body,date,page,text,path
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,1,"APPROVED MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
1. CONVENE
President Knox White called meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
2. FLAG SALUTE
Board Member Köster led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: President Knox White, Board Members Burton, Curtis, Köster, Mitchell,
Sullivan. Board Member Zuppan arrived at 7:10pm (beginning of item 7-A).
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
President Knox White moved the minutes and staff communications up to before item 7-
A.
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
*None*
*MINUTES*
8-A 2016-3378
Draft Minutes - May 9, 2016
Board Member Burton made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Sullivan
seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0-1 (Curtis abstained).
8-B 2016- 3380
Draft Minutes - April 25, 2016
Board Member Sullivan made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Burton
seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0-2 (Knox White and Curtis abstained).
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS**
9-A 2016-3373
Zoning Administrator and Design Review Recent Actions and Decisions
Staff Member Thomas reported on the list of approvals made.
9-B 2016-3375
Approved Minutes
Page 1 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,2,"Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development
Department Projects
Staff Member Thomas gave a report on upcoming items for future meetings.
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2016-3366
Board Elections
Board Member Curtis made a motion to postpone the board elections to the next meeting.
Board Member Sullivan seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-1 (Burton).
7-B 2016-3379
Hold a Public Hearing to Consider Site A: 1) Street Names, 2) Waterfront
Park Final Design Review Materials and Details, 3) Preliminary Ferry
Terminal Canopy Design, and 4) Preliminary Block 9 Design. The Alameda
Point Final EIR evaluated the environmental impacts of redevelopment and
reuse of the lands at Alameda Point consistent with the Town Center Plan,
which included Site A. No further review is required for this review of the
project designs.
Staff Member Thomas introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be found
at: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2837314&GUID=B6B4335E-
FB37-48B2-972B-6CD8D9F92CC8&FullText=1
David Delasantos, project architect for Block 9, gave a presentation for the revised design
of Block 9.
There were no public speakers.
Board Member Sullivan asked why two streets had the same name for interrupted
segments.
Staff Member Thomas said they tried to avoid using new names for short segments.
Board Member Köster asked if Ardent Way would continue into the Main Street
Neighborhood or become a dead end at W. Tower Ave.
Staff Member Thomas said it was not in the Master Infrastructure Plan and would be
determined when the streets for that neighborhood are planned.
Board Member Curtis asked if there was a policy governing street name continuity.
Staff Member Thomas said they have a degree of flexibility and that they review the plans
with the Fire and Police Departments.
Approved Minutes
Page 2 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,3,"Board Member Zuppan asked what other options were considered for the glass walls on
the Ferry Terminal pier.
Staff Member Ott said they are trying to find a solution that meets the needs of riders,
BCDC, and protects against bird strikes. She said, so far, they feel the mesh over glass is
their best option.
Board Member Zuppan suggested a film treatment for the glass that creates a sandblasted
effect. She asked how much rain protection the canopy would provide.
Marcy Wong, architect, said they are balancing cost, visibility, and protection. She said it
would provide protection during light rain but not necessarily during wind driven rain.
President Knox White asked to consider adding windows to the large blank wall on one of
the corners of Block 9.
Board Member Sullivan asked what will prevent birds from sitting atop the canopy of the
Ferry gangway and whether it is likely to fade to a much less attractive shade of blue over
time. She asked how high the glass paneling would come up.
Ms. Wong said they chose the fabric in large part based on cost. She said it would have
a 10-15 year life expectancy. She said there would be a gap between the glass and the
canopy.
Board Member Curtis asked how the canopy design would perform relative to a traditional
inverted ""U"" shaped canopy.
Ms. Wong said the canopy should perform comparably to a more basic design.
President Knox White asked how high the glass windscreen was drawn in the plans.
Ms. Wong said it shows a six foot high windscreen.
Board Member Köster asked if there was a concern with kids climbing the railing along the
waterfront.
April Phillips, landscape architect, said the railing design was consistent with most
waterfront railings they find around the bay.
Board Member Köster asked if there would be fencing at the end of the 500 foot railing of
phase one.
Approved Minutes
Page 3 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,4,"Ms. Phillips said they are working on a transition plan that addresses the grade change
and probably leave the waterfront open for the time being.
Board Member Zuppan asked about the heat that gets retained on the artificial turf.
Ms. Phillips said they had not researched that issue. She said they decided that given the
type and amount of use predicted, they felt that an artificial turf was necessary.
Board Member Zuppan asked why BCDC required the use of a railing.
Ms. Phillips said that safety was BCDC's primary reason behind recommending the railing.
Board Member Zuppan asked if the LED color temperature was part of the resolution.
Staff Member Thomas said they can make it clear in the resolution to choose the warmer
light setting.
Board Member Sullivan said she had concerns about the palm tree variety being chosen,
due to susceptibility to scales, and aesthetics.
Ms. Phillips said they are working with a number of people to make sure they make an
informed choice. She said they are balancing soil and wind concerns, which limits their
choices.
Street Names
President Knox White said he was glad Board Member Sullivan caught the street names
continuity issue. He said two streets with jogs intersecting did not work. He gave some
background on the process for selecting street names that the community went through in
recent years. He suggested Tradewind and Golden Hawks as names to be added.
Board Member Köster gave some feedback on the hierarchy of avenues, streets, and
ways based on length and cardinal orientation.
