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2017-06-06 Special CC MinutesSpecial Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 1 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY- -JUNE 6, 2017- -6:00 P.M. Mayor Spencer convened the meeting at 6:06 p.m. ROLL CALL - Present: Councilmembers Ezzy Ashcraft, Matarrese, Oddie, Vella and Mayor Spencer – 5. [Note: Councilmember Ezzy Ashcraft arrived at 6:08 p.m.] Absent: None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS (17-335) Alan Teague, Alameda, expressed concern over having multiple actions under the rent item [paragraph no. 17-351] on the regular meeting. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS (17-336) Study Session to Consider Establishing Mixed Use (MX) Zoning District Guidelines; (17-336A) Adoption of Resolution Adopting Policies Regarding Development of Master Plans and Amendments to Master Plans for New Development within the MX Mixed Use Zoning District. Not adopted. The Assistant Community Development Director gave a Power Point presentation. Mayor Spencer inquired whether Council could adopt the resolution tonight. The Assistant Community Development Director responded in the affirmative; stat ed Council would be giving direction to staff to set the expectations for future Master Plans. Mayor Spencer inquired whether the resolution would be effective immediately, to which the Assistant Community Development Director responded in the affirmative; stated if Council would prefer the policies be adopted into the Municipal Code as Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA), staff would need to take the matter to the Planning Board and return to Council at a later date. Mayor Spencer inquired whether one option is better than the other. The Assistant Community Development Director responded the matter is the discretion of the Council; stated the previous input from Council has influenced the four major projects, which will come to Council at a future date. Councilmember Oddie inquired whether there is a third option of doing nothing. Special Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 2 The Assistant Community Development Director responded in the affirmative; stated the projects have been shaped around the objectives from Council; Council can further adjust the objectives. Councilmember Oddie inquired whether the projects will continue if Council does not do anything tonight and whether the projects continue to go forward with community input, to which the Assistant Community Development Director responded in the affirmative. Councilmember Oddie inquired whether the Tidelands project will go forward. The Assistant Community Development Director responded in the affirmative; stated housing cannot be done on Tidelands property per State law; only maritime uses. Mayor Spencer expressed concern in the event of leaving someone with a property adjacent to the Tidelands; inquired whether the “…property adjacent to…” language refers to the Tidelands law or staff’s direction. The Assistant Community Development Director responded the language regarding adjacent property is from staff; stated the concern is to ensure Tidelands and adjacent uses are compatible. Mayor Spencer inquired whether the language, adjacent to, means encompassed in the same parcel, or adjacent parcels. The Assistant Community Development Director responded encompassed in the same parcel. Mayor Spencer stated the language needs to be clear. The Assistant Community Development Director responded in Tidelands properties are always on a particular parcel due to the compatibility factor. Mayor Spencer stated she thought that once a project has been submitted , giving new direction is not appropriate. The Assistant Community Development Director stated staff is providing Council an opportunity to evaluate the direction of the projects. Vice Mayor Vella inquired whether the guidelines would apply to the projects listed. The Assistant Community Development Director responded the Council direction has been used to shape the projects; if the policy is adopted tonight, the direction will not change because staff is currently following Council’s previous direction. Mayor Spencer inquired why Council is being asked to adopt the policies if they are Special Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 3 already being used. The Assistant Community Development Director responded Council requested staff to look into MX Zoning District. The City Manager stated staff received Council input at a previous meeting and the meeting was stopped prior to a final vote; staff was influenced by Council dir ection. In response to Councilmember Ezzy Ashcraft’s inquiry regarding transportation shuttles, the Assistant Community Development Director stated staff is working with the Transportation Management Association (TMA) and Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) to create Citywide partnerships, as well as working with developers to try to create an estuary water shuttle system. Mayor Spencer inquired whether a resolution or a workshop is typically done to obtain Council direction. The Assistant Community Development Director responded in some cases, Council provides verbal direction; stated in other cases, an ordinance is done to set a standard for future projects. Mayor Spencer inquired whether a workshop scenario has been done in the pa st. The Assistant Community Development Director responded a workshop was held regarding the Harbor Bay Sports Club. Mayor Spencer inquired whether workshops have been done for particular projects, to which the Assistant Community Development Director responded in the affirmative. Mayor Spencer inquired whether Council can give direction in a resolution or ordinance if an application is pending. The City Attorney responded staff is requesting policy direction regarding MX zoning, which has a lot of flexibility; stated staff wants to determine if projects are on the right track from a policy perspective, not individual projects, and what parameters Council is looking for with MX zoning; if Council wants to modify the zoning, that would require an ordinance be drafted and the matter would go to the Planning Board then return to Council at a later date. Councilmember Oddie inquired how many votes zoning decisions require. The City Attorney responded that zoning decisions require three votes; stated individual projects with City land involved require four votes; zoning amendment s require three votes. Vice Mayor Vella inquired whether Council direction applies to current projects. Special Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 4 The City Attorney responded in the affirmative; stated until a City project has been approved, Council can make on policy changes. Councilmember Matarrese stated Council has passed other policy changes with existing projects in the pipeline; policy changes are general rules for MX zoning, not project specific. The Assistant Community Development Director stated Council could adopt policy to ensure staff