Planning Board Meeting – May 27, 2025

The Planning Board of Alameda met on May 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a consent calendar, a workshop on the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Update, and staff communications. Key actions included approval of the General Plan conformance for the Capital Budget and a deferral of the draft meeting minutes from May 12, 2025.

Consent Calendar

• Draft Meeting Minutes (May 12, 2025): Deferred to the next meeting because Board Member Humphrey was not present at that meeting and the board lacked a quorum to approve the minutes. (Item 4-A)
• General Plan Conformance (Capital Budget FY 2025-26 and 2026-27): Moved from the regular agenda to the consent calendar. The board conducted a public hearing and determined that the proposed Capital Budget is consistent with the General Plan. The motion was adopted with a unanimous vote of present members; three absent members (Areza, Ruiz, Wang) were noted as abstentions. (Item 5-A/4-B)

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke on any agenda item during the non-agenda public comment period or during the inclusionary housing workshop.

Discussion Items

• Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Update (Workshop): Staff and consultant (Kirsten Dishinger of Street Level Advisors) presented four preliminary recommendations based on the Housing Element and working group discussions:
  1. On-site rental requirements: Reduce from 15% (4% at 50% AMI, 4% at 80% AMI, 7% at 110% AMI) to 10% (4% at 50% AMI, 6% at 80% AMI) to eliminate the moderate-income tier that was difficult to fill and minimally subsidized. Options for 100% AMI were also discussed.
  2. On-site ownership requirements: Increase from 15% to 18% or 20% inclusionary, all at moderate income (120% AMI), to reflect the high cost of compliance and better match household needs.
  3. In-lieu fees: Expand availability to all project sizes; recommended rates of $35/sq. ft. for rental and $35–$50/sq. ft. for ownership (compared to current $17.87/sq. ft. for small ownership projects).
  4. Cluster development agreements: Establish clearer criteria for approving off-site or land-dedication alternatives, including feasibility assessments and alignment with city housing goals.
  5. Term of affordability: Extend from 59 years to 99 years or the life of the building, consistent with Bay Area trends.
• Board members discussed the recommendations extensively, raising questions about shared equity models, the importance of developer feedback, the need to ensure in-lieu fees do not overly disincentivize on-site units, and the potential for lowering rents on vacant moderate-income units. Members generally supported the direction but requested more analysis on the 100% AMI rental option, further detail on cluster criteria, and consideration of state law changes (e.g., fee timing, SB 330).

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: The General Plan conformance was approved (3-0-3 on abstentions). The May 12 minutes were deferred.
• Inclusionary Housing Workshop: The board provided feedback to staff and consultant. Staff will refine the ordinance proposal and return to the board for a formal hearing in the near future. No vote was taken on the recommendations.
• Item 5-C (Encinal Terminals Temporary Use Permit): Continued off-calendar to a future meeting (as previously determined on May 19, 2025).
• Staff Communications: Noted recent staff-level design review approvals and upcoming meetings (including a Use Permit modification for a gas station on Central Avenue).
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned without further business.