Planning board votes unanimously in favor
At its March 28th meeting, the Planning Board approved a design review amendment to allow the construction of a 61,300 square foot senior convalescent living facility on McKay Avenue, across the street from the Crab Cove Regional Park. The Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) will operate the facility.
The facility will be located at 1245 McKay Ave. near the intersection of Webster Street and Central Avenue, across from Crab Cove Regional Park.
APC is a local non-profit that provides a range of support services to families and individuals who are homeless or formerly homeless. APC has been pursuing the redevelopment of the subject property for several years.
Background
The idea for the facility originated in 2018. In June 2020, the Planning Board approved a Design Review application to rehabilitate the project site’s Building 2 as a senior convalescent living facility. The decision was appealed; the City Council later upheld the Planning Board’s decision.
APC and their architects subsequently determined that the cost to rehabilitate the existing building would be financially infeasible. Consequently, APC applied for a Certificate of Approval to demolish the site’s two main and four accessory buildings. In May 2021, the Historical Advisory Board (HAB) held a public hearing and approved the demolition. The decision was appealed; the City Council later upheld the HAB’s decision.
APC’s new design is a two-story building with a flat roof and horizontal features and windows similar to the previously approved design. The floor plan includes 100 studio apartments, one manager’s unit, administrative and maintenance rooms, and common areas such as a dining hall and laundry facility.
Discussion
In response to Board Member Xiomara Cisneros’s concern about the new design’s financial feasibility, APC Executive Director Doug Biggs said, “It’s a challenging time because construction costs are going up due to fuel prices. At the same time, I don’t think we’ve ever been at a time in history when there have been the housing funds that are available now; we’re hopeful we can match the design we have with the available funding.”
Gary Struthers of PYATOK Architects noted the new design’s sustainability focus. The new facility will be all-electric with high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. Bay-friendly landscaping will be employed, and there is potential for solar panels on the roof.
Board Member Teresa Ruiz noted that there wouldn’t be fencing because the Board wants the building to integrate with the streetscape of McKay Avenue. However, to prevent passersby from walking up to apartment windows, she requested heavy landscaping along the base of windows adjacent to the ground floor. She further requested more muted accent colors, saying that the proposed bright colors are associated with affordable housing.
Board Member Hanson Hom requested staff review of the lighting plan and proposed adding a more decorative gate with the potential of incorporating an art element.
Public Comment
Two members of the public commented. Josh Dyer spoke in favor, saying that he recalled “voting twice to have this property devoted to elderly people.” He was pleased to see the quality of design and thought going into the project.
A second public member objected, saying that the previous environmental review was based on building reuse, not demolition. She said, “With this significant change, a new environmental review should be done before moving forward.”
Staff noted that separately and independently, the City of Alameda adopted a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. No further environmental review is required because the project’s environmental effects were considered and disclosed. There have been no changes to the project that result in more severe environmental effects than were identified previously.
Board Member Ronald Curtis further responded that this facility has been controversial, but it was subject to a vote and approved. He wondered if some objections are based on the project’s scope or if they are done to delay it from happening. “The project is going to get built, and delays cause the project to cost more than it otherwise would and erode its quality.”
Final Vote
The Planning Board unanimously approved the Design Review Amendment in the final vote. Doug Biggs said he expected to break ground on the facility by the summer.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen and https://alamedapost.com/karin-k-jensen.
