{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 1, "text": "APPROVED MINUTES\nREGULAR MEETING OF THE\nCITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD\nMONDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, 2016\n1. CONVENE\nPresident Knox White called meeting to order at 7:00pm.\n2. FLAG SALUTE\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster led the flag salute.\n3. ROLL CALL\nPresent: President Knox White, Board Members Burton, Henneberry, K\u00f6ster, Mitchell,\nSullivan. Board Member Zuppan arrived during the presentation for item 7-A (approx.\n715pm).\n4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION\n*None*\n5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n6. CONSENT CALENDAR\n*None*\n7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS\n7-A 2016-2552\nDesign Review Application PLN15-0468 to Construct a New Commercial\nBuilding for the Bank of Marin on a 5,000 sq. ft. Site at the Southwest\nCorner of the South Shore Center, 523 South Shore Center. The\nEnvironmental Impact Report for the expansion of the Alameda Towne\nCentre, certified October 7, 2008, satisfies environmental review for this\nproject under the California Environmental Quality Act.\nStaff Member Diamond introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be\nfound at:\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2559779&GUID=44656622-\n3244-476B-ABDO-89FD734CD24F&FullText=1\nMatthew Anderson of Jamestown LP spoke about their goals for the project and\nintroduced the project architect.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 1 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 2, "text": "The project architect gave a presentation on the design of the building and changes\nmade since their previous hearing before the Planning Board.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked how wide the landscaping on the side of the building\nwould be.\nThe project architect said it would vary between three and five feet.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked if they were planning on removing the pine tree at the\nback of the site. She also asked about the plans for planting bamboo and preventing\ninvasion into the tree wells.\nThe project architect said they did not intend to remove the pine tree and would work\nwith the landscape architect to use a root barrier or some other solution to prevent the\nspread of the bamboo.\nBoard Member Zuppan asked for a summary of the sidewalk improvements and how the\ncorner at the post office would be affected. She asked if there were bicycle sharrows.\nThe project architect showed the diagram and explained where the new five foot\nsidewalk connecting the bank to Shoreline Dr. would be. He said the corner at Shoreline\nDr. would be redesigned to line up the ADA ramps and shorten the curb radius to slow\ntraffic down making the turn off Shoreline and into the post office. He said there would\nbe a two foot landscape strip separating the sidewalk from the street. He said there\nwould be sharrows for bicycles.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nSusan Sperry, a resident of the adjacent Willows condominium complex, said that if they\nput a bike lane on that road it would have a serious impact on the residents. She said\nthe Shoreline bike lane destroyed one our biggest assets. She said cyclists should be\nencouraged to go where there is room. She said she saw a man riding a bike with a\ntoddler on a bicycle at 9 o'clock at night on a sidewalk and she said that it was child\nendangerment.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member Burton said he was happy with where the design has come and the\nimprovements coming to the road with the sidewalk and sharrows. He said he wanted to\nadd to the conditions that the shared lane markings and sidewalk improvements would\nbe completed prior to issuance of occupancy permits.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 2 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 3, "text": "Board Member Burton moved approval of the item with the above additions regarding\nthe sidewalk and lane markings. Board Member Henneberry seconded the motion.\nBoard Member Zuppan said she would not be supporting the motion because she feels\nthe design does not fit in with the rest of the shopping center.\nPresident Knox White said he was happy to see the sidewalk finally happening and that\nthe crosswalk across Shoreline would be returning and connecting the beach to the\nshopping center.\nPresident Knox White called for a vote on the motion to approve the staff\nrecommendation with the changes to the conditions requiring the shared lane markings\nand sidewalk to be complete before issuance of the certificate of occupancy. The motion\npassed 6-1 (Zuppan opposed).\n7-B 2016-2557\nApprove a Resolution Recommending a Zoning and General Plan Map\nAmendment for 721 Santa Clara Avenue from R-5 (General Residential)\nzone to C-C (Community Commercial) zone and from Medium Density\nResidential to Community Commercial, respectively (PLN15-0238;\nAssessor's Parcel Number 073-0420-021). The applicant proposes to\nconvert the existing single-family residence to a restaurant, a permitted\nuse in the C-C (Community Commercial) Zoning District. This project is\nexempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15303 (c), Conversion of Small\nStructures with Minor Exterior Modifications.\nStaff Member Thomas introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be\nfound at:\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2559782&GUID=5A6C8AEO\n71D-4209-92EF-1A28C34C8303&FullText=\nBoard Member Henneberry asked how many housing units there are in the City of\nAlameda. He also asked to confirm that this would not set a precedent and that any\nfuture requests like this would have to be approved first.\nStaff Member Thomas said there were approximately 36,000 housing units in Alameda.\nHe confirmed that each such application would require a new approval.\nPresident Knox White referenced letters citing outstanding building permit issues and\nasked for an update.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 3 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 4, "text": "Staff Member Thomas said that any outstanding permit issues for a prior remodel of the\nhouse would need to be resolved before the proposal went before City Council.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked about the apparently new concrete stanchions and\nwhether they required permits.\nStaff Member Thomas said he would have to look into it and that depending on the size\nand materials it might not require a permit.\nBoard Member Burton asked if the applicant could clarify when he speaks when the unit\nwas last occupied. He also asked for details on the size and intent of the concrete pilings\nout front.