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Record of Proceedings

Alameda Planning Board Meeting - March 22, 2021

Planning Board — Monday, March 22, 2021
BodyAlameda, California
SessionPlanning Board
DateMonday, March 22, 2021
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Starting right now.

0:03

Thank you.

0:05

I would like to welcome everybody to the Monday, March 22nd regular meeting of the planning board.

0:14

Call it to order.

0:15

Board member Cisneros will lead us in the flag slip.

0:21

I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God invisible with liberty and chefs for all.

0:31

Thank you.

0:32

And just to clarify, I did ask if she would do it before the camera started.

0:36

I wasn't just at telling her to do it.

0:40

Roll call, please.

0:41

Yes, good evening.

0:42

Um President T.

0:44

Present.

0:45

Board Member Cisneros.

0:47

Here, Curtis.

0:50

President Hong.

0:51

Here.

0:52

Rothenberg.

0:53

Here.

0:54

Ruiz.

0:55

Present.

0:56

And Saheba.

0:58

Present.

0:59

We have a quorum.

1:00

Thank you.

1:01

Thank you.

1:02

Do we have any agenda changes or on staff?

1:06

No.

1:07

Okay.

1:07

If anyone in the attendees would like to address the board on a topic not on the agenda, please raise your hand.

1:23

Not seeing either of the two.

1:25

I will close the oral comment.

1:29

Consent calendar is empty.

1:31

And so we will go to the regular agenda.

1:35

Where I have item 7A as the 1214 Peach Street Design Review.

1:45

That was what we mailed out, but I think online we changed the order.

1:57

Are you seeing something different?

2:02

Nope, that's fine.

2:03

I missed this misread something.

2:05

Yes.

2:05

So this is the 1214 Peach Street Design Review, a public hearing to consider a call for review of the planning director's approval of the design review staff.

2:16

If you would like to talk about it, please.

2:19

Good evening, President Teague.

2:20

This is Alan Tye City Planner.

2:22

I actually like to introduce you to Deirdre McCartney, our planning technician.

2:26

She's the project planner on this design review, and she'll deliver the SNAP report.

2:32

And if I may have permission to share screen, I believe uh Deirdre has some slides to share as well.

2:41

Yep, should be shareable.

2:44

Great, thank you.

3:00

Okay, Deirdre is all yours.

3:02

Thank you, Alan.

3:03

Good evening, President Teague and members of the board.

3:06

My name is Gerard McCartney with the planning division and the project planner for the agenda item before you a call for review of staff's approval of a design review to legalize work without permits at 1214 Peach Street.

3:21

The work consists of raising the house by 13 inches to convert the basement to an ADU and to add shingles and an octagonal vent at the front gable.

3:32

In 2014, that home was subject to code enforcement action for being in disrepair and unsafe to occupy.

3:40

In 2018, the current owner, who is also the contractor, has replaced the asbestos siding and the original siding beneath it and all windows replaced the foundation, remodeled the main house, and is in the process of finishing construction of the ADU in the basement.

3:59

In January of 2021, staff discovered that the owner exceeded the scope of the permitted work for the foundation and siding replacement by increasing the height of the basement, changing the siding replacement design, and adding an octagonal vent.

4:16

Still, the design review was approved by staff based on the findings that the work is compatible with the existing building.

4:24

When with one of the conditions that the new railing for the porch be replaced with an appropriate wood railing.

4:30

The design is compatible with the neighborhood, and the project complies with the city with city zoning codes and with residential guidelines.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
General Plan██████████████████████████████30%
Design Review█████████████████████████25%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Code Enforcement█████████9%
Procedural████████8%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Historic Preservation█████5%
Housing█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Alameda Planning Board Meeting - March 22, 2021

The Planning Board convened on March 22, 2021, at 7:00 PM via Zoom to consider a design review for a code enforcement case at 1214 Peach Street and to discuss the schedule for upcoming public hearings on the draft General Plan update. The board also approved the minutes from the February 22, 2021 meeting.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was empty; no items were pulled for review.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Christopher Buckley (Alameda Architectural Preservation Society) spoke on Item 7-A. He expressed concern that the plans submitted for the Peach Street property were ambiguous, noting inconsistencies between the plans and actual construction (e.g., Tyvek installed where existing siding was to be restored, brackets removed without clarity on replacement, and the replacement of an attic window with an octagonal vent). He recommended standard notes on plans to differentiate new from existing work and urged submission of a siding sample for review.

Discussion Items

  • Item 7-A: 1214 Peach Street – Design Review (Call for Review) – Staff presented the proposal to legalize work without permits: raising a single-family house by 13 inches to create ceiling height for a basement ADU, plus exterior restoration including shingle siding at the front gable, an octagonal vent, and replacement of the front porch railing. Staff recommended upholding the design review approval subject to conditions (e.g., wood railing). Board members expressed frustration with incomplete plans and the applicant’s absence but largely supported the project in concept. They directed staff to require revised plans detailing siding type, bracket restoration, wood railing details, and a color and materials board. The board voted unanimously to approve with those conditions.
  • Item 7-B: Review and Comment on General Plan Schedule – Planning Director Andrew Thomas presented the schedule for public hearings on the March 2021 draft General Plan and draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Key milestones: release of draft EIR around April 1, 2021; public comment period ending mid-May; final EIR preparation; and planning board recommendation targeted before August 2021. Board members discussed sequencing—some preferred discussing the EIR before the General Plan—and requested summaries of changes from the prior draft. No formal vote was taken; the board provided feedback to staff.
  • Item 8-A: Draft Meeting Minutes – February 22, 2021 – Minutes were approved with minor corrections.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 7-A (1214 Peach Street): The board approved the design review (7-0) with conditions: the applicant must submit revised plans showing existing and proposed siding type, restoration of original brackets, a wood railing design, and a color and materials board; staff will review and confirm compliance before building permits are issued.
  • Item 7-B (General Plan Schedule): The board directed staff to provide a summary of changes between the August 2020 and March 2021 drafts, a redline version if feasible, and to consider separating the draft EIR hearing from the General Plan hearing. Staff will incorporate feedback into the hearing calendar.
  • Item 8-A (Minutes): Approved as amended (7-0).

Meeting Transcript

Starting right now. Thank you. I would like to welcome everybody to the Monday, March 22nd regular meeting of the planning board. Call it to order. Board member Cisneros will lead us in the flag slip. I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God invisible with liberty and chefs for all. Thank you. And just to clarify, I did ask if she would do it before the camera started. I wasn't just at telling her to do it. Roll call, please. Yes, good evening. Um President T. Present. Board Member Cisneros. Here, Curtis. President Hong. Here. Rothenberg. Here. Ruiz. Present. And Saheba. Present. We have a quorum. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have any agenda changes or on staff? No. Okay. If anyone in the attendees would like to address the board on a topic not on the agenda, please raise your hand. Not seeing either of the two. I will close the oral comment. Consent calendar is empty. And so we will go to the regular agenda. Where I have item 7A as the 1214 Peach Street Design Review. That was what we mailed out, but I think online we changed the order. Are you seeing something different? Nope, that's fine. I missed this misread something. Yes. So this is the 1214 Peach Street Design Review, a public hearing to consider a call for review of the planning director's approval of the design review staff. If you would like to talk about it, please. Good evening, President Teague. This is Alan Tye City Planner. I actually like to introduce you to Deirdre McCartney, our planning technician. She's the project planner on this design review, and she'll deliver the SNAP report. And if I may have permission to share screen, I believe uh Deirdre has some slides to share as well. Yep, should be shareable. Great, thank you. Okay, Deirdre is all yours.

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