body,date,page,text,path
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,1,"APPROVED MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2018
1. CONVENE
President Mitchell convened the meeting at 7:00pm
2. FLAG SALUTE
Board Member Curtis led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: President Mitchell, Board Members Burton, Cavanaugh, Curtis, Sullivan,
Teague.
Absent: Board Member Koster.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
*None*
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
2018-5113
2018 Planning Board Regular Meeting Schedule
The schedule can be found at:
tps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3309855&GUID=564A7F70-
E6F4-483E-9D04-65171CDB4D32
Board Member Teague asked for confirmation that Columbus Day is not an Alameda
holiday.
Staff Member Thomas confirmed.
Board Member Teague made a motion to approve the 2018 calendar. Board
Member Sullivan seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2018-5112
Staff Presentation on Repairing Alameda's Aging Infrastructure and
Related Survey
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 1 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,2,"Staff Member Garland gave a presentation. The staff report report and attachment can
be found at:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3309854&GUID=E443FF5F-
AEBC-4EOD-A443-3EB61D3D7312&FullText=1
Board Member Sullivan asked why the City does not keep funds in reserve accounts to
deal with infrastructure needs when they are needed.
Staff Member Garland said they do keep some funds separate for operating and capital
expenses. He said the stormwater fee has been flat since 2000 due to litigation issues.
Board Member Sullivan asked why they aren't getting the money they need from the City
budget?
Staff Member Garland said there is no place to get money for the stormwater system other
than the general fund which would mean taking funds from essential City services.
Board Member Sullivan asked if the purpose of this was in anticipation of a bond.
Staff Member Garland said that a bond would require City Council and then voter approval
and this process is a way of getting as much engagement on the issue as possible.
Board Member Sullivan asked what they were doing to make this statistically valid and not
just the opinion of a random group.
Staff Member Garland said the community survey over the summer was scientifically valid.
He said they are on track to get about 3000 responses to this survey.
Board Member Curtis asked if the City has explored federal grants and funding to
supplement these items.
Staff Member Garland said that they do pursue other funding and have had some success
around transportation and at Alameda Point. He said things like stormwater improvements
have less funding available and a greater need.
Staff Member Thomas said that our ability to be successful in obtaining grants is greatly
tied to our ability to provide a local match.
Board Member Burton said that online outreach does not reach large portions of residents.
He asked what the City is doing to reach a broad swath of the community.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 2 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,3,"Staff Member Garland said that they did a mail survey to all Alameda addresses. He said
they have also done a lot of outreach to community groups, all boards and commissions,
homeowner groups, and business associations.
Board Member Burton said that more than 50% of our residents are renters and asked if
the mailer went to them or only the building owners.
Staff Member Garland said that it would have gone out to each unit.
Board Member Burton asked if the survey was provided in different languages.
Staff Member Garland said he would have to find out the answer to that question.
Staff Member Barrera said that she helped translate the survey into another language and
it was provided in several languages.
President Mitchell said the street cleaning schedule does not match the student drop off
schedule which creates a ripple effect throughout the neighborhood. He said it seems like
there is not enough coordination between the City and the school district.
Staff Member Garland said the routes are complicated and built over years, which creates
some inertia. He suggested having the principal of the particular school contact Public
Works to troubleshoot the issue.
President Mitchell pointed out that many parents ignore the signs anyway, which would
prevent the street sweeping from being effective.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked if the City was looking at the new gasoline tax as a
source of funding for transportation or pothole repair.
Staff Member Garland said they have already programmed those funds into their capital
budget.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked if the money would be broken into clear pots of money
to help voters know how the money would be spent specifically.
Staff member Garland said he thought that was a good idea and should be put down on
the input form. He also mentioned that some cities have broken down the repair budget
into percentages to let the potential voters know where the money will be spent.
7-B 2018-5122
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 3 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,4,"PLN17-0380 - 2350 Harbor Bay Parkway - Applicant: Ram Hotels. Public
hearing to consider a Zoning Amendment to allow construction of a hotel
at 2350 Harbor Bay Parkway
Staff Member Thomas gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found
at:
ttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3309859&GUID=98AF5AD4-
F4F0-4437-9A1F-6728F23474D9&FullText=1
Board Member Curtis said the minutes of the BCDC meeting raised major issues with the
hotel proposal that are missing from the staff report. He said this item is a waste of time
because it has been made clear in the BCDC minutes that the parcel does not fit a hotel.
