{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 1, "text": "APPROVED MINUTES\nREGULAR MEETING OF THE\nCITY OF ALAMEDA PLANNING BOARD\nMONDAY, APRIL 11, 2016\n1. CONVENE\nPresident Knox White called meeting to order at 7:03pm.\n2. FLAG SALUTE\nBoard Member Mitchell led the flag salute.\n3. ROLL CALL\nPresent: President Knox White, Board Members Henneberry, K\u00f6ster, Mitchell, Sullivan.\nBoard Member Zuppan arrived at 7:10 pm, during item 7-A. Absent: Board Member\nBurton.\n4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION\n*None*\n5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n6. CONSENT CALENDAR\n*None*\n7. REGULAR\nAGENDA\nITEMS\n7-A 2016-2774\nPlanning Board Architectural Design Study Session - PLN14-0517 - 712\nLincoln Avenue - Applicant: Simon Kwan for Kevin Lam. Design Review for\na new, 7,200-square-foot two-story mixed-use building with 3,300-square-\nfeet of ground floor retail and two residential units above\nStaff Member Dong introduced the item. The staff report and attachments can be found\nat: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2679399&GUID=22708712-\n BED3-4803-AAC9-E7A9735A27DC&FullText=1\nSimon Kwan, project architect, gave a presentation on the design options for the site.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked how the parking was allocated for the site.\nStaff Member Tai explained that each residential unit would have one space and the retail\nwould have four spaces per 1000 square feet.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 1 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 2, "text": "President Knox White asked about the light wells on the east side of the building.\nMr. Kwan explained that they break up the facade and allow light on the property line wall.\nPresident Knox White asked how far the parking spaces were from the existing buildings.\nMr. Kwan said it was approximately three feet.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster asked if the one bathroom between two retail spaces would be\nsufficient.\nMr. Kwan said they could amend the plan depending on the needs of the tenants.\nPresident Knox White opened the public hearing.\nCouncil Member Daysog, speaking as a member of the public and a neighbor of the\nproject, said option A was preferable but the windows on the western side of the building\non option B play off the Aria building better. He said he would like to see an additional\nwindow on the eastern side of the building for aesthetics.\nPresident Knox White closed the public hearing.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster said option A has a grander feel. He said the attempt at a more\ntraditional look on option B would need much more detail if we went that way. He said the\nlaundry location needs help in order to not have to go through a bedroom to reach the\nlaundry.\nBoard Member Mitchell said he prefers option A.\nBoard Member Zuppan said she liked the art deco feel but that it needs to go further in\naddressing the details. She said she was concerned with the proximity of some of the\nparking spaces to the front doors of the homes.\nBoard Member Sullivan said she prefers option A but does not like the design of the\nwindows on the second floor. She said she is concerned that the project have enough\nparking and not spill any cars onto the streets.\nBoard Member Henneberry said he prefers option A.\nPresident Knox White said he prefers option A. He said he is concerned with the\nconfiguration of the parking and their proximity to the houses. He said short term bike\nparking needs to be provided on the sidewalk. He said he would be supportive of going\nwith three smaller units on the second floor instead of two larger ones.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 2 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 3, "text": "No action was taken.\n7-B 2016-2775\nProposed Text Amendment to the City of Alameda Zoning Ordinance (AMC\nChapter 30) regarding Water Efficient Landscaping. Public hearing to\nconsider proposed text amendments to Article IV. Water: Conservation\nLandscaping, Sections 30-58 through 30-59 of the Zoning Ordinance, to\ncomply with new State Laws regarding water efficient landscaping. The\nproposed amendments are categorically exempt from further\nenvironmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15305, Minor\nAlterations to Land Use Limitations.\nStaff Member Sablan gave the staff presentation. The staff report and attachments can be\nfound\nat:\nttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2679401&GUID=F4COFC31-\nFA57-477E-9CCF-BF9D849D90E3&FullText=1\nBoard Member Zuppan asked if we were doing anything towards addressing and\nencouraging grey water systems.\nStaff Member Thomas said that new developments have the infrastructure to take\nadvantage of future deliveries of grey water from EBMUD, but nothing on a site level basis.