Alameda Planning Board Meeting - February 14, 2022

The Alameda Planning Board met on February 14, 2022, at 7:00 PM via Zoom to consider three major agenda items: a design review amendment for a hotel at 1051 Harbor Bay Parkway, a design review and development plan amendment for eight townhomes at 2607-2619 Santa Clara Avenue and 1514-1518 Broadway, and a public workshop on the draft Housing Element Update and zoning amendments for Park Street, Webster Street, and commercial areas. The board also approved minutes from previous meetings. All items were discussed with public testimony, and votes were taken on the first two items.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were listed or discussed. The meeting proceeded directly to regular agenda items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the initial Oral Communications period at the start of the meeting.
• For item 7A (hotel design amendment), no public speakers addressed the board.
• For item 7B (townhomes), no public speakers addressed the board.
• For item 7C (Housing Element Workshop), multiple public speakers provided comments:
  • Betsy Matheson (Alameda resident): Expressed support for residential over commercial uses on Park and Webster Streets, encouraged limiting building heights as recommended by the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS), and requested step-downs adjacent to residential properties. She also raised concerns about shadow impacts and microclimates.
  • Speaker (name not provided): Supported uniform height limits for Park and Webster Streets, endorsed the multifamily overlay for Neptune Plaza, and emphasized the need for feasible project economics.
  • Josh Dyer (Alameda resident): Expressed excitement about upzoning main streets, highlighting potential for daycare, childcare, and other amenities. Supported increased housing density to enliven commercial areas.
  • Jay Garfinkle: Criticized the rendering of five-story buildings as appearing twice as tall as nearby structures, questioned the lack of parking, and urged the city to eliminate staff parking at City Hall to set an example. He also suggested renaming the board to a "compliance board."
  • Harvey Rosenthal (owner of Neptune Plaza): Advocated for staggered ascending heights on Webster Street, particularly for Neptune Plaza, to allow five stories over commercial. He argued that economic feasibility requires sufficient height and density.
  • Speaker (name not provided): Expressed support for staff's proposed height and setback requirements over WABA's, favoring the draft resolution to meet RHNA targets.
  • Christopher Buckley (Alameda Architectural Preservation Society): Presented four main points: concern about state density bonus law allowing buildings to exceed height limits, support for WABA's two-track approach, request to retain story limits in the zoning code, and opposition to increased heights on Park Street without a use permit. He also suggested an ADU strategy.
  • Therese Hall (Alameda resident): Raised issues about public notification for the workshop, requested a repository for presentation materials, expressed concerns about microclimates (shading and wind tunnels), and emphasized the needs of disabled residents for accessible parking.
  • Marilyn All (Alameda resident): Thanked staff for correcting a typo regarding multifamily dwellings and supported treating Neptune Plaza like other shopping centers with increased height limits.
  • Alex Bear (Alameda resident): Expressed approval of staff's proposal and encouraged upzoning, especially for Neptune Plaza. He noted that the appearance of a five-story building next to a three-story building is poor design, not necessarily height, and called for historic preservation protections on Webster Street.
  • Daniel Hoy (West Alameda Business Association design committee): Thanked staff for diagrams, requested more time to canvass property owners about the proposed changes, and expressed some concerns about staff's modifications to WABA's diagrams.
  • Drew Dara Abrams (Alameda resident): Supported increased height limits, density bonuses for affordable housing, and pedestrian improvements. He encouraged long-term thinking, including potential future BART stations.

Discussion Items

7-A: Design Review Amendment – 1051 Harbor Bay Parkway (Hotel)

• Staff Presentation (Henry Dong, Planner): The hotel was originally approved in October 2020. The applicant (Shriji Hospitality, Inc.) requested minor modifications to the southwest and southeast elevations to accommodate Hilton's product type and modular construction. The number of rooms, colors, and materials remain unchanged. Staff recommended approval by motion.
• Board Discussion: Board members asked about deferred design conditions from the original approval, including a corner enhancement and sunshades. Staff confirmed these had not been addressed. Board members expressed concern that the corner design (a gateway site) was not finalized. The applicant (Mr. Patel) stated that a more robust corner design is planned, including public art, and would be submitted within 60 days. Director Thomas suggested an ad hoc committee to review the design before building permits.
• Motion: Board member Rothenberg moved to approve the amendment as submitted, with a condition that the refined corner design be reviewed by a planning board subcommittee (consisting of Rothenberg, Ruiz, and Hom) before finalization. Seconded by Hom. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).

