arguments have been heard before. He stated the trucks are not staying on the truck
route, and the problems have gotten worse. He is in favor of the project and hopes issues
with the truck route can be in place for enforcement and directing the trucks.
Mr. Ken Gourdine, resident, stated being excited about the project and transportation plan.
He thinks there could be more car sharing ideas and the water taxi plan is great. He likes
the neighborhood retail focus. He commented on the double rows of trees along Buena
Vista and suggested benches for walkers.
Ms. Jill Ingram, resident, stated she would like to see the project move forward but wants it
done right. She asked if less housing units was possible, and can the look be more
historic. She asked when the traffic study was completed in 2009 did it include a school
days and times. Complained that the view from her windows will be impacted by the
building.
Mr. Doug deHaan, resident, spoke on the traffic issues and many ideas had come off the
table. The water taxi has failed in the past. Bus ridership has decreased over the past
years. He reported parking will fill up no matter how much there is. He is worried about sea
level rise on the island. He asked them to look closely at the overlay and affordable unit
details.
Mr. Jay Ingram, resident, asked that more thought be put into the design and building and
perhaps look at the entire Northern Waterfront. The design is sub-par compared with
Park Street developments. He compared 1,000 units at Northern Waterfront with 1,400 at
Alameda Point. Littlejohn Park is tired and old. Parking should be looked at more
closely.
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,7,"Mr. Nate Martin, resident, stated being a believer in eco friendly cars, and seeing the
transit plan but there is a hole from east bay to south bay. Employee shuttles cannot be
counted on, and a ferry to Redwood City would be a great alternative to being in a car.
Car Share is fantastic, but three spots isn't realistic. Water taxis should run late and often.
There is no transit within the island. He asked for solar on building along with other eco
friendly options.
Ms. Karen Bey, resident, spoke on being excited about the project and the vision for the
Northern Waterfront. Stating it will be the beginning of the waterfront redevelopment. She
is excited about the transit plan stating the ferries have reached capacity. She hopes
this moves forward.
Ms. Carol Gottstein, resident, stated she is not excited about the project. She thinks there
should be more attention to the details. She asked about the design of each parking spot
stating more handicap parking should be added.
Mr. Jim Smallman, resident, stated the simple answer would be to slice the fourth floor off.
He commented on the concentration of the development makes transit solutions a must
and when will those be implemented. The rezoning makes it possible to hold on to
Measure A on the rest of the island.
Ms. Kay Penstone, resident, stated the historic value of the Victorian homes on the island.
This project should be nice and attractive.
Mr. Adam Gillitt, resident, stated he is excited about the vision but disappointed on the
notification for the meeting. He stated the photos of the traffic patterns and parking in the
area aren't realistic. There needs to be more attention to detail made. Transit should be
in place before building. He is concerned about the extension of Clement and how long
will it take to remediate the Pennzoil site. There needs to be more active space even
though Jean Sweeney will be passive. What if all the projections are wrong and gridlock
is a real problem.
Closed to public comment.
Board member Alvarez-Morroni thanked the speakers stating their comments are being
taken to heart. She understands the concerns of transit and parking, but there are
funding issues and challenges with what to do first.
Board member Zuppan asked staff the timing of the transportation and planning by the
time it reaches the 175th unit.
Mr. Thomas reported on the basics for funding transit needs. Other agencies are not
willing to fund transit needs for us, and the City of Alameda doesn't have the funding
either. That is why we are planning for development that requires annual fees for transit
per unit. He explained the day-one service concept. Waterfront transportation has been
looked at for the past 12 years. He stated AC Transit won't commit until all units are built.
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,8,"Board member Zuppan commented on parking in the neighborhood, but would appreciate
web links to the studies. She is excited to see a master transportation plan, but would like
to see the ability for all residents to use the services. She agreed there are huge gaps in
connecting the east bay to south bay.
Mr. Thomas stated ideally a walk to Clement will allow one to catch a bus over to BART,
and back, with this service being available frequently. Clement needs to be built with this
project.
Board member Zuppan stated that for the residents to pay for all the transit costs isn't fair.
She likes the idea of increasing the car share option. She asked about sidewalk widths,
and suggested they are increased to 7', and likes the benches along Clement. She wants
bike parking to be looked at, and interior open space needs more thought. She
commented on sea level rise with the subterranean parking, and would like to see the
barrier. Handicap spaces cannot all be compact, and shared parking should be detailed.
Storm water runoff is being exempt and she wants to know why, are they looking at
capturing runoff, is there an offset from the old building for the silver certification.
Requested for glass on building have detail to protect birds. Make it look like it belongs' is
a valid comment. She thanked everyone for the comments, hard work, and support.
Board member Zuppan motioned to continue meeting past 11:00 p.m.
Vice President Henneberry seconded.
Motioned carried, 3-1 (Alvarez-Morron opposed)
Vice President Henneberry asked for clarification on the parking sticker program.
Mr. Thomas explained if there is a gap in the cost to administer the program, the
neighborhood would have to pay for it. The majority of the public comment has been
negative and the idea was dropped.
Vice President Henneberry stated he has lived here many years and this building has been
empty a long time and he hopes this project will move forward. There are some details
that need to be hammered out, but this project can work.
President Burton commented on the car share idea and would like the number increased,
but wants an analysis. Electric charging stations are a good idea. He wants to see a good
even distribution of the affordable units, and see those specified on the drawings. He
commented on the entrance roads being 12', and would like those narrowed. On the
master plan there is a phasing approval for permitting, typo. He agreed the need for
handicap parking, but seeing the plans larger could work. He like the paseos, but there
are no east and west courts. He needs to see the commercial frontage details and
landscaping details for the property between Windriver and Clement.
Mr. Thomas stated waterfront side landscaping will be paid for by the project, along with
the street work.
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PlanningBoard,2014-06-23,9,"President Burton wants to see more studies on the new building side with 3-D views, and
how it is modeled with the older side. There is a need to see the documentation on the
transportation / parking details and plans, along with getting those documents out to the
community. Thanks to staff and the developer, along with the public it is valuable to hear
comments.
Mr. Thomas stated they will regroup, and the next public meeting will be sent out to the
300' of the project (normally) and then the community people can help with getting the
word out further.
8. MINUTES: None
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS:
9.A. Future Agendas - Mr. Thomas reported on upcoming agenda items.
9.B. Staff Communications - Zoning Administrator and Design Review Recent
Actions and Decisions. Mr. Thomas reported there have been thousands of people at the
counter.
9.C. Phase Zero of the Town Center and Waterfront Precise Plan - Mr. Thomas
stated there has been a one page handout from Ms. Nanette Mocanu.
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: None
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS:
Vice President Henneberry stated that he did not appreciate the Planning Board being
compared to Nazi's by a speaker.
11.A. Report from Alameda Point Town Center Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee - The
plan is going to City Council on July 1, 2014.
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None:
13. ADJOURNMENT: President Burton adjourned at 11:10 p.m.
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