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2005-04-05 Special CIC Minutes MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY - - - APRIL 5, 2005 - - - 7:27 P.M. Chair Johnson convened the Special Meeting at 8:24 p.m. ROLL CALL - Present: Commissioners Daysog, deHaan, Gilmore, Matarrese, and Chair Johnson – 5. Absent: None. MINUTES (05-014) Minutes of the Special Community Improvement Commission (CIC) Meetings of March 1, 2005 and March 15, 2005, and the Special Joint City Council and CIC Meeting of March 15, 2005. Approved. Commissioner Matarrese moved approval of the minutes. Commissioner Gilmore seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous voice vote – 5. AGENDA ITEM (05-015) Recommendation to accept report on the Alameda West Strategic Retail Implementation Recommendations. The Base Reuse and Redevelopment Manager provided a brief report. Consultant, Linda Congleton, Linda S. Congleton and Associates, gave a Power Point Presentation on the optimal retail implementation strategy for the City. Commissioner Daysog stated a 300,000 square foot center would be needed in order to compete regionally; inquired whether it would be wiser to have a shopping center with said scale of square footage that could be a regional draw. Ms. Congleton responded that increasing the square footage would not produce a regional draw because there is no freeway access. Commissioner Daysog stated that the South Shore Shopping Center draws people from Oakland; the potential to capture from the region should not be undersold. Ms. Congleton stated that making the center larger would not change the fact that two-thirds of sales would come from Alameda. Special Meeting Community Improvement Commission April 5, 2005 1 Commissioner deHaan stated there is a transportation concern with building out at the west end; walkable shopping needs to be established; inquired whether the Del Monte building would be a good location for a grocery store. Ms. Congleton responded that there would be some challenges; stated the building would not give the retailer visibility and does not lend itself to a traditional grocery store; noted that grocery stores prefer to locate on major streets. Commissioner Matarrese stated that the report did not reference the Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP); that he was looking for more connection to the Alameda Point Reuse Plan and walkable neighborhoods; noted the EDSP had certain goals to improve and support neighborhood commercial districts as well as the districts on Park Street and Webster Street; stated that he was not ready to accept the report; the report does not reference the context of all the other plans. Ms. Congleton stated the report is not intended to be a policy document; the report addresses retailed out there and interested [in locating in Alameda]. Commissioner Matarrese stated that the public direction [in other plans] would have been valuable to help form recommendations. Ms. Congleton stated that she was aware of the goals [in plans]; that her job as a retail analyst was to outline options. Chair Johnson stated the next step would be to review the existing plans and strategies. The Base Reuse and Redevelopment Manager stated the intent of the report was to tier off the existing policy initiatives, review four specific sites, provide the most tools possible to evaluate proposals, and have the retailing consultant make some very specific recommendations on what can be accommodated at the sites and on the trade offs; suggested the introduction to the report be revised to reference the existing documents. Commissioner Matarrese stated that the report [introduction] indicates that it is an implementation strategy, which it is not. Commissioner Gilmore stated that subtracting the amount of possible retail square footage and noting the types of retailers that could be potentially successful can be accomplished by integrating the information with the previous reports and the expressed citizen preference. Special Meeting Community Improvement Commission April 5, 2005 2 Ms. Congleton concurred with Commissioner Gilmore; noted small shops cannot be supported without an anchor. Commissioner Daysog stated that the presented information is an envelope from which decisions can be made. Ms. Congleton stated that typically a grocery store is 30,000 to 65,000 square feet and needs to serve 4,000 to 7,000 homes; noted walkable neighborhoods need to have a sufficient amount of density. Commissioner deHaan inquired whether the additional grocery store should be at Enterprise Landing or Alameda Point. Ms. Congleton responded that there could be support for grocery stores at both Enterprise Landing and Alameda Point in theory; noted it would be necessary to wait for all of the homes at Alameda Point to be built out. Commissioner deHaan inquired whether the City should be considering a Target or urban type center. Ms. Congleton responded the City should be considering a Target type center; stated that Target has wanted to be in Alameda for years; the City should try to get Target at Enterprise Landing, if not South Shore. Chair Johnson inquired whether a smaller sized urban type center would be feasible, to which Ms. Congleton responded there would be a great resistance from Target. Commissioner Daysog stated that he would encourage a regional approach review that goes beyond boundaries. Ms. Congleton stated that down sizing the anchors does not attract the mini anchors. Chair Johnson stated the intention in the introduction should be made clearer. The Base Reuse and Redevelopment Manager stated staff could add a more comprehensive introduction and circulate it as an off agenda report. Commissioner Matarrese stated that he would like the matter brought back to the Commission; that he fears an off agenda report would disappear; stated he would like to engage the community. Special Meeting Community Improvement Commission April 5, 2005 3 Commissioner Daysog stated he would like to have a timeline on what would be done with the information provided. Chair Johnson stated that she was glad that the analysis was done before going forward with any decisions. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chair Johnson adjourned the Special Meeting at 9:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lara Weisiger Secretary, Community Improvement Commission The agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Brown Act. Special Meeting Community Improvement Commission April 5, 2005 4