body,date,page,text,path
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,1,"APPROVED MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD
MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019
1. CONVENE
President Curtis convened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
2. FLAG SALUTE
Board Member Ruiz led the flag salute.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: Board Members Curtis, Cavanaugh, Hom, Rothenberg, Ruiz, Teague.
Absent: Board Member Saheba.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
President Curtis moved a portion of STAFF COMMUNICATIONS to the beginning of the
meeting. He introduced the new City Attorney, Yibin Shen.
City Attorney Shen introduced himself and thanked the members of the board for their
service to the City.
5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
*None*
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2019-7106
PLN17-0538 - Final Architectural Design - 1825 Park Street - Applicant: Paul Patel for
Ganesha, LLC - Public hearing to consider the final architectural design for a four-story,
96-room hotel. The property is located within the NP-G, North Park Street Gateway zoning
district with a MF, Multi-Family Residential overlay. Approval of the final architectural
design for the hotel is not subject to CEQA under McCorkle Eastside Neighborhood Group
V. City of St. Helena (2018) 31 Cal.App.5th 80, which found that design review for by right
projects is a ministerial decision under Public Resources Code section 21080
Linda Barrera, Planner II, gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be
found at:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4063218&GUID=0C8F98BF-
BFB2-4ECC-96AC-E2AFEB4D8A81&FullText=1
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 1 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,2,"Board Member Hom said the Council discussion asked for a redesign to a classical style
building. He asked why the applicant stayed with this design.
Staff Member Barrera said there were lots of conflicting comments at the Council meeting.
She said they are trying to shift away from the Streamline Moderne style to a more modern
looking building which is consistent with the Gateway District.
Board Member Teague asked if the Planning Board is constrained by what is in the City
Council resolution.
Celena Chen, Assistant City Attorney, said the Council gave some examples but no exact
direction. She said the Board needs to consider the direction, but has some leeway in the
final design of the hotel.
Paul Patel, applicant, thanked the Planning Board and city staff for all of their help through
the long process. He said he hopes we are in the final phase of approval and can move
forward with the project. He told his personal history coming to this country and city and
the work he has done to reach this point. He said the process can be frustrating but the
community support has not let him quit.
President Curtis opened the public hearing.
Janet Magleby, Executive Director of DABA, said the business district strongly supports
the project. She said the hotel will support the major street fairs and compliment downtown
amenities.
Sharan Cao spoke in support of the project.
Norris Bethke said it can be hard to find accommodations nearby for visitors and
expressed support for the project.
Ralph Ednalino said he has travelled a lot and this is a good location that will bring lots of
business to the area.
Chun Yan Zhang said she has seen hotels drive local economies and bring jobs. She said
Alameda feels like home to her, but is missing amenities that this hotel will bring to serve
her business needs.
Rich Krinks, commercial real estate broker, said it is time to get shovels in the ground. He
said the design has no restaurant or bar, because they want to benefit the other
businesses on Park Street. He asked the Board to approve the hotel tonight.
Sunil Lama said he supports the project.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 2 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,3,"Christopher Buckley, AAPS, referenced several points in their letter to the board. He said
they are comfortable with the Streamline Moderne vocabulary of the design. He said the
windows should be made symmetrical. He said the granite bulkheads should be
substantial slabs and not small tiles. He said the fin should be restored to the previous
height.
Holden Lim said a hotel like this will reactivate the downtown area. He expressed support
for the project.
Lan Shaw said crossing the bridge from Oakland does not present an attractive welcome
to Alameda. She said the hotel will change the landscape and attract business. She
expressed support for the applicant and identified with his personal story.
Lars Hanson said he supports the project.
Greg Barron said the hotel does not conform to the North Park Street Plan. He said it
needs retail and more parking. He said he spoke with the developer about ways to mitigate
impacts on the neighbors that the Board should consider as conditions. He suggested a
20 foot wall on the property line and lowering the light standards to prevent light intrusion.
He said he has worked in good faith with the City in the past and hopes to be able to on
this issue.
Anita Ng said the project would be a big improvement to the gateway of Alameda.
Harold Lueders said it would be nice for his family to have a good place to stay when they
visit.
Bikash Suintu expressed support for the project.
Carlos Quan supported the project and its design.
Olga Maribel Cantu said she thinks the hotel will be very nice and benefit Park Street.
