pages: PlanningBoard/2021-06-28.pdf, 10
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PlanningBoard | 2021-06-28 | 10 | Brian McGuire, Transportation Planner, introduced the item and gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4989276&GUID=6F102F46- 7E61-46F6-9093-1417174CDFA3&FullText=1. President Teague opened public comment. Zac Bowling said he liked this. He asked that the 30 AMP requirement be bumped up to 40, given the new car requirements. He wanted language added to the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station section about using standard space J1772 charting standards to make sure proprietary charge stations were not used specifically and cause boxing out. He also gave specific recommendations for EV-ready plugs. Denyse Trepanier, Board President for Bike Walk Alameda, applauded the staff for this parking policy draft. She felt that it was forward-thinking but also not radical or extreme. She discussed how other cities were also correcting this land-use mistake and had gotten rid of their parking minimums. She also discussed a similar bill (AB-1401) that was making its way through the state's legislature and if it got stalled it would be important to have this work moving forward. She also discussed the radically changing climate and how this policy was an important step for the changes we need to be making. Drew Dara-Abrams discussed how removing parking requirements could make affordable housing more possible. Anything that could help lower the cost of new housing was worth pursuing. Bundled with all the other opportunities for mode shift, smarter TDM policies, and getting people on e-bikes could add up to a gradual shift away from cars being the dominant way of transportation. He appreciated the city moving forward with this and gave his support. President Teague closed public comments and opened board commentary. Board Member Curtis believed the staff did a good job on a very detailed plan and appreciated the well-thought-out presentation. He however thought about the Law of Unintended Consequences. He was concerned about off-street parking and the upzoning that was planned to make the RHNA numbers. With the upzoning, there would be multiple dwellings and without adequate parking provided they would be taking parking away from existing neighborhoods that were already crowded, neighborhoods that were built under the existing parking requirements. He felt that they needed to take a hard look at how they were going to implement this ordinance. He also addressed the marketing aspect, by making a maximum number of parking units this allowed the developer to make none if they chose to, which would not be a good thing. He believed there should be more options for the developer to decide what type of parking they would need. He also discussed when a bike trip was not feasible and urged for moderation and to think about the needs of everyone. Board Member Cisneros was very excited about this. She also discussed AB-1401 and the importance of this policy should that bill not pass. She wanted there to be some discussion on further eliminating parking requirements close to public transit such as the ferry or a bus line. Approved Planning Board Minutes Page 10 of 15 June 28, 2021 | PlanningBoard/2021-06-28.pdf |