Resolution 14868CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. 14868
APPROVAL OF A GENERAL PLAN TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE LAND
USE POLICIES IN THE MU2 MARINER SQUARE SPECIFIED MIXED
USE AREA TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE HOUSING ELEMENT IN
COMPLIANCE WITH GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
REQUIREMENTS.
WHEREAS, the City is required by State Housing Element Law (Government
Code Sections 65580-65589.8) to update and adopt its revised housing element for
the 2007-2014 housing element planning to ensure consistency with State of
California requirements and regional housing needs allocations; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda prepared a comprehensive update of the City
of Alameda Housing Element in 2008 and adopted the Housing Element Update in
2012; and
WHEREAS, in compliance with State of California requirements (Government
Code Section 65300.5) the General Plan and elements and parts thereof must
comprise an integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies ;
and
WHEREAS, on September 23, 2013, the Planning Board held a public hearing
to consider the proposed General Plan Text Amendment and a development project
comprised of a three-story, 40,300 square foot assisted living facility and associated
site improvements (File No. PLN13-0160), and examined pertinent maps, drawings,
and documents in connection with the proposed project and approved a Planned
Development Amendment and Design Review; and
WHEREAS, on September 23, 2013, the Planning Board held a public
hearing, and examined pertinent maps, drawings, and documents in connection with
the proposed General Plan Text Amendment and recommended the City Council
approve the General Plan Text Amendments; and
WHEREAS, This General Plan Text Amendment is exempt from
environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environme ntal
Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines under the general rule that CEQA only applies to
projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
The text amendment, itself, will not with certainty have a significant effect on the
environment. The text amendment is categorically exempt from the provisions of
CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15305 under Class 5, Minor Alterations
to Land Use Limitations; and
WHEREAS, the City Council makes the following findings:
1. The General Plan text amendment is consistent with the rest of the
General Plan, because residential and assisted living uses on the site were
envisioned in the Housing Element adopted in 2012. The proposed text
amendments to the General Plan clarify and reconcile existing Land Use policies in
the MU2 Mariner Square Specified Mixed Use Area and achieve internal consistency
with the 2012 Housing Element Update policies and objectives.
2. The General Plan text amendment will have no significant adverse
effects on the environment, because it would facilitate a project that is designed to be
compatible with other land uses in the general vicinity and the project does not
generate any adverse effects to the environment.
3. The General Plan text amendment will have no significant adverse
effects on the general welfare of the community, because it would facilitate a project
that proposes shoreline access improvements for the public and the project will
reactivate a site that has been vacant and deteriorating since 2006.
4. The General Plan text amendment is necessary to enable the
appropriate development and maintenance of property in the City, because it would
ensure consistency between the Housing Element, the Land Use Element, and the
proposed project. Maintaining consistency with State law requirements ensures that
the City of Alameda General Plan is adequate for City decision making, preserves
access to State funding sources and reduces the risk to the community of potentially
expensive lawsuits over the adequacy of the General Plan.
5. The proposed General Plan text amendment is in the public interest,
because it facilitates development of a new senior assisted living facility that provides
specialized care to individuals with dementia, which has been identified as an
important need in the Alameda community. The amendment also furthers the goal of
providing special needs housing opportunities in Alameda.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT City Council hereby adopts the
General Plan Text Amendment as shown in Exhibit 1.
* * * * *
EXHIBIT 1
PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN TEXT AMENDMENT
PLN13-0160
Additions in bold underline, deletions in strikeout, retained text in normal type.
CITY OF ALAMEDA 1991 GENERAL PLAN Text Location: Chapter 2 Land Use Element Section 2.3 General Plan Holding Capacity TABLE 2-1 ASSUMED DEVELOPMENT INCREMENT: SPECIFIED MIXED USE SITES, is amended as follows:
Site Land Use Units or Square Feet
MU2 Mariner Square Residential including
assisted living.
Office
Institutional (assisted
living and related uses)
Maritime Uses
10 Work/LiveAs identified in the Housing
Element
10,000 sq. ft.
100,000 sq. ft. west of Mariner Square Drive,
40,000 sq. ft. boat storage, marina
Chapter 2 Land Use Element Section 2.6 Specified Mixed Use Areas Guiding Policies: Specified Mixed Use Areas Policy 2.6b is amended to read as follows: 2.6.b Mariner Square: Preserve the existing mix of water-related uses and add onshore live-work space. To avoid displacing water-related uses, office space additions are limited to 10,000 square feet, and. In the area west of Mariner Square Drive, elder assisted living facilities may be permitted provided they are compatible with the marine uses in the vicinity. (GPA 99-3) Policy 2.6g is amended to read as follows: 2.6g Up to 100,000 square feet of eElder assisted living facilities may be permitted, provided they are compatible with the marine uses in the vicinity.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was duly
and regularly adopted and passed by Council of the City of Alameda in regular
meeting assembled on the 5th day of November, 2013, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Chen, Daysog, Ezzy Ashcraft, Tam and
Mayor Gilmore – 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 November, 2013.
______________________
Lara Weisiger, City Clerk
City of Alameda