Ezequiel Galbado expressed support for the project.
Dolores Jeanpierre urged support of the project.
Swapan Munshi expressed support for the project, saying it will bring tax revenue and
benefit downtown.
Eric Relos said the project will be a good addition to the island.
Miyoko Ohashi supported the project. She said it is hard for her visiting family to find good
places to stay.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 3 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,4,"Ana Reynoso said it is a lot of work to get folks to invest in your city. She expressed
support for the project.
Michelle Yuan said the location is very good for a hotel.
Shawn Flynn supported the project and thanked the applicant for spending so much effort
to develop in Alameda.
Haley Welsch said she supports the design.
Sanjiv Patel applauded the applicant for his persistence over the years. He said the hotel
will bring tourists to the city.
Tarun Gaur said he supports the project and has confidence in the applicant.
Sandy Glendinning said she lives behind the hotel location. She said her kitchen window
view currently shows the Mormon Temple and will be lost with this project. She said
parking has become much more difficult in recent years.
Carlos Rosales expressed support for the project and its design.
Camille Hammand said Alameda does not have good options for hotels and that the
project would be a good addition.
John Ball said he supports the project.
Ann Sekhon said people need a place to stay when they visit Alameda. She asked the
Board to approve the project tonight.
Bob Sekhon said the hotel will be a great addition and help small businesses.
Vincent Ma said he supports the project and believes in the applicant.
Mark Skolnick said having a hotel in the downtown area will benefit the whole city.
Madlen Saddik said the Chamber of Commerce supports the project.
Alicia Shu expressed support for the project. She said the mural would be good for
attracting people to the city.
Kyle Conner said that every time the process gets delayed it costs a lot of money for the
developer.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 4 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,5,"President Curtis closed the public hearing.
Board Member Teague said the design has improved and he supports the project with
some conditions that staff can deal with without coming back to the Board. He agreed with
Mr. Buckley, saying the granite base should be larger and more solid. He agreed that the
fin should be restored to the original height with the sign. He asked staff to resolve the
question about the tree plan. He said the project will benefit the city. He asked that the
ride share information be provided upon check in.
Board Member Hom said he thinks the delay was the right choice because the project
design has improved substantially. He said he supports the project and agrees with the
comment about the tile being more substantial. He said the fin strikes him as somewhat
generic and could be improved, consistent with the Streamline Moderne approach.
Board Member Rothenberg agreed with the other members' comments. She suggested
that the motion address AAPS comments 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11 be considered in the final
design in a practical manner that not impede but rather improve the construction.
Board Member Ruiz concurred with the previous comments. She said the fin should be
more of a marquee part of the project. She said the pilasters should have three
dimensionality and the back elevation should have some vertical articulation that can be
addressed at the staff level. She said the circulation in the parking lot may need to be one
way to prevent vehicle conflicts with the ride share queue.
Board Member Cavanaugh agreed with other board members about the design. He said
he liked the design a lot and thinks it should be approved.
President Curtis said there is a point of diminishing returns with trying to improve the
design with minor changes such as the fin height, which translate to expensive delays and
changes for the developer. He said he supports the project and asked Board Member
Teague to make the motion.
Board Member Teague moved approval of the project with the following changes:
ride share information be provided to guests upon check in and be included with
in-room materials; add the condition that large slabs of granite, or granite simulated
material, establish a solid base; restore the fin to the previous height and let staff
and the applicant decide whether or not to restore the ""H"" to the fin; staff will review
the street trees in response to the AAPS letter. He said that if the applicant decides
that having symmetrical window configuration is doable, that staff can approve that
change without returning to the Planning Board. Board Member Rothenberg
seconded the motion.
Allen Tai, Planning Services Manager, summarized the motion on the floor.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 5 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,6,"The motion passed 6-0.
President Curtis declared a five minute recess.
7-B 2019-7107
Final architectural elevations, landscape plan, and lighting plan for a five-story hotel with
172 guest rooms, a freestanding restaurant and coffee shop in the Harbor Bay Business
Park adjacent to the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal. The property is located within the C-M-
PD, Commercial Manufacturing - Planned Development zoning district
Henry Dong, Planner III, gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be
found at:
ttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4063298&GUID=CE421D4D
709E-43B5-9AB4-9490EF5A0330&FullText=1
Board Member Hom asked for clarification about the changes in the footprint and the
setback from the water.
