{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 1, "text": "APPROVED MINUTES\nREGULAR MEETING OF THE\nCITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD\nMONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015\n1. CONVENE\nPresident Knox White called meeting to order at 7pm.\n2. FLAG SALUTE\nBoard Member Burton led the flag salute.\n3. ROLL CALL\nPresent: President Knox White, Board Members Burton, Henneberry, K\u00f6ster, Mitchell,\nSullivan, Zuppan.\n4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION\n*None*\n5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n6. CONSENT CALENDAR - None\n6-A 2015-2304\n2016 City of Alameda Planning Board Regular Meeting Schedule\n6-B 2015-2305\nPlanning Board Rules and Procedures. Approve Revisions to the\nPlanning Board Rules and Procedures to Improve the Public Hearing\nProcess. A change to the Rules and Procedures is not a project subject to\nthe California Environmental Quality Act.\nBoard Member Burton moved to approve the consent calendar. The motion was\nseconded by Board Member Henneberry. The motion passed 7-0.\n7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS\n7-A 2015-2302\nPLN15-0030 - 615 Haight Avenue - Applicant: Stefan Menzi on behalf of\nJoseph and Melanie Snell. - CONTINUED FROM OCTOBER 26, 2015. A\nrequest for Design Review approval for a two-story addition to be located\nat the rear of the existing structure. The proposed addition will be twenty-\nsix feet and six inches (26'6\") tall and meet all required setbacks. This\nproject is categorically exempt from further environmental review\nApproved Minutes\nPage 1 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 2, "text": "pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines,\nSection 15301 (e) - Existing Facilities - additions to existing structures\nprovided that the addition will not result in an increase of more than\n10,000 square feet.\nStaff Member Sablan gave the staff report. The staff report and attachments can be\nfound at\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2514194&GUID=82A5696B-\nD359-46B3-B039-EDC6C5D37446&FullText=1\nBoard Member Burton asked about the bay window projection into the setback.\nStaff Member Thomas said that the zoning ordinance allows projections beyond the\nsetback for items like bay windows.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nBao-Long Nguyen-Trong spoke about his concerns with the project.\nStefan Menzi, the applicant's architect, spoke about the plans he made and addressed\nissues brought up by the appellant.\nMelanie Snell spoke about the efforts made to work with their neighbors and mitigate\nany impacts. She said they have done the best they can and were as accommodating as\nthey could be.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member Burton thought it was a good addition. He wanted to make sure the trim\ndetails matched the original house.\nBoard Member Burton moved to approve the design review with stipulation that the trim\ndetails of the windows, door and eave match the existing house. Board Member\nHenneberry seconded the motion. The motion passed 7-0.\n7-B 2015-2303\nProposed Text Amendments to the City of Alameda Medical Marijuana\nDispensaries Ordinance (AMC Section 30-5.15): Recommend that the\nCity Council adopt a proposed amendment to the Medical Marijuana\nDispensaries Ordinance, to define and prohibit the commercial cultivation\nand distribution of medical marijuana in response to the recently adopted\nState of California Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. The\nApproved Minutes\nPage 2 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 3, "text": "proposed amendment is categorically exempt from the California\nEnvironmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section\n15305, Minor Alterations to Land Use Limitations.\nStaff Member Thomas gave the staff presentation. The staff report and attachments can\nbe found at:\n https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2514195&GUID=024BB4EC-\n2A0-4106-A000-08A58CD5BAF6&FullText=\nPresident Knox White asked what the Police Department's input was.\nStaff Member Thomas said he spoke with the Police Chief and he was supportive of the\nproposed changes.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nKaren Bey supported closing the loophole.\nA speaker (name withheld) spoke in favor of the benefits of medical marijuana and the\nlawful approach dispensaries take to avoid problems.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member Mitchell asked about the difference between personal cultivation and\ncommercial.\nStaff Member Thomas explained how cultivation for personal use is handled in the\nmunicipal code and that the proposal does not change that.\nBoard Member Henneberry expressed support for the ordinance amendments and\nstated that Alamedans already have good access to medical marijuana.\nBoard Member Zuppan said she supports closing the loophole.