Resolution 15139CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. 15139
ADOPTING AN ADDENDUM TO THE CERTIFIED FINAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE ALAMEDA POINT
PROJECT FOR A NEW FERRY TERMINAL AT THE SEAPLANE
LAGOON AT ALAMEDA POINT, APPROVING A MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF ALAMEDA AND THE
WATER EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (WETA) TO
PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR COLLABORATION ON FUNDING,
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE FERRY TERMINAL,
AND APPROVING A FERRY TERMINAL PLAN
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda ( "City "), as lead agency under the California
Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) ( "CEQA ") and
the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15000 et
seq.), prepared the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Point Project
(State Clearinghouse No. 2013012043) ( "Final EIR "); and
WHEREAS, the City Council certified the Final EIR on February 4, 2014; and
WHEREAS, on May 20, 2014 the City Council approved the Alameda Point
Transportation Demand Management Plan, and on July 4, 2014 the City Council
approved the Alameda Point Town Center Plan and Waterfront Precise Plan, including a
new Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal; and
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2015, the City Council approved a Disposition and
Development Agreement (DDA) with Alameda Point Partners, LLC (APP), for the Site A
Development at Alameda Point, consisting of a 68 -acre mixed -use project at the gateway
of Alameda Point; and
WHEREAS, the DDA obligated APP to pay $10 million towards the costs incurred
for permitting, design and construction of a new Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal and
associated parking improvements; and
WHEREAS, as part of the backbone infrastructure included with the Site A
Development, APP and the City agreed to cooperate in the construction of a permitted
and operating ferry terminal at Seaplane Lagoon; and
WHEREAS, since certification of the Final EIR, the City has developed project -
specific plans for the new Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal and associated parking
( "Project"), which will involve construction of a new ferry terminal in Seaplane Lagoon at
Alameda Point to expand existing ferry service from Alameda to San Francisco and serve
the anticipated increase in demand for Alameda -to -San Francisco ferry service (including
demand from planned Alameda Point Project development as well as the
Alameda/Oakland area in general), and augment existing ferry service at the Main Street
Ferry Terminal, which now operates near capacity; and
WHEREAS, as required by the Community Reuse Plan, General Plan, Zoning
Ordinance, Alameda Point Master Infrastructure Plan, Final EIR and Transportation
Demand Management (TDM) Plan, the Site A development requires robust transportation
strategies and programs to minimize the significant transportation impacts associated
with Alameda Point redevelopment and reuse and one of those strategies is construction
of the new Ferry Terminal at the Seaplane Lagoon to support expanded ferry services to
San Francisco and the region; and
WHEREAS, for the City, a new ferry service, which is included in its planning
documents for Alameda Point, creates a transit hub at the heart of Alameda Point, which
maximizes opportunities for the residents and employers /employees who locate at
Alameda Point to be transit users and minimizes potential traffic impacts and increases
the possibility of attracting major commercial users to the site; and
WHEREAS, for APP, the new ferry service helps them minimize peak -hour vehicle
trips and comply with their trip reduction goals in the Site A TDM Compliance Strategy
and also attracts retailers, commercial users and residents, which translates into greater
market demand for their development and higher values; and
WHEREAS, WETA is the agency that operates the ferry service from the Main
Street Ferry Terminal and will operate the new ferry service from the Seaplane Lagoon
Ferry Terminal; and
WHEREAS, the City is working in partnership with WETA to provide the expanded
ferry service to the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal; and
WHEREAS, WETA, as CEQA lead agency certified the 2003 Final Program
Environmental Impact Report for the Expansion of Ferry Transit Service in the San
Francisco Bay Area (State Clearinghouse No. 2001112048), which addressed the
expansion of ferry service in San Francisco Bay, including the potential impacts
associated with operation of additional and expanded routes; and certified 2014 Final
Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision /Environmental Impact Report
for the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project (State Clearinghouse
No. 2011032066), which addressed the expansion of ferry facilities at the San Francisco
Ferry Terminal (the destination of the proposed new ferry service from Seaplane Lagoon),
including increased ferry trips and ridership; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal would not change the
operations of the ferries that serve Alameda except that the new boat would now enter
the Seaplane Lagoon as analyzed in the Final EIR for the Alameda Point Project; and
