Alameda Planning Board Meeting - September 11, 2023
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Alameda Planning Board Meeting - September 11, 2023
The Alameda Planning Board met on Monday, September 11, 2023, at 7:00 PM in City Hall. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call (Board Member Teague absent, others present), and board member acknowledgments. The board approved consent calendar minutes, held a public hearing on a parcel map for South Shore Center, and conducted three study sessions on zoning code amendments related to fences, non-conforming buildings and uses, and reasonable accommodation. The meeting adjourned at 8:28 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Draft Meeting Minutes – July 10, 2023 and July 24, 2023: Approved unanimously via voice vote. Board Member Cisneros requested future consent items be labeled with sub-items for clarity.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Public Comment: Christopher Buckley, representing the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS), invited the board and staff to the AAPS 50th Anniversary Legacy Home Tour on Sunday, September 17, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tickets are available at Franklin Park or online.
- Agenda Item 5-B (Fences): Christopher Buckley again spoke, reiterating the AAPS’s written concerns: (1) retaining the term “barrier” in the code to better encompass walls, and (2) keeping the transparency requirement for the entire fence rather than limiting it to the top portion, to avoid a “walled-in” look. He provided photographic examples.
Discussion Items
- 5-A – Parcel Map – 2212 South Shore Center: Staff presented a proposal to subdivide a 40.88-acre parcel into four lots with reciprocal access easements. The applicant (Merlone Geier, via Wayne Leach) stated the subdivision would improve property management and position out-parcels for future redevelopment. Board Member Ruiz recused herself. The board asked clarifying questions about assessor’s parcels and lease terms. No public speakers. The board voted unanimously to recommend approval to the City Council.
- 5-B – Study Session: Zoning Code Amendments – Fences: Staff presented proposed changes to simplify fence regulations, remove hedges from the fence definition, clarify see-through materials, address temporary barriers, and adjust height limits for street-side yards. Board members discussed enforcement, transition guidelines, transparency percentages, electrified fences, and the definition of “adjacent.” The board offered feedback for staff to refine the ordinance before a future hearing.
- 5-C – Study Session: Zoning Code Amendments – Non-Conforming Buildings and Uses: Staff proposed reinstating inadvertently deleted provisions, clarifying distinctions between non-conforming uses, buildings, and lots, and adding a revocation process for unused permits or problematic non-conforming uses. Board members raised concerns about vesting language, cumulative improvement tracking, and the definition of substantial completion. Staff will revise the draft based on comments.
- 5-D – Study Session: Zoning Code Amendments – Reasonable Accommodation: Staff presented amendments to streamline approval of accessibility modifications for persons with disabilities, removing discretionary review per the housing element. Board members discussed removal of accommodations when no longer needed, the scope of triggers (e.g., not requiring full ADA upgrades), and disclosure for new property owners. Board requested clearer findings and language on removal obligations.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Recommendation to City Council to approve the parcel map for 2212 South Shore Center (unanimous voice vote).
- Directives to Staff: For the fence amendments, staff will consider: retaining the term “barrier” or clarifying that “fence” includes walls; maintaining transparency for the entire fence; addressing electrified fences; and adding design transition guidelines. For non-conforming amendments, staff will refine vesting and improvement tracking language. For reasonable accommodation, staff will clarify removal conditions and scope of work.
- Next Steps: Staff will bring revised ordinances back to the Planning Board for a formal recommendation to City Council within the next few months.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, thank you. Welcome everyone. It is now seven o'clock, and we're starting the planning board meeting of September 11th, 2023. So uh starting off, roll call staff. Yes, oh excuse me, Pledge of Allegiance first. Can't we forget that? Commissioner Curtis is gonna be leading us in the pledge. 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. Um staff roll call, please. Certainly. Um board member Teague is absent. Board member Sahaba present. Board member Arisa. Present. Board Member Cisneros. Present. Board Member Curtis. Here. Board Member Ruiz. Here. And President Hum. Here. We have a quorum. Okay, thank you, staff. Uh, before we start the meeting, there's a couple of things I just wanted to say. First, um, I wanted to really take the opportunity to thank you very much, board member Ruiz, for the wonderful job she did in the past year, serving as the president. So I hope to follow in her very capable footsteps. You know, and on a more somber note, I wanted to acknowledge that today, September 11th, marks the 22nd anniversary of the horrific uh World Trade Center bombing. So I wanted to kind of acknowledge that. Um memorable event in history. Can't believe it's 22 years already. Um moving on to agenda changes. Any agenda changes at all from staff or board members? No changes. Okay, this is next is the opportunity for non-agenda public comments. So anyone can may speak for up to three minute minutes for any item not on the agenda. Staff, do we have any speakers? Yes. Yes, we have one uh speaker, Christopher Buckley. Okay. Christopher Buckley with the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society. Would like to invite all of you, including staff, of course, to our 50th anniversary Alameda Legacy Home Tour this coming Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m. going to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at Franklin Park. You can also get them on our website. The tour this year, we think is one of the best. Uh one of the houses is an Ernest Coxhead. If you know Ernest Coxhead, he designed the boys and girls um club house, which is quite interesting. Um this one, in my opinion, is even better.
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