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster asked if we had looked into having EBMUD be responsible for\nmonitoring and enforcing these requirements, which are provided by them as a local\nservice.\nStaff Member Sablan said that we have not.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked what StopWaste.org's expertise and relationship is to this\nwater\nefficiency\nissue.\nStaff Member Sablan said some of the initial funding came from them.\nStaff Member Thomas said that they were involved with the Bay Friendly Landscaping\nGuidelines.\nBoard Member Sullivan said this is supposed to be about the efficient use of water and\nnot about waste streams.\nPresident Knox White asked if we would have to update our regulations when the state\nupdates their language or if we can have language that allows us to automatically adopt\nchanges that the state makes to the model ordinance.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 3 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 4, "text": "Mr. Baldauf explained that they are focused on creating a versatile urban space that\nsupports having people there. He said there could be different types and sizes of spaces\nthat could use the site.\nBoard Member Zuppan asked if the space was envisioned as a maker space.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 4 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 5, "text": "Mr. Baldauf said that it is at the forefront of their thinking. He said there would almost\nsurely be some sort of local serving market. He said the spaces themselves will determine\nthe types of users in each.\nBoard Member Zuppan asked about wind concerns and availability of drinking fountains\nfor people and animals within the site.\nMr. Baldauf said they are hoping that Block 11 will block much of the wind from the site\nand that they have not had the conversation about water fountains yet.\nBoard Member Mitchell asked if there would be public restrooms.\nMr. Baldauf said that \"under the bleachers\" is a natural spot for public restrooms.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked how long it will take for the retail space to be vibrant.\nThe applicant said the construction of the neighboring blocks would dictate, but that they\nwould be marketing the space as soon as the package gets approval.\nDavid Delasantos, from MBH Architects, gave a presentation on the design for Block 9.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster asked if the side facing Block 10 had to be adaptable for retail.\nStaff Member Thomas said it did not, only the side facing West Atlantic.\nPresident Knox White opened the public comment.\nKaren Bey said she likes how Block 10 feels like a destination. She said the colors,\nsignage and window treatments will be very important. She said she loves Building 9. She\nlikes the creative, edgy, modern architecture. She said we should encourage a bike\ngarage be added to the building.\nJoyce August, from the Alameda Home Team, said she is in favor of the additional units.\nShe said she worries the single facade will give it a \"public housing' feel.\nPresident Knox White closed the public comment.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked if Block 9 would be rentals or for sale units.\nBruce Dorfman, of Alameda Point Partners, said it was meant to be a rental property.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked what is being done to prevent liquefaction.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 5 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 6, "text": "Mr. Dorfman said buildings 9 and 11 would be on piles.\nBoard Member Sullivan said that although they met the minimum requirements, the\nnumber of spaces are not realistic for how people live. She asked about the parking plan\nand availability for the destination retail.\nStaff Member Thomas explained the 1.34 parking to unit ratio in the apartment building\nand the reason they are unbundled.\nBoard Member Sullivan asked how many spaces are in the surface lot behind Block 11.\nMr. Dorfman said they would make sure to have that information in the final submittal.\nBoard Member Mitchell said he is concerned with the wind at the corner of the \"wing\"\nbuilding, but that he likes the space overall. He said the south elevation of Block 9 looked\nlike it might have too many different design elements and might need to be simplified.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster said Block 10 is our chance to plan our \"Union Square.' He said\nthey need to figure out how to address the square and the streets simultaneously. He said\nthe programming of the space will be most important. He said he wondered if the box cars\ncould be used and moved with new installations periodically. He suggested a meeting/tour\nat the site where people could get inside the buildings to help see what the spaces are\nlike and could become. On Block 9, he said the design is bold and exciting. He said the\nelevations are a little too busy and need to focus on a cohesive theme. He said he likes\nthe idea of the entry court. He said it would be nice to see the context of the surrounding\napproved buildings.