pages: PlanningBoard/2021-07-26.pdf, 4
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PlanningBoard | 2021-07-26 | 4 | Staff Member Wheeler added that there was a mix of events that would involve amplified sound. Some were ticketed events and some were more cultural/community events, such as record swaps or Rhythmix Cultural Events. It was also a mix of people programing the area. Board Member Rothenberg did not take exception to the changes in the conditions. She asked about the popularity and high use of community centers in Alameda in general. She wanted to know if this type of feedback and activity over one Conditional Use Permit informed planning on the types of spaces people utilized for both private and public events. Director Thomas said that this originally came in as a Covid Special Event Permit due to Covid restrictions. The staff's first reaction was that this was a great idea but did not realize how popular this would be. It did show there was a real demand in Alameda for this type of event and opportunities for the community to come together. This site itself might not be the perfect spot but there was an absolute need for something like this. He also discussed the importance of people working together to make the programming and event schedule work. Board Member Rothenberg said as a Planning Board and when they look at locations for uses and future uses they need to make sure they are appropriate for the use. Board Member Hanson Hom thanked WABA for clarifying the actual number of scheduled events, a question he had asked from a previous meeting. He then asked how city staff or code enforcement had responded to complaints and how are they planning on handling future complaints. Director Thomas said as the site became more popular and the events grew they started to get complaints. City Staff first talked to the applicant telling them they had to get things under control and that was when the applicant made a number of changes. However, despite their effort, the complaints continued to come into the Planning Department. At first, this was approved at the staff level without a public hearing but staff quickly realized that was not the right process for this. This really needed to be handled through the Use Permit process where the neighbors would have an opportunity to express their concerns and the applicant could express their situation and then a judgment call would need to be made by the Planning Board. Linda Asbury, an applicant and an Executive Director of WABA, said no profit was being made. The ticket cost, whatever it was, did not cover the cost of the event. They had secured grants and sponsorships to even breakeven because the goal has always been to create community events. She also discussed who was on the payroll to make this site successful, there was no money to be made here. Approved Planning Board Minutes Page 4 of 21 July 26, 2021 | PlanningBoard/2021-07-26.pdf |