Alameda Planning Board Meeting – February 24, 2025

The Alameda Planning Board convened on February 24, 2025, at 7:01 p.m. to conduct an annual review of the RESHAP affordable housing development agreement and hold a study session on proposed updates to the Universal Design Ordinance. The board approved the consent calendar, received staff reports, and heard a non‑agenda public comment on the city’s Urban Forest Plan.

Consent Calendar

• Draft meeting minutes from January 27, 2025, were approved unanimously with no discussion or abstentions.

Regular Agenda Items

5‑A: RESHAP Development Agreement Annual Review

Staff reported that the affordable housing component of the West Midway project, developed by MidPen Housing et al., continues to make steady progress. Site preparation (sub‑drains, fill compaction) is underway; next steps include extending utilities and paving West Midway Street. The overall master schedule has all phases (affordable and market‑rate) completed by 2030, with the first building expected to open in 2026–2027. Objective design review for the first buildings is being handled at the staff level. A board member asked about the building permit status (not yet obtained, still in design review) and whether full funding is secured (nearly, with pending HUD funding). Another board member emphasized that residents should receive ample notice of any road closures. The board approved the annual report unanimously.

5‑B: Study Session – Universal Design Ordinance Updates

Staff presented proposed amendments to Alameda Municipal Code Sections 30‑18 (accessibility) and related sections. The current ordinance requires 100% visitability for all new units and 30% universal design for developments of five or more units. Townhome/rowhouse projects often cannot meet these standards due to limited ground‑floor area (e.g., garages). Staff proposed:

• Exemptions from certain visitability requirements for units with less than 150 square feet of habitable ground‑floor area.
• Exemptions from the 30% universal design requirement for projects on sites of three acres or less that also meet the 150‑sq‑ft threshold.
• Shifting the “undue financial hardship” waiver determination from the Planning Board to the building official, using a 20% threshold from the building code.
• Other streamlining changes, such as approving optional‑features checklists at the planning‑director level.

Board members provided extensive feedback:

• Several members asked for clarification on the roles of the Planning Board, Commission on Persons with Disabilities, and building official in the waiver process.
• A board member urged that the definition of “habitable space” and references to building‑code sections be refined to avoid conflicts.
• Suggestions included adding an appeal process for building‑official decisions, reordering the exemptions from broad to narrow, and considering whether a project could be totally exempt from universal design and visitability standards.
• One member expressed concern about using superlatives like “widest reasonable range” because the ordinance focuses on mobility, not all disabilities.
• Another member suggested creating a middle ground so that even exempt townhome projects still provide some universally designed units.
• The board generally supported the goal of streamlining but emphasized the need to preserve the ordinance’s accessibility objectives.

No public comments were received on this agenda item.

Staff Communications

• Staff noted that the list of recent actions and decisions was amended to include a tentative parcel map – the first such map processed under the city’s new subdivision ordinance, now handled at the staff level unless appealed.
• Upcoming items include Alameda Point projects and any appeals that may arise.

Board Communications

• A board member mentioned the Kelsi housing advocacy group as a potential resource for inclusive design standards.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A non‑agenda speaker commented on the city’s Urban Forest Plan, pointing out that an appendix map of groundwater depth lacked footnotes and that the plan did not address saltwater intrusion. The board acknowledged the concern and indicated follow‑up with staff.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar (January 27, 2025, minutes) approved.
• RESHAP Development Agreement annual report approved unanimously.
• The Universal Design Ordinance study session concluded with direction for staff to refine the draft amendments based on board input and to present a final version at a future meeting.