Staff Member Thomas said he disagrees. He said the question was not what BCDC thinks,
but what Alameda thinks is appropriate for the site. He said the BCDC meeting in question
only had seven of something like 30 board members were present. He said more board
members of BCDC voted for the motion than against by a large margin, but that there
were many members not present and they did not reach their required threshold. He said
only seven members voted against. He said that the findings in the subsequent BCDC
staff report are based on only the seven (of thirty total) board members that voted no. He
said those findings would preclude any building on this site.
Board Member Curtis said that maybe the site does not work then. He said the
responsibility of the council and board are to find the greatest and best use of the land for
the public. He said he thinks the findings are valid.
Board Member Sullivan asked if the hotel would have to have a setback from its property
line.
Staff Member Thomas said that any building would have to be confined to its own parcel.
Board Member Sullivan asked if the HBIA proposal would be included in this discussion.
Staff Member Thomas explained the strip of land still owned by HBIA was never conveyed
to the City because they wanted to wait until the land was fully improved. He said there is
a Council referral looking at conveying the parcel now.
Board Member Burton asked to confirm that we are just evaluating the generic idea of a
hotel use and not any specific project.
Staff Member Thomas said that currently an office building or an office building with a
hotel would be permitted and that the board is considering whether to add hotel as an
accepted use.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 4 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,5,"Board Member Teague asked for clarification about the proposed zoning ordinance and
whether the third amendment with BCDC did or did not apply.
Staff Member Thomas explained that it is an agreement that the City is not a party to. He
also stated that BCDC has made it clear that the requirements under the settlement
agreement with HIBA travel with the land.
President Mitchell opened the public hearing.
Marcy Marks, Harbor Bay Business Park Association, said they review the architectural
plans and responded positively. She read a letter from their architectural review committee
endorsing the changes in the design from a previous version.
Daniel Reidy, attorney for Harbor Bay Isle Associates, gave some background on the
zoning process for the site and how the shoreline park developed. He recommended the
board adopt the draft zoning.
Linda Carloni said she and Golden Gate Audubon oppose rezoning of the site because it
would impact wildlife.
Irene Dieter asked that the board not recommend rezoning this parcel because we have
learned much from the BCDC proceedings. She said the board should do what is best for
the citizens of Alameda and not change the zoning.
Richard Bangert said that looking at who on BCDC voted in favor and against the hotel
proposal is instructive. He said those voting in favor were all political appointees or agency
representatives. He said the elected representatives voted against the project. He said
Wilma Chan, Jane Kim, and even Tom Butt were against the plan.
Pat Lamborn asked that the Planning Board vote no on the proposed zoning change. She
said the previous Planning Board was missing important information. She said the current
design is not included for the board's review. She said the setbacks would not work once
the shoreline parcel is transferred to the City. She said the airport safety zone would
prevent building higher. She said there is not enough information to hold a proper public
hearing and abstaining would be a reasonable position tonight.
Chad Otten said the land is not zoned for a hotel, for good reason. He said rezoning would
open a Pandora's Box. He said this hotel is not compatible and does not fit.
Tom Krysiak said he wants to protect this very unique parcel of land. He urged the board
to not support rezoning the parcel.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 5 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,6,"President Mitchell closed the public hearing.
Board Member Teague said the requirement to have the shoreline improvement
completed before the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy is crucial. He also said that
parking will be a big concern and will impact what can be built on the site. The architectural
design, due to the unusual configuration of the parcel will need special review to ensure
the aesthetics of the area are preserved. He believes that making the zoning only C-M will
open the site up to any use allowed in the C-M district. He believes that the existing design
and parking conditions should remain and a hotel that fits the constraints of the site might
be an asset to the community.
Board Member Curtis said the site is too small for any economically viable project to move
forward. He said moving forward with the rezoning would cause the developer to waste a
lot of money.