\nBoard Member Burton supported closing the loophole for now but revisiting potential\ncommercial options in the future and clarifying potential questions about where\ncultivation for personal use is allowed.\nPresident Knox White supported examining a conditional use permit for commercial\ncultivation in the Adaptive Reuse Area of Alameda Point. He said Alameda should\nexamine whether it wants to be involved in this business. He stated that it is not much\ndifferent than what Spirits Alley already is and noted the potential tax revenues.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 3 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 4, "text": "Board Member Henneberry moved to approve the item. Board Member Sullivan\nseconded the motion with the clarification that the language distinguishing commercial\nand personal cultivation would be revised before it goes to the City Council. The motion\npassed 7-0.\n7-C 2015-2308\nPLN15-0050 - Amendments to City of Alameda Public Art Ordinance.\nPublic hearing to consider a recommendation that the City Council\napprove amendments to Section 30-65 Public Art Ordinance. The\nproposed zoning amendment is categorically exempt from further\nenvironmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15305 Minor\nAlterations to Land Use Limitations.\nStaff Member Thomas gave the staff presentation. The staff report and attachments can\nbe found at:\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2514200&GUID=E0E8BF8A-\nF3CD-4EEC-9CF2-8FB0018CA74A&FullText=1\nBoard Member Sullivan asked why the proposed administrative limit of 20% was so high.\nStaff Member Alan Tai explained the consultant recommendation of 20% as an industry\nstandard best practice.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster asked about the control of the location of public art within projects\nand whether the program could support an artist in residence.\nStaff Member Thomas said that they handle each project individually but that planning\nfor the location is not a requirement of the planning process. He said the City Council\ncould decide to fund an artist in residence program.\nPresident Knox White asked how much the public art fund has been billed for staff time\nto manage the fund.\nStaff Member Tai said that it varies year to year from only a couple of hours and up from\nthere.\nBoard Member Zuppan suggested indexing the cap to inflation. She asked about public\naccess to programs funded by the public art fund.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 4 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 5, "text": "Staff Member Thomas said their approach was to preserve flexibility in the ordinance\nand let specific criteria be included in the RFPs.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nJim Smallman spoke about previous efforts to reform the program and potential ideas for\nhow to use the funds.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member Zuppan expressed concern that the benefit of the program be clearly for\nand accessible to the public. She wants to remove the cap or index it to inflation.\nBoard Member Henneberry agreed that we should index the cap and said that the\nmaritime focus should retained.\nBoard Member Burton agreed with raising the cap and indexing it to inflation.\nPresident Knox White expressed support for indexing the cap to CPI. He suggested the\nprogram potentially be run out of a different department, instead of Planning, that does\nnot have to fund itself. He expressed concerns about opening the fund up to being used\nfor maintenance costs.\nBoard Member Henneberry moved approval of item 7-C as amended to index the cap to\nC.P.I. and to encourage the maritime focus. Board Member Sullivan seconded the\nmotion. The motion passed 7-0.\n7-D 2015-2309\nProposed Text Amendments to the City of Alameda Zoning Ordinance\n(AMC Chapter 30) regarding permit streamlining for residential property\nimprovements and other miscellaneous administrative, technical, and\nclarifying amendments. Public hearing to consider zoning text\namendments that would streamline permitting for residential property\nimprovements and other minor administrative, technical and clarifying\namendments to improve usability of the zoning regulations. The proposed\namendments are categorically exempt from further environmental review\npursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15305, Minor Alterations to Land\nUse Limitations.\nStaff Member Tai gave the staff presentation. The staff report and attachments can be\nfound at:\nApproved Minutes\nPage 5 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 6, "text": "ittps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2514201&GUID=A7D5B39D-\nF91A-44C9-92A5-AE307C5B9913&FullText=1\nBoard Member Mitchell asked for clarification of the parking requirements.\nStaff Member Tai explained that people could not pave over their front yards for parking\nand that this was seen as a pilot program.\nBoard Member Burton asked about lot size requirements for multiple houses versus\nsecond units.