Alameda Planning Board Annual Review Meeting – June 27, 2022
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Alameda Planning Board Annual Review Meeting – June 27, 2022
The Alameda Planning Board met on June 27, 2022, via Zoom at 7:00 PM to conduct annual reviews of three development agreements (Site A, Del Monte, and Boatworks), approve meeting minutes, and discuss upcoming housing element and zoning amendments. All three annual reviews resulted in resolutions finding the developers in good faith compliance.
Consent Calendar
- Item 6-A (Alameda Landing Commercial and Residential Development Agreement Annual Review) was continued to the July 25, 2022 meeting (corrected from the originally listed July 11 date by staff).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Christopher Buckley, Alameda resident, thanked the Planning Board for their volunteer service, stating they have "one of the toughest jobs in the city" and provide "carefully considered decisions and input." He expressed appreciation for the board's dedication.
- Daniel Bajon, Alameda resident and parent of three public school children, expressed concern about traffic mitigation for new developments, specifically asking what plans exist for handling commute congestion on and off the island as housing is added. Planning Director Andrew Thomas responded with details on regional transportation improvements (new ferry terminal, cross-island bus line, upcoming free water shuttle pilot, and the Broadway Jackson Interchange project), noting that the Bay Area is not widening freeways and the focus is on providing alternatives to automobiles.
Discussion Items
7-A – Alameda Point Site A Development Agreement Annual Review Planning Director Andrew Thomas explained that staff reviewed the annual report from Alameda Point Partners (APP) and found the developer in good faith compliance with the existing 2015 agreement. He noted that although amendments to increase housing units are being discussed to meet the housing element, those changes are not yet adopted. Board Member Cisneros asked for clarification; Thomas confirmed that draft amendments for Site A are scheduled for the July 25 Planning Board meeting. The board approved the resolution unanimously. (Motion by Rothenberg, second by Vice President Reese; vote: 5–0)
7-B – Del Monte Development Agreement Annual Review Board members asked questions about the project timeline (completion of restoration and adaptive reuse expected by October 2022), Gene Sweeney Park funding (the developer contributed $2 million, which was leveraged into $4 million via a state parks grant and additional grants, praised by board members as a model for public investment), the beneficial transfer agreement (a fee on each condominium sale intended to provide additional city revenue; since Wood Development is building rentals rather than condos, this provision will not apply), and the Clement Street extension (now open to cars as of the past week; the Penzoil site will eventually complete the last segment, but that is 1½–2 years away). The board approved the resolution finding good faith compliance. (Motion by Curtis, second by Hom; vote: 6–0, with Vice President Ruiz recused)
7-C – Boatworks Development Agreement Annual Review No board questions or public comments were offered. Staff found the developer in good faith compliance. The board approved the resolution unanimously. (Motion by Hom, second by Cisneros; vote: 6–0)
8-A – Approval of April 11, 2022 Meeting Minutes Board members who were absent at the April 11 meeting (Cisneros, Rothenberg, and President Saheba) abstained. The vote initially seemed to lack a quorum, but City Attorney Chan clarified that a majority of those present at the April 11 meeting (Curtis, Hom, and Ruiz) voted in favor, which was sufficient. The minutes were approved. (Vote: 3–0 with three abstentions)
Board Communications – Housing Element Outreach and Zoning Updates
- Director Thomas reported that a developer's application for a 400-unit project at the Harbor Bay Club was withdrawn; no active application exists.
- Regarding the closed CVS at Harbor Bay Shopping Center, the city has received no reuse application, and unfounded rumors about affordable housing being built there were corrected at a Chamber of Commerce housing conversation event. Thomas noted that the closure was due to a lease dispute.
- Board members commended Thomas for his community outreach at Harbor Bay, which helped clarify misconceptions about the housing element and rezoning proposals. Board Member Curtis described the outreach as "incredible" in a challenging environment.
- Thomas reported that the shopping center overlay zoning is being revised to require a minimum amount of commercial space to preserve retail services while allowing housing, in response to community concerns about losing shopping center amenities.
Key Outcomes
- Annual Reviews Approved: The board unanimously found all three developers (Alameda Point Partners for Site A, TL Partners/Alta Buena Vista/Wood Development for Del Monte, and Boatworks LLC) in good faith compliance with their respective development agreements.
- Minutes Approved: The April 11, 2022 meeting minutes were approved with three votes in favor (Curtis, Hom, Ruiz) and three abstentions.
- Next Meetings: The Planning Board will meet on July 11, 2022 (to consider housing element zoning amendments and the Alameda Point Reshape annual report) and July 25, 2022 (for Alameda Landing annual report, Site A development plan and DA amendments, and Alameda Landing waterfront amendment). August is recessed.
- Community Engagement: Director Thomas and staff will continue public outreach through Chamber of Commerce housing conversations and manage revisions to the shopping center overlay to balance housing needs with commercial retention.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, great. Good evening. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Cityville. On Monday, June 27, 2022. We'll start with the flag salute. Board members Cisneros, if you could lead us. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And board member Tig has an excused absence. We have a quorum. Okay, sounds good. Let's move on to the next item, agenda changes and discussion. Does anyone have anything on that? No. Uh staff has just one quick note. Um President Sahaba. Um the consent calendar item six A is listed on the agenda as B uh to be continued to July 11th. Um staff is actually requesting that that be continued to the following meeting, which would be July twenty-fifth. Okay. Yeah, that's seems like there's no issue with that. So we'll just make a note of that. Let's see oral communications. Um may address the board on a topic not on this not on the agenda this evening. Uh by raising your hands. Uh you'll have three minutes to speak. Are there any hands raised? Yes, there's currently one person raising their hand out of four attendees. Uh, first speaker will be Christopher Buckley. Okay. Christopher Buckley, Alameda resident. I'd like to offer a counterpoint to some of the public comments of the last planning board meeting by thanking you for being on the board as volunteers and with considerable expenditure of your time. You have one of the toughest jobs in the city by having to address issues that can have major impacts on Alameda residents and businesses and the city's future. You are all practicing or retired professionals who offer valuable experience and do your homework. While we don't always agree, you provide carefully considered decisions and input and are respectful to the public. The city is very fortunate that you're on the board. Thank you for your service. Thank you for those comments. Oh, sorry, did I lose lose you all? You were frozen for just a little bit. Okay. And this is annual review for the Alameda Point Site A development agreements. Uh, do we have any uh commentary from the planning group? Um present uh is Andrew Thomas Planning Director. I'll just um for the benefit of the public. Um we have three annual reports on the agenda tonight. Um these are all three related to existing development agreements um that the city has entered into um under state and local law. The um we have to do an annual report. Um so um during COVID, we we we missed a year. Um so this is the first time we've picked it up um in two years, but we are going to be back on an annual um cycle now. There's um the three development agreements that we're reviewing tonight are the site A development agreement at Almeda Point, the boatworks development in East Alameda, Oak and Clement, and um the Del Monte development agreement. So um staff reviewed all three development agreements.
openpublica.com