body,date,page,text,path
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,1,"APPROVED MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016
1. CONVENE
President Knox White called meeting to order at 7:00pm.
2. FLAG SALUTE
Board Member Sullivan led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: President Knox White, Board Members Burton, Köster, Sullivan. Absent: Board
Member Henneberry. Board Member Mitchell arrived at 7:02pm (during item 6-A). Board
Member Zuppan arrive at 7:04pm (beginning of item 7-A).
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
*None*
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
6-A 2016-2609
Status Report on Use Permit PLN14-0757 to Allow Sale of Beer, Wine, and
Spirits for Off-Site Consumption as an Accessory Use at the Existing
Walgreens Store at 1600 Park Street. This status report is not subject to
the California Environmental Quality Act
Board Member Sullivan made a motion to approve the item. Board Member Köster
seconded the motion.
Board Member Köster said he noticed the door facing Park St. was often closed and
blocked quite early in the evening and asked staff to check the approvals to see what the
hours were supposed to be for that door.
The motion passed 5-0.
7. REGULAR
AGENDA
ITEMS
7-A 2016-2610
PLN15-0536 - 1435 Webster Street - Applicant: Dannan Development.
Public Hearing to consider Design Review, and Density Bonus, Density
Page 1 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,2,"Bonus Waiver and Exceptions application for Construction of a Three-Story
Mixed-Use Development including Nine Residential For-Sale Units and
4,700 square feet of Ground Floor Retail on an Existing Parking Lot at 1435
Webster Street (APN74-427-5-1) The project is categorically exempt from
further review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to
CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 In-Fill Development Projects.
Staff Member Thomas gave the staff presentation. The staff report and attachments can
be
found
at:
 ttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2569527&GUID=7A318C2F-
D06-4874-97D1-AA02AB435A13&FullText=1
Andy Goldberg, project applicant, spoke on the process that the project has gone through
to get to this point, including collaborating with various stakeholders. He said moving the
project forward in a timely manner is very important to him and he thanked planning staff
for their help with the process.
Board Member Köster asked if there were any businesses using the parking lot currently.
Staff Member Thomas said it was closed off.
Board Member Burton asked how the third retail space, which appeared cut off in the back
by the utilities' space, would access things like trash and recycling.
Dave Johnson, project architect, said they do not have tenants lined up yet and can adjust
the utility area to provide access to the rear if it is needed.
President Knox White asked how long the process has been going on.
Staff Member Thomas said it started in mid 2014 and has gone through several design
changes from a modern to more traditional design.
Board Member Sullivan asked whether the residential units would be able to lease parking
spaces.
Staff Member Thomas explained that the parking would be shared by all tenants and one
entity would be responsible for leasing them all out.
Board Member Sullivan said she wants to avoid residents choosing not to purchase
parking and impacting the neighborhood street parking.
President Knox White opened the public hearing.
Page 2 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,3,"Jerry Serventi, WABA Design Review Committee, said they believe the project is the right
one for Webster St. He said they preferred the earlier design.
Michael McDonough said this project could really help Webster St. and that the Chamber
of Commerce supports it fully.
Christopher Buckley, AAPS, said they preferred the first design and suggested several
design refinements.
Steve Aced, AAPS, referenced the AAPS letter and gave suggestions for window, door,
and siding details.
John Stier, owner of Calafia Taqueria, said he supports the project and has arranged to
keep access for deliveries through a gate joining the properties.
President Knox White closed the public hearing.
Board Member Köster is excited to see a nice mixed use project for the site. He said he is
okay with the parking arrangements. He said the blank facade on the north elevation could
be a good spot for a painting or mural. He said the tower could be a little higher, but does
not need a hat. He said the windows and trim could be a little larger and seeing some
more details would be helpful. He said swing doors could be used for the balconies.
Board Member Burton said he does not think the project is ready to have the final details
handed off to staff for approval. He said he would like to see it come back to the board.
He said he did not want this project to end up like the Hawthorne Suites building down the
street. He said if we are going to make a Victorian building, let's go all out. He said he the
cornices could be bigger. He said he would be okay with treating it more like one building
rather than breaking it up so much. He said the awnings should tie into the architecture.