\nBobak Garandian, the applicant, said the pilings were six feet. He said he currently lives\nthere and planned to move out as the construction ramped up.\nBoard Member Burton said a six foot fence in a front yard would require a permit.\nBoard Member Mitchell asked what type of restaurant the applicant intended.\nThe applicant said it was intended to be a cajun/New Orleans style restaurant.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nSandip Jariwala, owner of Hawthorne Suites and President of WABA, spoke in favor of\nthe proposed zoning change and restaurant.\nMichael McDonough said the Chamber of Commerce supports the proposed restaurant\nand zoning change. He asked for a unanimous endorsement.\nAlan Michaan said the West End could use another quality restaurant and extending the\nbusiness district onto the side streets makes sense.\nMichelle Fredrick spoke in favor of the applicant and said he was a good neighbor.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member Zuppan asked whether this property would be included in the WABA\nimprovement district map.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 4 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 5, "text": "Sandip Jariwala of WABA said it was not currently but could be added when they re-\ncertify in a year or two.\nBoard Member Zuppan said she has long wanted to help improve the jobs-housing\nimbalance. She said she knows the applicant personally and has faith that he can get it\nright. She said it could contribute to the entire Webster St. district and she will be in\nsupport of this.\nBoard Member Henneberry said he agreed with everything Board Member Zuppan said.\nHe said prior to 2002 this would have been a permitted use.\nBoard Member Mitchell said he visited the site and the proximity to the parking lot made\nthis a good spot for this use. He said he would support the project but wanted to make\nsure the code enforcement issues were addressed before it moved forward.\nBoard Member Sullivan said the parking lot was a good demarcation between the\ncommercial and residential areas. She said the salaries of the jobs created here would\nnot support people looking for homes in Alameda. She said she did not support the\nproposed zoning change.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster said the maintenance costs of a historic building like this could be\nwell absorbed by the commercial use. He said the applicant's adjacent restaurant shows\na willingness to go above and beyond as far as quality design and he supports the\nproject.\nBoard Member Burton said he was conflicted about converting a residence to\ncommercial use given the political climate around housing availability in town. He said it\nseems that there is a history of carelessness in how the applicant deals with the city. He\nsaid the applicant would need to \"play by the rules\" going forward. He said he was not\nsure how he would vote.\nPresident Knox White said he was in about the same place as Board Member Burton.\nHe said he was concerned that they were rezoning and not able to just consider a use\npermit. He said he was concerned about removing housing, but he generally supports\nmixing uses even in residential neighborhoods and would probably support the change.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster pointed out that the home is not an \"affordable house\" and\ntherefore is less concerned with removing it from the housing supply.\nBoard Member Zuppan pointed out that the house is owner-occupied and it was not the\nsame as removing rental housing, which she would have more concern over.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 5 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 6, "text": "Board Member Henneberry said there should be no confusion that the board does not\nsupport affordable housing and that this is a different situation.\nBoard Member Sullivan said the house next door is a rental with residents that retire\nearly and the board should consider that.\nBoard Member Henneberry made a motion to approve the staff recommendation. Board\nMember Mitchell seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-1 (Sullivan opposed).\n8. MINUTES\n8-A 2016-2558\nDraft Meeting Minutes - September 28, 2016\nPresident Knox White said he would be recusing himself since he was not present.\n8-B 2016-2559\nDraft Meeting Minutes - October 12, 2015\n8-C 2016-2560\nDraft Meeting Minutes - October 26, 2015\n8-C 2016-2561\nDraft Meeting Minutes - December 14, 2015\nBoard Member Zuppan said she liked the capturing of the comments by the speakers.\nShe said there was nothing capturing responses to Board Member questions or\nsummarizing what was contained in the staff presentations.\nPresident Knox White asked that they be sent back to further capture details that Board\nMember Zuppan brought up.\n9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS\n9-A 2016-2555\nZoning Administrator and Design Review Recent Actions and Decisions\nStaff Member Thomas said they did not have a hearing since their last meeting but did\napprove several design reviews.\n9-B 2016-2556\nApproved Minutes\nPage 6 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-02-08", "page": 7, "text": "Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development\nDepartment Projects\nStaff Member Thomas said Block 11, Block 8 and the Waterfront Park would be coming\nback for the next meeting (2/22/16) to get the designs out to the community and then be\nback for final approval in March. He said 1435 Webster St. would be before the Board\nwith a new building. He said the Walgreens would have its six month review for their\nBeer & Wine permit. He said that Universal Design would be coming in the spring.\nStaff Member Garcia said the Board Members would be taking an ethics training soon.\n10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS\nPresident Knox White said they would be sunsetting the Alameda Point Sub-Committee\nsoon. He said he would like to start making a motion at the beginning of discussion\nperiod in an effort to focus discussion.\n11-A 2016-2439\nReport from the Alameda Point Site A - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee\nBoard Member Zuppan gave an update on the blocks that would be coming before the\nBoard in the coming weeks.\nStaff Member Thomas thanked the Sub-Committee for their weekly meetings and input\nin bringing the projects along.\n11-B 2016-2440\nReport from the Boatworks - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee\n*None*\n12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n13. ADJOURNMENT\nPresident Knox White adjourned the meeting at 8:37pm.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 7 of 7\nFebruary 8, 2016\nPlanning Board", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-02-08.pdf"}