\nBoard Member Henneberry said he is not in favor of the mural. He said Karen Bey's\nsuggestion of a history walk was a good one. He said we live on San Francisco Bay and\nthat the wind is a fact of life and would not stop the space from being successful if done\nright. He said he agrees that some of the elevations of Block 9 are a little busy, but maybe\nit would turn out okay since it is such a large building.\nBoard Member Zuppan said that seeing the blocks in context with the other approved\nprojects would be helpful. She said she likes the current design of Block 10. She said she\nis not sure if the children's play area off in the corner behind the building was the right way\nto go. She said she is not sure she would like to see the mural wrapping the building. She\nsaid she would want to see how we pull off the history walk before going in that direction.\nShe said the elevation of Block 9 felt busy and needs unifying. She said she wondered\nwhat the design elements would do for energy demands of the building. She said she liked\nhow the garage entrance was treated.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 6 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 7, "text": "President Knox White said he liked the mural. He said he liked the informal play areas and\nwanted to make sure that the middle of Block 10 was a place that people wanted to be.\nHe said he was floored that D Street was pushed through. He said that it would turn the\nintersection into a place just for cars instead of a continuation of the Waterfront Park. He\nsaid he would like to eliminate one of the curb cuts facing the affordable housing. He said\nhe liked that the lobby was on the corner facing Atlantic. He agreed that it might make\nsense to calm down the design of the south elevation. He said he was very happy to see\nthe retail in Block 9. He suggested that new board members review the TDM plan that was\ncore to the environmental review and was approved by two city councils. He said we are\nnot going back on the parking plan and we need to get beyond the issue.\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster said he worried that not having the turnoff might encourage more\npeople to drive all the way to the end rather than turning off early.\nStaff Member Thomas explained that staff has been deliberating on the issue as well.\nBoard Member Zuppan said directing cars down C Street puts them right at the end of the\nlinear park, which creates a different set of conflicts. She asked for and received\nconfirmation that the rental building (Block 9) would be a dog friendly building.\nNo action was taken.\n8. MINUTES\n8-A 2016-2770\nDraft Meeting Minutes - September 14, 2015\nBoard Member K\u00f6ster made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Henneberry\nseconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0-1 (Zuppan was absent from the 9/14/15\nmeeting).\n8-B 2016-2772\nDraft Meeting Minutes - December 14, 2015\nBoard Member Zuppan made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Mitchell\nseconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0-2 (K\u00f6ster and Henneberry were absent from\nthe 12/14/15 meeting).\n9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS\n9-A 2016-2777\nZoning Administrator and Design Review Recent Actions and Decisions\nStaff Member Thomas said they approved ten design reviews and that there has not been\nany late opposition.\n9-B 2016-2778\nApproved Minutes\nPage 7 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}
{"body": "PlanningBoard", "date": "2016-04-11", "page": 8, "text": "Future Public Meetings and Upcoming Community Development\nDepartment Projects\nStaff Member Thomas gave a preview of items coming to the board in future meetings.\nHe said the Mayor called 1435 Webster for review.\nPresident Knox White asked for an update on the Bay St. item he called for review at the\nprevious meeting.\nStaff Member Garcia said that the item was not actually approved and had gone back to\nthe architect for redesign.\n10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n11. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS\n11-A 2016-2779\nReport from the Boatworks - Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee\n*Did not meet*\n12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS\n*None*\n13. ADJOURNMENT\nPresident Knox White adjourned the meeting at 10:24pm.\nApproved Minutes\nPage 8 of 8\nPlanning Board Meeting\nApril 11, 2016", "path": "PlanningBoard/2016-04-11.pdf"}