\nStaff Member Thomas said that you cannot build more than one unit per 2000 square\nfeet.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked for further clarification of the parking requirements in the\nstaff recommendation.\nStaff Member Thomas said that the 2nd unit requires the property to have two\nindependent parking spaces.\nBoard Member Zuppan asked about the mechanism for enforcing alternative\ntransportation program requirements for the larger projects and whether a similar\nsolution could apply to granting exemptions to second units that do not meet the parking\nrequirements.\nStaff Member Thomas said that monitoring can be difficult but they could look at options\nto address those scenarios.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nChristopher Buckley from Alameda Architectural Preservation Society said the second\nunit proposal could drastically change Alameda's single family neighborhoods. He\nopposed the reduction in lot size requirements as written. He also was concerned with\nencouraging more accessory buildings.\nDennis Owens, chair of the Historic Advisory Board, spoke in favor of the proposed\nchanges. He said young adults like his own child are having a hard time finding housing.\nHe said tandem parking should be allowed in order to allow better designs to come\nforward.\nSteven Aced said he was concerned that allowing second units on lots smaller than\n7500 square feet would radically change neighborhoods.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 6 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 7, "text": "Karen Bey spoke in favor of the second unit changes and thinks the City should be more\nliberal allowing second units but focus on quality.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member Burton said he supports changing the second unit ordinance in order to\nbuild affordable housing. He would support relaxing the parking requirements.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster expressed support for the 2nd unit changes. He also supports\nlooking at alternative solutions to the parking problems and removing the minimum size\nrequirement which might encourage some attractive micro-units.\nBoard Member Mitchell said he supports the compromise that the staff recommendation\nrepresents in terms of the parking requirements.\nBoard Member Sullivan said there should be a minimum of three parking spaces\nbetween the two units.\nBoard Member Zuppan said she wants home occupation signage to require a permit\nwith design review. She said she supported addressing the parking problem with more\ncreative solutions in the manner that is done with TDM programs on larger projects and\nallow tandem parking. She said she does not want to see people paving over their yards\nin order to meet the parking requirements.\nPresident Knox White expressed concern that the parking requirements would result in\nlittle or no progress being made with second units. He said the people living in the units\nshould make the decision about how the parking should be prioritized. He said this\nwould be a small dent in the long term housing supply problem and would not drastically\nchange neighborhoods. He supports allowing the tandem parking.\nBoard Member Burton moved approval of the ordinance amendments with an\namendment to allow tandem parking. Board Member Henneberry seconded the motion.\nThe motion passed 6-1 (Sullivan opposed).\n8. MINUTES\n*None*\n9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS\n9-A 2015-2306\nZoning Administrator and Design Review Recent Actions and Decisions\nApproved Minutes\nPage 7 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2015-11-23", "page": 8, "text": "Staff Member Thomas said several design reviews were recently approved.\nPresident Knox White pointed out that when the Planning Board calls an item for review\ninstead of an appellant that the applicant incurs the cost of \"time and materials.\"\n9-B 2015-2307\nFuture Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development\nDepartment Projects\nStaff Member Thomas said the 12/14/15 meeting would be focused on Alameda Point.\n10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS\n11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS\n11-A 2015-2298\nReport from the Alameda Point Site A - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee\nBoard Member Burton summarized the discussions around the building design at Block\n11 of Site A and the \"naked street\" in front of the building.\n11-B 2015-2299\nReport from the Boatworks - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee\n*None*\nBoard Member Zuppan wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.\n12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n13. ADJOURNMENT\nPresident Knox White adjourned the meeting at 10:11pm.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 8 of 8\nNovember 23, 2015\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2015-11-23.pdf"}