pages: PlanningBoard/2015-05-11.pdf, 8
This data as json
body | date | page | text | path |
---|---|---|---|---|
PlanningBoard | 2015-05-11 | 8 | Board Member Köster asked if the City is trying to slow down the type of development at the Boatworks site. Mr. Thomas said the City cannot prohibit housing on a parcel if it is zoned correctly, but the current surplus allows the City more flexibility. Board Member Tang asked Mr. Thomas about the standard size for each housing unit. Mr. Thomas said that there is no unit size criteria in Alameda, but housing sizes typically range between 1,800 and 2,800 square feet. Board Member Tang asked if affordable units are equal in size to market rate units. Mr. Thomas replied that zoning requirements in Alameda mandate affordable housing to be comparable in size to market rate housing. Board Member Burton asked about how staff calculated the allotment of affordable housing units at the site. Mr. Thomas explained the numbers. The Board opened public comment. Ms. Helen Sause, resident, said that she was in favor of having this amendment approved. The cleanup of the Northern Waterfront will take a long time, but it is worth the effort. Ms. Diane Lichenstein said that she understood Mr. Thomas's information very clearly. She said it was reasonable to keep the zoning flexible and urged approval of the amendment. Mr. Jon Spangler, resident, said that he was in favor of the adjustment to the city ordinances, but he expressed concern that the City Council seemed to be in favor of reducing housing capacity. He wanted to see new forms of housing proposed instead of the fairly standard models being shown. He wanted to see more unconventional units, such as tiny housing, co-housing, and live-work or work-live units. Mr. William Smith, of Renewed Hope Housing Advocates, said that the Navy would be auctioning the property, which will allow for single family developers to outbid the multi- family developers. He said that the State does not like housing caps, as that drives up housing prices, and said he does not know if the size of the land is a big concern for him and his group at the moment. Ms. Laura Thomas, also of Renewed Hope, said that, normally, her organization would regret the cap on housing at the site. However, the State is not making a requirement that Alameda allocates a certain number of housing units. Alameda needs to have more housing than what the State has mandated. Rental prices have surged in the past two years. She expressed hope that, when the time comes, the zoning could be revisited and discussed. She says that the community agrees that affordable housing is needed in Alameda. The Board closed public comment. Approved Regular Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 10 May 11, , 2015 | PlanningBoard/2015-05-11.pdf |