He said studying one cornice across the building would be worthwhile.
Board Member Sullivan said she largely agreed with Board Member Burton and it just
needed some enrichment.
Board Member Zuppan said she agreed with much of what Board Members Köster and
Burton said. She said she is supportive of having the building in this parking lot. She said
she does like the idea of a larger corner element and larger cornices. She said she was
also concerned with the blank wall above Calafia. She said she would like to have more
information about the bicycle parking when it comes back.
Page 3 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,4,"Board Member Mitchell said he is supportive of the project overall and looks forward to
some design improvements. He said he likes the design of the first proposal but likes the
retail design of the second proposal. He said he is concerned that the parking spaces do
not come with the residential units. He said we should have a broader discussion about
rental housing VS. condo housing.
President Knox White said he wishes they had seen the project earlier so that they could
do their due diligence without feeling pressured due to the fact that the applicant has been
working on the design for 1.5 years already. He said he agreed with most of the comments
of the board.
Board Member Burton said swinging doors combined with our building codes would make
waterproofing very difficult and invite a future lawsuit from condo owners.
Board Member Zuppan made a motion to continue the item. Board Member Mitchell
seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
7-B 2016-2612
A Public Hearing on Design Review for Block 11, Block 8, and Phase 1
Waterfront Park at Alameda Point Site A.
Board Member Burton explained that he would be recusing himself from these items. He
said he has been exploring the possibility of working on larger, multi-family projects. He
said he spoke with many architects about his thoughts and that conversation led to a
decision to join the firm KTGY. He said that due to their work at Site A, he has decided to
recuse himself. He said he is working with city staff to get a clear answer on whether he
needs to recuse himself from all discussions of Site A, but wanted to be conservative at
this point.
Staff Member Thomas introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be found
at:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2569529&GUID=4DCA1FCF-
EE85-4B99-A8C1-2F64BE2146DO&FullText=1
David Israel, BAR Architects, gave a presentation on Block 11, including all changes made
incorporating previous Board comments.
Jessica Music gave a presentation on the revised design for the affordable housing
buildings at Block 8.
April Shaw gave a presentation on the Waterfront Park, phase one.
Page 4 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,5,"Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer for Alameda Point, gave a presentation about the
design tradeoffs and decisions staff made in considering sea level rise defense strategies.
Staff Member Thomas gave a presentation on the design of the shared plaza in front of
Block 11 adjacent to the Waterfront Park.
Board Member Köster asked who would be the owners of the shared plaza.
Staff Member Thomas said that it would be a city owned street.
Board Member Köster asked about the length of the canopy in front of the Block 8
buildings. He asked about the plans not to provide a dishwasher in the senior units.
Ms. Music said the canopy was about twelve feet. The developer said they typically did
not need a dishwasher for the units with only 1-2 people.
Board Member Köster asked if the windows on the backside of Block 8 would require a
two inch offset. He asked if the pavilion and restrooms would come back for design review.
Staff Member Thomas said they could make sure those window details are included in the
final presentation when it comes back. He said they would condition the final approvals to
bring back the final designs for the public buildings in the Waterfront Park and that they
were looking for approval of the general shape and layout of the park.
Board Member Zuppan asked if there were any water fountains in the public park.
Staff Member Thomas said they would make sure there were some in the final design.
Board Member Sullivan asked about the difference in height from the edge of the
promenade to the water at high and low tides.
Staff Member Thomas said it was anywhere from a couple feet to eight or nine, depending
on the tide. He said if the board wants to consider railing options they can bring that back
with the lighting plans.
Board Member Sullivan asked why Building 11 exceeds the height limits the City
designated.
Staff Member Thomas explained the finding that is necessary in order to approve a
building higher than 65 feet. He said the tall retail spaces are a large factor that increased
the height of the building.
Page 5 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,6,"President Knox White opened the public hearing.
Jerry Serventi said the building was very nice. He said making the viewing terrace at the
top of the building available for public access would be special. He said he wanted to make
sure we allow bicycles to come all the way to the waterfront.