Board Member Sullivan said the site is too small and that a hotel does not make sense.
She said she does not support changing the zoning.
Board Member Cavanaugh said he agreed that the parcel is too small for a hotel.
Board Member Burton said it is a tricky site. He said that, generically speaking, a hotel
could be appropriate for the site. He said we are not here to discuss a specific proposal.
He said he is in favor of the rezoning.
President Mitchell asked if the really are considering a generic hotel, or a specific proposal.
Staff Member Thomas said that there is an application for a specific hotel. He said staff
decided to deal with the zoning question first, before deciding whether to bring the hotel
application forward.
President Mitchell said the four story, 100 unit hotel would not fit in the space. He said he
is not compelled to change the zoning with the hotel that is on the table.
Board Member Curtis made a motion to recommend that City Council not change
the zoning. Board Member Sullivan seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-2.
(Burton and Teague opposed)
8. MINUTES
8-A 2018-5111
Draft Meeting Minutes - October 23th, 2017
President Mitchell opened the public hearing.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 6 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,7,"Barbara Walker asked that the minutes not be approved because there are discrepancies
that are not in their (residents concerned with a remodel on Bay St.) favor. She said that
Board Member Teague's comments regarding the roofline were not in the minutes and not
reflected in the approved plan. She said the final plans do not reflect the direction to use
vegetation to provide screening around the entire back portion of the property. She said
the neighbors believed that there would be a staff level review of the roofline that would
be re-noticed. She said that final plan was posted on December 11th, but postmarked for
the October 23rd meeting, which would prevent them from appealing that decision. She
said the process was not transparent. She said her point that this is a non-conforming still
stands.
Tom Mills said the neighbors always thought that they would be re-notified when there
were new plans. He said the developer is doing demolition work that are not code
compliant. He said he does not want to live next to 100 people and that the project is not
good for the neighborhood.
Staff Member Thomas said that this hearing is over and we are just reviewing the minutes.
He said staff has explained multiple times that all apartments in Alameda that are vacant
for over a year would be shut down. He said when Measure A was passed Council passed
an ordinance explaining that existing apartment buildings are not addressed by Measure
A.
Board Member Curtis said that once the plans are approved that it is the Building
Department's job to ensure the plans are executed accurately and proper procedures are
followed with respect to asbestos cleanup. He said it is now beyond the purview of the
Planning Board.
President Mitchell agreed and said that this would need to be taken up with the Building
Department.
Board Member Sullivan made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member
Teague seconded the motion.
Board Member Curtis said he wanted to add that the video be reviewed to make sure the
comments on the motion in question were captured accurately.
Staff Member Thomas said they could have the speaker note where they felt there were
errors and review those sections. He said if there were changes needed, he will bring them
back for approval.
Board Members Sullivan and Teague accepted staff's suggested change to the
motion. The motion passed 6-0.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 7 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2018-01-22,8,"8-B 2018-5120
Draft Meeting Minutes-November 13, 2017
Board Member Sullivan corrected a typo on page 5. She said the name of the Assistant
City Attorney's name was not given on page 8.
Staff Member Thomas said that it was John Lay.
Board Member Curtis amended his comments on page 5.
Board Member Sullivan made a motion to approve the minutes as amended. Board
Member Teague seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
9-A 2018-5115
Zoning Administrator and Design Review Recent Actions and Decisions
Staff Member Thomas gave a brief update. The staff report can be found at:
ttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3309856&GUID=6F4252B8-
1863-4FB2-9160-B5E0C4C4AAA2&FullText=1
9-B 2018-5119
Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development
Department Projects
Staff Member Thomas gave a preview of upcoming meetings. The staff report can be
found at:
ittps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3309857&GUID=57BFOD53-
2CFC-4F4E-AFE6-373CBC7E5E86
Staff Member Thomas reminded the board to let staff know if they want to attend the
planning conference in Monterey in April.
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
Board Member Teague thanks the Housing Authority for hosting a presentation on recently
passed housing legislation.
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
13. ADJOURNMENT
President Mitchell adjourned the meeting at 7:55pm.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 8 of 8
January 22, 2018",PlanningBoard/2018-01-22.pdf