follows the guidelines. Expressed support for keeping the MX zoning flexible: Angela Hockabout, Alameda Home Team. Submitted information; showed Alameda Marina; expressed concern over losing the boatyard: Nancy Hird, Save Alameda’s Working Waterfront (SAWW). Discussed revenue possibilities that could come from maritime activities: Liz Taylor, Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER) Marine. Urged Council to include the environment in any regulations: Patricia Potter, Alameda. Expressed support for only changing regulations to increase jobs: Michael McDonough, Chamber of Commerce. Discussed jobs versus housing; expressed concern over reducing the size of businesses reducing jobs: Rick Drain, Alameda. Outlined his sailing experience; expressed concern over many boats moving to Point Richmond: Karl Robrock, Alameda. Discussed the importance of and need for dry boat storage facilities: Kevin Durant, Alameda. Expressed support for sailing and maritime businesses; urged rowing facilities being created; stated new development should promote ecology: Sylvia Gibson, Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA). Submitted and showed a brief Power Point presentation: Bob Naber. *** Mayor Spencer called a recess at 6:57 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 7:13 p.m. *** Stated through Planning Board meetings, the developer has enhanced the sites by listening to the requests from the community and staff; affordable housin g and traffic Special Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 5 issues are a top concern for the community; Encinal Terminals is a blank slate and the developer plans to create a Master Plan that is public space oriented: Mike O’Hara, Tim Lewis Communities. Expressed concerns about displacement and the housing crisis; stated job growth without additional housing is an issue in the Bay Area: Laura Thomas, Renewed Hope. Expressed concerns about the percentage of mixed use housing being built; stated an impartial study should be conducted and funded by the developer; so much market rate housing is being built there will be no room for affordable housing : Paul Foreman, Alameda. Expressed concerns with congestion caused by the increase in housing proposals; stated many of the maritime use tenants will be evicted: Peter Brand, Alameda. Stated that he supports building housing; access to the waterfront is essential for maritime use: Dave Wilhite, Berkeley. Stated there is currently a job/housing imbalance; urged Council not to adopt the guidelines and uphold the existing MX zoning ordinance: Kari Thompson, Chamber of Commerce. Expressed concern with the loss of dry storage: Paul Mueller, Oakland. Suggested increasing affordable housing from 10% to 30%: Pat Lamborn, Alameda. Stated there is a housing crisis in Alameda; encouraged Council to think about green energy: Omar Ely. Stated the City needs to conduct an independent review to justify increasing the housing above 50%: Gretchen Lipow, Alameda. Expressed concerns with not enough retail space in the MX guidelines; encouraged Council to enhance transit to coincide with the housing being built: Karen Bey, Alameda. Expressed support for more market rate housing; encouraged Council to not encumber the process: Brian McGuire, Alameda. Urged Council to keep the boats on the Alameda Marina; stated coastal resources should not be taken and turned into housing; suggested using a percentage of boat property tax for marina infrastructure: Maggie Sabovich, Recreational Boaters of California. Stated an assisted living facility needs to be built for seniors; urged Council to bring more jobs and work-force housing: Janet Gibson, Alameda. Special Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 6 Councilmember Matarrese stated land use and building related referrals are the people’s business and need to allow input; he is ready to approve a resolution; the resolution allows for flexibility and the ability to be amended once the projects show results; then, the policy can be codified into an ordinance if effective. Councilmember Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she would prefer more environmental issues be addressed in the planning process; Alameda needs to preserve jobs and create housing; she will not add another layer of administrative requirement s on the already burdened staff. Vice Mayor Vella stated that she is disappointed only one hour was allotted for the discussion with the amount of speakers that are present at the meeting; she would prefer to see a study session on all the pending Council directives; the output that the City wants is already occurring, so codifying policies does not need to happen; she is not inclined to add another layer of bureaucracy to the process. Councilmember Oddie stated there should not be one size fits all development; he believes the process for planning is robust and allows the community to provide input; there is a need to protect and maintain maritime jobs; there is an affordable housing crisis in Alameda; if the City puts up road blocks to housing, the State will take away local control, which he does not want to see happen; he will not support passing a resolution. Mayor Spencer stated that she has concerns about action being taken not be for specific projects; inquired whether the vote tonight is to put into place policy that staff has already been using as a tool for the Planning Board and developers when reviewing projects in Alameda. The City Manager responded in the affirmative; stated the vote would be to give direction on what staff is already doing in a resolution; if Council decides not to adopt the resolution, staff still has Council direction; the conversation is still valuable for the developer to hear public and staff concerns. Mayor Spencer inquired whether the direction is a tool to assist developers when the y work on a project in Alameda, to which the City Manager resp onded in the affirmative. Mayor Spencer stated that she agrees work force housing needs to be increased. Councilmember Matarrese stated MX zoning is the future and policy has to be codified and be written down to be effective. Councilmember Matarrese moved adoption of the resolution to codify what is being done to shape projects in MX zones. Mayor Spencer seconded the motion, which FAILED by the following voice vote: Ayes: Councilmember Matarrese and Mayor Spencer – 2. Noes: Councilmembers Ezzy Special Meeting Alameda City Council June 6, 2017 7 Ashcraft, Oddie and Vella – 3. The City Manager noted that Vice Mayor Vella expressed concerns regarding second units and not having affordable housing; stated the universal design ordinance has been drafted and addresses second units, inclusionary housing a nd affordable housing; the ordinance will come to Council in July and September. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Mayor Spencer adjourned the meeting at 8:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lara Weisiger City Clerk The agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.