7-B: Design Review and Development Plan Amendment – 2607-2619 Santa Clara Ave & 1514-1518 Broadway (Townhomes)

• Staff Presentation (Henry Dong): The project originally proposed 9 townhomes with a stacked parking structure. A 2021 city ordinance eliminated minimum parking requirements, leading the applicant to revise the plan to have 8 townhomes with surface parking. The revision removes the parking structure and one unit, resulting in a more open site plan. Staff recommended approval, with a correction to condition #9 (bicycle parking: 8 long-term, 2 short-term).
• Applicant/Architect Presentation (Dan Hale, Hunt Hale Jones): Presented slides showing the improved site plan with eliminated parking structure, open space, and children's play area. They proposed an alternate entry canopy design: a 3-foot canopy over front doors with a sloping metal roof between units, instead of a 5-foot flat canopy. They also discussed the ADA unit, accessible bathrooms, and landscaping.
• Board Discussion: Board members raised questions about permeable pavers, garbage truck access, noise from the play area, lighting, and compliance with fair housing laws. Board member Curtis opposed the project due to traffic flow and safety concerns. Board members Cisneros and Hom supported the design improvements. Board member Rothenberg suggested adding bollards for safety and incorporating public art into the canopy. Board member Teague asked about fair housing and ADA compliance. Board member Ruiz requested a photometric study for egress lighting.
• Motion: Board member Hom moved to approve the design review and development plan amendment with the following modifications: (1) approve the applicant's alternate canopy design; (2) correct condition #9 to 8 long-term and 2 short-term bike spaces; (3) require bollards at the parking lot edge near the play area; (4) conduct a photometric study for adequate lighting; (5) ensure compliance with fair housing and accessibility codes. Board member Teague seconded. The motion passed 6-1, with board member Curtis dissenting.

7-C: Public Workshop – Draft Housing Element Update and Zoning Amendments for Park Street, Webster Street, and Commercial Areas

• Staff Presentation (Andrew Thomas, Planning Director): Presented the draft zoning amendments to encourage housing on transit corridors. The city needs to plan for 5,353 new housing units (RHNA cycle 2023-2031). Staff proposed eliminating multifamily prohibitions and density limits on Park and Webster Streets, allowing residential above ground-floor commercial. Height limits were discussed: 65 feet on Park Street, and a graduated height system on Webster Street (from 40-85 feet) based on proximity to the historic core. The proposal also includes a 30-unit-per-acre minimum density to qualify as affordable under state law. Staff emphasized that this is a workshop to gather feedback; no vote was taken.
• Board Discussion: Board members discussed the use of overlay zones vs. direct zoning amendments, height consistency, minimum density requirements, and the interaction with state density bonus law. Board member Teague advocated for using multiple overlays (fair housing, transit, multifamily, high-density, commercial) to target housing needs. Board member Hom supported eliminating density limits and retaining flexibility, but questioned the 30-unit minimum. Board member Cisneros preferred direct zoning amendments over overlays. Board member Curtis stressed the importance of financial feasibility for developers. Board member Ruiz emphasized the need for sun/shadow studies and step-backs for pedestrian comfort. Board member Hom supported consistent height limits on Webster Street. The board generally supported the staff approach but requested further refinement and outreach to property owners.
• Outcome: No action taken. Staff will incorporate feedback and present a revised draft at a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Item 7-A: Approved unanimously (7-0) with a condition to create a subcommittee (Rothenberg, Ruiz, Hom) to review the corner design before building permits.
• Item 7-B: Approved 6-1 (Curtis dissenting) with amendments including canopy design, bike parking correction, bollards, lighting study, and fair housing compliance.
• Item 7-C: No vote. Workshop concluded; staff will revise the draft zoning amendments based on board and public input.
• Minutes: Approved minutes from December 12, 2021 (with a typo correction) and January 10, 2022 (with a clarification from board member Hom). Both passed unanimously.
• Staff Communications: Upcoming meetings include an annual report on the CARP Transportation Choices Plan and continued Housing Element workshops.
• Written Communication: An HCD letter dated November 29, 2021, regarding Article 26 of the city charter was transmitted to the board.

Next Steps

• Staff will work with the hotel applicant and the ad hoc subcommittee to finalize the corner design within 60 days.
• For the townhome project, staff will ensure building permit conditions are met, including the approved amendments.
• The Housing Element Update will be refined with further outreach to business districts and property owners, and will return to the Planning Board for a formal recommendation later in 2022.