Staff Member Dong said the required setback is 35 feet. He said the restaurant is set back
35 feet, but the hotel was set back an additional five feet to accommodate patios being
provided to guest rooms. He said the building had been widened an additional 25 feet to
accommodate desired design changes.
Board Member Ruiz asked what the change in footprint would do to the overall square
footage of the project.
Staff Member Dong said the overall project has stayed approximately the same size.
Board Member Teague asked if the footprint has changed since the May 28 meeting.
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Department Director, said the
footprint has not changed since May 28. He explained that the staff report clarified that
information in response to the appeal of the May 28 decision.
Board Member Hom disclosed that he met with the applicant before the meeting. He asked
if the landscape barrier for the headlights needs to be further clarified before approval.
Staff Member Thomas explained the options discussed with the neighborhood about what
type of barrier would be provided. He said they left the condition open to multiple options,
but that the Board could express a preference if it desired.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked why the landscape barrier on the northern edge would
not be a mound similar to the treatment in front of the Bay Trail.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 6 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,7,"Staff Member Thomas said that there was not as much space on the northern edge,
adding that the area had to also accommodate the storm water treatment needs of the
project.
President Curtis said that a wire fence may not turn out well and that the wall option may
be more desirable.
Board Member Teague asked if the landscape wall would have gaps for wildlife to traverse
the area.
Staff Member Thomas said that the condition is written to include holes at the bottom
specifically to allow wildlife to move across the space.
Board Member Cavanaugh asked if building a landscape barrier for the neighbors was
raised as an issue when the adjacent property to the south was developed.
Staff Member Thomas said that issue was not raised in connection with the McGuire and
Hester project. He added that the difference was that it was an office building, so there
was not the same concern with light intrusion from vehicles at all hours in the way that the
hotel would have.
Board Member Teague received clarification from Staff Attorney Chen that the footprint,
height, use, and parking plan are all approved already, so the only items being focused
on are specific design and landscaping aspects called out in the previous meeting.
President Curtis opened the public hearing.
Ed Sing said the residents have agreed on the landscaping and lighting plan. He said the
color option renderings were promised and not provided. He said you can't tell from the
imagery provided how the different color option would look and asked that the promised
renderings be provided to the community. He said the public expects that the project
information be, complete, accurate, and consistent with a transparent rationale. He said
the drawings and landscaping features do not match the landscaping plan. He said the
items should not be approved as conditions, but should be in the plans that the public can
look at now and in the future. He said the Board approved a 35 foot setback, not a 40 foot
setback. He said the 25 foot increase in footprint between the December and May
approvals was not explained during the May meeting. He said the conference room space
has been significantly reduced. He added that the coffee shop and restaurant should not
be up for approval because the dimensions, designs, and colors have not been discussed
with the community.
Brian Tremper said the trees in the plan will be bent and blown over and leafless. He said
the appeal was made because information is conflicting and the community does not know
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 7 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,8,"what is happening. He asked that the approval be postponed until after the appeal and
until the plans accurately reflect what is expected.
Madlen Saddik said this will be a great hotel which Alameda needs. She said the Chamber
of Commerce supports the project.
Pat Lamborn said she supports what Brian and Ed have said. She asked the Board not to
approve the project until the plans reflect the changes. She said the changes regarding
the landscape screening are very important. She said the community does not like the
solid grey structure. She said the project is over-parked. She said the plants do not reflect
the community input. She asked for a delay.
Dave Ross thanked the Board for all the work they do. He said there is no such thing as
perfect. He said waiting costs money. He said the neighbors signed disclosures when they
purchased their homes that say they lived next to a business park. He asked the Board to
approve the project.
Robert Leach, applicant, said he respects the residents who oppose the project. He said
this will be the nicest hotel in Alameda. He said they have not asked for variances and
have complied with every requirement there is and have tried to listen and accommodate
as many changes as possible. He said they have a qualified landscape planner and a
union labor agreement in place for construction and operations. He said the neighbors
liked the blue color, but that they believe the tone on tone design will keep the hotel from
becoming dated.
President Curtis closed the public hearing.