Kari Thompson, Chamber of Commerce, said they are very supportive of the project and
hopes it moves forward.
Casey Sparks said he was very supportive of this type of project and the new housing is
very important to the island while citing the saga playing out at 470 Central Ave.
Laura Thomas, representing Renewed Hope Housing Advocates, said they were very
happy to see the affordable housing plans. She said that changing attitudes have led them
to agree to allow the senior housing at Alameda Point.
President Knox White closed the public hearing.
Board Member Köster said Block 11 is exceptional design. He said the podium landscape
plan and streetscape need a little more detail. He said Block 8 has lots of great features
and will be a great place to be. He said he would like to see more about the cafe and
restrooms in the Waterfront Park. He said he liked the design of the terraces.
Board Member Sullivan asked if they considered other palm tree options besides the
washingtonia robusta.
The landscape architect said they are still studying options for the best fit for the salty
location.
Board Member Mitchell said he is comfortable with the sea level rise strategy that has
been chosen for the Waterfront Park. He said he does not really like the idea of a railing
but that it deserves study. He said we should make sure to bring in the right people for
deciding what historical information is included in the taxiway timeline. He said it would be
nice to have a perspective view of the parklet on Block 8.
Board Member Zuppan said Building 11 is beautiful. She said she likes how it reflects the
architecture of the base but how it also looks like a ship on one end. She said the narrow
balcony on the top floor (SE corner) emphasizes the narrow pole at the corner. She asked
the developer to respond to the public comment about public access to the top floor view
lounge.
Page 6 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,7,"Mr. Israel explained their structural need for the pole at the corner. He also explained the
difficulty of providing public access to the top floor viewing area. He said the long term
plan is for a hotel just across the street which would have a similar viewing opportunity
that would be much easier to accommodate public access.
Board Member Zuppan said the buildings on Block 8 have come a long way. She said she
likes the color pavement treatments. She said older residents with arthritis could benefit
from having dishwashers but would defer to the developer's judgment. She said the bikes
need to feel like they are sharing the space in the plaza just like cars need to share the
street. She said the waterfront park feels like skateboard territory and that we should
account for that. She says she would prefer not to see a railing on the water, but has no
problem looking at options. She said the terraces make the space more inviting and
usable. She said we should be getting some public input on the historical items included
in the taxiway.
President Knox White said the canopy in front of Block 8 might need to fan out to provide
any real weather protection. He said the height of Block 11 is okay and that they followed
the rules. He said he liked the bollard treatment at the curve of the shared plaza. He said
the street lamps need to not look like the ones in the pictures. He said the sea level rise
strategy for the Waterfront Park is consistent with their plans. He said seeing examples of
places that are successful without railings that the board could consider would be helpful.
Board Member Mitchell asked if there was a reason the top floor balcony on the southeast
corner could not wrap around like the other floors.
Mr. Israel said it was a result of the design strategy and their were trying to create an
anomaly that breaks up the visual experience.
No action was taken.
8. MINUTES
*None*
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
9-A 2016-2614
Zoning Administrator and Design Review Recent Actions and Decisions
No items were called for review.
9-B 2016-2613
Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development
Department Projects
Page 7 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-02-22,8,"Staff Member Thomas said a beer & wine use permit for a Ballena Bay convenience store
would be coming soon. He said the Harbor Bay Club EIR would be released soon. He said
Boatworks and Universal Design would be coming before the board soon.
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
11-A 2016-2607
Report from the Boatworks - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee
*None*
11-B 2016-2608
Report from the Alameda Point Site A - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee
*None*
Board Member Zuppan said that if the Alameda Landing shopping cart loop restrictions
are not taken care of that their permit needs to be called for review.
Staff Member Thomas said that he would let Catellus know that if they do not get it taken
care of it will be on the March 28th agenda.
Board Member Köster reminded staff to follow up on the required hours of operation for
the street facing door of the Walgreens on Park St.
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
13. ADJOURNMENT
President Knox White adjourned the meeting at 10:33pm.
Page 8 of 8
Approved Minutes
February 22, 2016
Planning Board Meeting",PlanningBoard/2016-02-22.pdf