Alameda Planning Board Meeting – General Plan 2040 Recommendation and Housing Element Workshop – October 26, 2021
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Alameda Planning Board Meeting – General Plan 2040 Recommendation and Housing Element Workshop – October 26, 2021
The Alameda Planning Board met on October 26, 2021, to consider recommending the General Plan 2040 to the City Council and to hold a workshop on the draft Housing Element update. The meeting included public comments, board discussion, and a unanimous vote on the General Plan, with several amendments adopted. No action was taken on the Housing Element, but the board provided extensive feedback for staff to incorporate.
Consent Calendar
- No items were on the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Plan 2040: Zach Bowling expressed full support for the plan and disagreed with preservation society requests to change density language. William Smith suggested increasing floor area ratios in R1 and R2 districts to further fair housing. Christopher Buckley (Alameda Architectural Preservation Society) requested removal of the final clause in LU 15B and correction of typos, and proposed expanding tree preservation to non-invasive trees. Betsy Matheson expressed concern that the spotlight listing housing growth areas was premature and should be removed.
- Housing Element Workshop: Zach Bowling commented that ADU projections might be high and stressed the need for upzoning residential areas, especially in high-opportunity neighborhoods. Betsy Matheson urged focusing new housing in shopping centers rather than historic neighborhoods. William Smith emphasized that the fair housing assessment must be completed before finalizing the site inventory and policies, and called for robust public participation. Dolores Kelleher questioned the lack of progress on negotiating with the Navy to remove the Alameda Point housing cap. Christopher Buckley voiced major concerns about upzoning R2-R6 zones, recommending a more gradual approach and greater reliance on shopping centers and vacant lots. Josh Geyer expressed strong support for housing as a human right and urged spreading housing throughout the city, including the Gold Coast and East End, to address historical discrimination.
Discussion Items
- General Plan 2040 Recommendation: Planning Director Andrew Thomas presented the final draft, noting it was the product of a three-year community process with over 1,700 comments and 25 organizations. Key changes from the prior draft included maintaining existing floor area ratios and deferring housing density conversations to the upcoming Housing Element update. Board members praised the document and proposed amendments. After discussion, the board agreed to:
- Revise the spotlight on Article 26 (page 49) to remove confrontational language, keeping only factual statements about state law and the city’s obligations.
- Change the spotlight on page 50 from "these" to "some" housing growth opportunity areas to indicate the list is not exhaustive.
- In the tree preservation policy, replace "native" with "non-invasive" to protect desirable non-native trees.
- In LU 15B, change "constructed" to "allowed" and use "optimizing" instead of "maximizing" to clarify the policy intent.
- In ME 21 (ferry terminal parking), strike "such as rebates or need-based parking passes" to avoid implying that fee hikes are needed for equitable access.
- Retain the theme "character" as broadened in the document, after board members expressed concern that the word could be used exclusively but decided the expanded definition addresses that.
- Housing Element Workshop: Andrew Thomas presented the draft Housing Element, which must accommodate 5,353 units (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) by 2031. Key strategies included: 1,400 units from already approved projects; 1,282 units at Alameda Point (dependent on entitlements and Navy cap removal); 589 units at Encinal Terminals; 1,000 units from rezoning shopping centers; 500 units from upzoning residential districts (R1-R6); 480 accessory dwelling units; and 200 units on Park and Webster Streets. The presentation emphasized the new state requirement to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH), requiring a historical analysis of segregation and a commitment to spread housing across all neighborhoods. Board members discussed the Navy cap (called for aggressive action but noted difficulty), the relationship to SB 9 and SB 10, the feasibility of ADU counts, the need for a backup plan if Encinal or Alameda Point projects fall through, and the importance of realistic capacity and clear presentation to the public. No vote was taken; this was a workshop for input.
Key Outcomes
- General Plan 2040: The board voted unanimously (5-0) to recommend the General Plan 2040 to the City Council with the adopted amendments. The resolution will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at its November 16, 2021 meeting.
- Housing Element Update: No formal action was taken. The board provided extensive comments for staff to incorporate into future drafts. Staff will produce updated versions, and the next public workshop will be with the City Council on November 16, 2021. The goal is to submit a draft to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) by spring 2022 for certification.
Meeting Transcript
And we are now live. Thank you. That's a called today. Good evening, October 23rd. Well, no, it was today's day, October 25th, planning board meeting as call to order. Board member Hom, would you mind doing the flag salute, please? Yes, I'll be glad to. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Board Member Hong. Roll call, please. Yes. Let the record uh document that President Sahibba has a excused absence. And Vice President Ruiz will chair the meeting tonight. And Vice President Ruiz is present. Members Curtis. For roll call. You on mute. Board member Curtis is present. Yeah. I see him. Yes. Cisneros. Here, Rottenbury. And TIG, we have a quorum. Thank you. Moving on to agenda changes. Item number four. No agenda changes from staff. Thank you. Now closing that section. Moving on to oral communications. Does anyone have anyone may address the board on a topic that's not on the agenda by submitting a speaker's information slip subject to the three-minute time limit? Staff, do we have any oral communications from the general public? If you do, please raise your hand right now. Seeing none, let's move on to item number six, consent calendar. Looks like we don't have any items on the consent calendar. Moving along to item number seven, regular agenda item seven public hearing to consider a resolution recommending that the city council approves Alameda General Plan 2040. Does staff have a presentation? Yes, uh Chairperson Ruiz, Andrew Thomas, Planning Director. Um I will make this short. We, on behalf of the Alameda City staff, um, we are very pleased tonight to be recommending that you, the planning board, recommend general plan 2040 to the city council. Um this has been a long um, but we think very successful community planning process over the course of the last three years. The planning board has taken a leadership role in guiding this process with the Alameda community. Um it's the first time in 30 years that the City of Alameda has done a comprehensive update of its general plan. Um we we on at staff at the staff level think that this process has been very successful, and we are very proud of the um of the product. Um and we think the planning board should be proud as well. Um this could not have happened without the work that the planning board put into it. Um and because of the commitment of the planning board, I think it also really energized the Alameda community to participate. Um over 1700 Alameda residents took the time to write written comments and to participate in meetings with you.
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