President Curtis said the project complies with the zoning requirements, BCDC, and every
regulatory issue there is. He said they can only focus on the design and landscaping.
Board Member Teague asked if there is a problem with the Board taking action tonight
while the appeal is pending.
Staff Attorney Chen said the appeal does not affect the Board's action tonight.
Board Member Teague said he is in favor of the project. He said he slightly favors the non-
blue color option, and would not oppose the brick if that is what the neighbors want. He
said the floorplan is up to the developer to decide and not part of the Board's decision
making process. He asked that the condition reflect that evergreen plants be used when
part of a light barrier.
Board Member Rothenberg said she supports the project. She asked that the drawings be
updated and conform to the design changes reflected in the staff report. She said the
applicant needs to verify that the changes are reflected in the final drawings. She
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 8 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,9,"suggested that we stipulate that there be an environmentally appropriate landscape
screen, subject to mockup and field approval. She said concrete walls and cheap fences
can be ugly.
Board Member Hom said he prefers the blue color, but does not have a strong preference.
He said he favors a masonry wall instead of a mesh fence given the concern over lighting.
He suggested potentially matching the façade of the hotel and the masonry wall.
Board Member Cavanaugh said the landscape wall is an opportunity to do something a
little different and artistic. He said he is otherwise okay with the project moving forward.
Board Member Ruiz said she generally agrees with the other board members. She said
condition #5 should have stronger language about ongoing maintenance. She said there
are other options for the barrier wall, such as living wall trays. She said the color is a
tossup and recommends a field mockup for staff to review. She said providing operable
windows would be desirable if possible. She said she is otherwise in favor of the project.
President Curtis said he is in favor of the project. He said as long as it complies with the
ordinance requirements and statutory agencies, it should move forward.
Staff Member Tai summarized the Board's comments: condition that evergreen
plants be used where barriers are desired, cite the sheets of the landscape plans,
add language that the applicant is responsible for timely maintenance and prompt
replacement of plants that do not survive, have the applicant work with the Planning
Director and the community to come up with a design for the barrier wall as part of
the building permit review process.
President Curtis asked to ensure that the bank along the lagoon be fully landscaped.
Board Member Teague asked if they need to specify blue versus grey in the approval.
Staff Member Thomas said the plans show grey and if the Board would like to change it
to blue it should say so specifically.
Board Member Hom asked if swatches could be painted in the field and a decision could
be made at that point.
President Curtis asked the applicant if he had a preference.
The applicant said his partners preferred the grey, which reflected the majority of the
comments from the neighbors.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 9 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,10,"Board Member Rothenberg made a motion to approve the staff recommendation
with the modifications outlined by Staff Member Tai. Board Member Teague
seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
8. MINUTES
8-A 2019-7092
Draft Meeting Minutes - June 10, 2019
Board Member Teague asked staff to remind the board members not in attendance to
watch the meeting video before the next meeting.
8-B 2019-7093
Draft Meeting Minutes - June 24, 2019
Board Member Teague moved approval. President Curtis seconded the motion. The
motion passed 4-0-2 (Hom and Ruiz abstained.)
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
9-A 2019-7090
Planning, Building and Transportation Department Recent Actions and Decisions
The staff report can be found at:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4058404&GUID=847949DF-
480-49D2-B2C9-0977BC8B9BE8&Options=&Search=&FullText=1
Staff Member Tai noted some changes to the attachment since the agenda was posted.
President Curtis asked that posting the plans when the notice goes out be made a priority.
9-B 2019-7091
Oral Report - Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Planning, Building and Transportation
Department Projects
Staff Member Tai said the board is off in August and said the Site A Phase II Tentative
Map would be coming to the board, along with an Alameda Marina item, and possibly a
new building at Harbor Bay Parkway. He said the second meeting in September may have
an Alameda Landing Item and a Housing Authority item for the North Housing site.
President Curtis asked when the boatyard RFQ would be coming back.
Staff Member Thomas said that item does not come back to the Planning Board, but will
go to the City Council. He said the above ground improvements would be worked out once
an operator is on board.
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 10 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf
PlanningBoard,2019-07-22,11,"11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
13. ADJOURNMENT
President Curtis adjourned the meeting at 9:37 p.m.
Approved Planning Board Minutes
Page 11 of 11
July 22, 2019",PlanningBoard/2019-07-22.pdf