Staff Member Thomas summarized the board consensus on changes to the street names.
He said Ardent Way would be Ardent St. and go N/S from W. Atlantic. He said Coronado
Ave would end at Ardent St. He said the western portion of Coronado would change to
Tradewind Ave. He said the portion labeled Ardent Way (D) would be Golden Hawks Way.
Board Member Sullivan made a motion to approve the street names resolution with
amendments: Coronado ""C"" becomes Tradewind Ave; Buckthorn ""D"" becomes Buckthorn
Approved Minutes
Page 4 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,5,"Way; Ardent ""D"" becomes Golden Hawks Way; and Ardent ""C"" becomes Ardent St. Board
Member Curtis seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
The resolution will be posted at: https://alamedaca.gov/city-hall/planning-board
Waterfront Park Landscaping
Board Member Sullivan said she has concerns with the decomposed granite. She would
like to make sure we are not stuck with something that does not work. She said she hopes
they keep searching for a good palm tree choice.
Board Member Mitchell said he prefers the railing option 1 with the cable instead of the
bars. He said he was glad they are planning to use the 3000 K LED lights.
Board Member Curtis said he prefers option 2 for the railing.
Board Member Zuppan said she would like the larger cap to the railing but with the less
obstructive cable below. She expressed some concerns with the light fixture choices. She
said she is concerned with the fake grass. She said she hopes we can find a more
attractive fixture for the lights along the promenade.
Board Member Köster said he likes the vertical stanchions of option 1 with the top to option
2. He said he agreed that the pole mounted lighting for the promenade was not attractive.
President Knox White said he likes the railing cap from option 2. He said he has some
concerns about the usability of the bike racks. He briefly polled the board on the railing
options. The consensus was for the vertical stanchions and the wing shaped railing with
cable beneath.
Staff Member Thomas summarized proposed changes and conditions to the resolution:
no greater than 3000 Kelvin color temperature for the LED lighting; railing with straight
stanchions and the flat top; bring back the promenade light poles with the site furniture
choices; bring back the bike rack; update and discussion on the tree strap lighting.
Board Member Köster made a motion to approve the landscape resolution with the
amendments Staff Member Thomas spelled out above. Board Member Mitchell seconded
the motion.
Board Member Sullivan asked for more research on the palm tree selection and to report
back when the remaining items come to the board.
Approved Minutes
Page 5 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,6,"Board Members Köster and Mitchell accepted the additional reporting request as an
amendment to their motion.
The motion passed 6-0.
The resolution will be posted at: https://alamedaca.gov/city-hall/planning-boar
Ferry Terminal
Board Member Zuppan said she prefers the orange canopy for the ferry terminal. She
suggested using a glass finish that would be effective for deterring bird strikes and more
attractive than the wire mesh.
Board Member Köster said he also liked the orange canopy and liked the design. He said
he has some concerns about the effectiveness of the canopy for providing protection from
the elements.
President Knox White said rain protection is the primary concern for the design. He
suggested using an approved Alameda Point branding color for the ferry terminal.
Board Member Curtis said he likes the design but does not think it will provide sufficient
protection.
Board Member Mitchell said he liked the orange canopy as well. He said wind will be the
biggest concern at this location.
Board Member Köster said making the gangway a bit wider than at Main St. would be
preferred in order to allow bikes to offload more easily.
Board Member Sullivan said she was concerned with how the peaks and valleys would
collect caked on dirt.
Block 9
President Knox White said the design is greatly improved. He said he is concerned about
the blank wall at the corner. He said he is worried about the arcade effect the frontage of
W. Atlantic might have. He suggested trying to keep some of the articulation without
pushing pedestrians too far away from the building.
Board Member Curtis asked how many residential units the building would have.
Staff Member Thomas said the building would have 182 units.
Approved Minutes
Page 6 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf
PlanningBoard,2016-09-26,7,"Board Member Mitchell asked the architect to discuss the fabric panels used in the design.
Mr. Delasantos said they function as a solar shading device and they should be very long
lasting.
Board Member Mitchell said he agrees that the blank wall on the corner needs something
to activate it. He said he was a little concerned with the tensioned fabric panels.
Board Member Zuppan said she liked the vibrant color at the street level. She agreed with
other Board Members that something needed to be added to the blank wall.
Board Member Köster said he liked the pops of color. He said he is not sold on the garage
entryway. He said he liked the fins but has concerns with potential noise or vibrations due
to wind. He suggested turning the blank wall into a green wall that climbs up to the terrace
above.
Board Member Sullivan said she thought the east elevation was too plain. She shared
concerns about the fabric fins. She said the mosaic tiles could make the project look dated
very quickly. She said she liked the idea of a living wall.
8. MINUTES
*Moved to beginning of Regular Agenda***
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
**Moved to beginning of Regular Agenda***
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
Board Member Mitchell said he would miss the next meeting so the Board Elections would
have to get postponed again.
President Knox White said he met with the applicant for the Webster St. project that would
be coming forward. He said the City Council has been making progress on the Fernside
waterfront access discussion. He said the sale of the estuary parcels would move forward
without the six that are adjacent to the waterfront access points while they work on the
easement and code issues.
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
13. ADJOURNMENT
President Knox White adjourned the meeting at 9:31pm.
Approved Minutes
Page 7 of 7
Planning Board Meeting
September 26, 2016",PlanningBoard/2016-09-26.pdf