WHEREAS, for WETA the new ferry terminal locates service within walking
distance of a major development, which will maximize demand for their services from the
residents and employees located at Alameda Point and creates new parking facilities
(currently a 400 -space parking lot is planned at Alameda Point) for existing residents
since available *parking at the Main Street Terminal is close to reaching capacity; and
WHEREAS, the new ferry service also allows WETA to easily coordinate the Main
Street and Seaplane Lagoon services as one West End service (i.e., boats can be moved
in and out of both terminals) to meet shifting demands from each terminal and from
Oakland, creating long-term flexibility for WETA, without compromising the viability of the
Oakland service; and
WHEREAS, a Seaplane Lagoon terminal also positions WETA for an increase in
service in the Transbay corridor, where the ferry is one of the best options given capacity
limitations on the ridge and BART; and
WHEREAS, WETA and the City are collaborating in seeking regional and other
funding sources for construction, vessel costs, and operational subsidies for WETA ferry
service at Seaplane Lagoon, including any funding from a potential regional funding
measure; and
WHERAS, on June 4, 2015 the WETA Board of Directors adopted a System
Expansion Policy to serve as a framework for evaluating the feasibility of new ferry
projects; and
WHEREAS, an MOU has been developed based on this framework which
acknowledges the City's and WETA's intent to have ferry service to San Francisco from
Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point and sets forth that WETA and the City will work
together in good faith to establish a Seaplane Lagoon ferry service; and
WHEREAS, the MOU contemplates that the Seaplane Lagoon ferry service will be
initiated once operating funds and terminal and vessel assets are secured to operate the
expansion service; and
WHEREAS, WETA and the City are collaborating to pursue possible funding that
would align with the completion of the Ferry Terminal construction; and
WHEREAS, the existing levels of service and current amenities, including both the
quantity of on-street and off-street parking facilities, will be maintained at the Main St.
ferry terminal irrespective of future Seaplane Lagoon ferry service being implemented;
and
WHEREAS, these activities constitute minor modifications to the Alameda Point
Project, and none of the conditions requiring a subsequent or supplemental EIR as
described in Public Resources Code Section 21166 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15162
and Section 15163 have occurred; and
WHEREAS, the City has caused to be prepared an Addendum to the Final EIR
pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164; and
WHEREAS, the Addendum provides analysis and cites substantial evidence that
supports the conclusion that no subsequent environmental review is required because
there are no substantial changes in the Alameda Point Project or the circumstances under
which the Alameda Point Project is to be undertaken that would result in new or
substantially more severe environmental impacts requiring major revisions to the Final
EIR, and there is no new information that involves new significant environmental effects
or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified environmental effects that
would require preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR pursuant to Public
Resources Code Section 21166 and CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162 and 15163; and
WHEREAS, the Addendum concluded that the significant and unavoidable
impacts to which the proposed Project will contribute were previously disclosed and
analyzed in the Final EIR; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has independently reviewed and considered the
information in the Addendum, which concludes that no further environmental review is
required for the implementation of the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal, including the
associated framework MOU, as analyzed in the Final EIR.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council takes the following
actions:
1. Determines that the Addendum reflects the independent judgment of the City;
and
2. Adopts the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal of the Alameda Point Project
CEQA Addendum]; and
3. Approves a Memorandum of Understanding with the Water Emergency
Transportation Authority to provide a framework for collaboration on funding,
operations and maintenance of a Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal; and
4. Approves the Ferry Terminal Plan for development of a new Ferry Terminal in
the Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point consistent with the DDA.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and
regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda in a regular meeting
assembled on the 5th day of April, 2016, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Daysog, Ezzy Ashcraft, Matarrese, Oddie
and Mayor Spencer — 5.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ABSTENTIONS: None.
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official
seal of said City this 6th day of April, 2016.
LIAZ-
Lara Weisiger, CqClerk
City of Alameda
Approved as to form:
JanetJ. pt'�' �Vnm
C. Kern, City Attorney
City t d(Alameda