Title
Business and Housing Development Committee Meeting of November 10, 2011
Body
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO
CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
November 10, 2011
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
San Leandro City Hall
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, California
Sister Cities Gallery
HIGHLIGHTS
Committee Members: Vice Mayor Gregory and Councilmember Souza
City staff present: Interim City Manager Marshall, Business Development Manager Battenberg, Planning Manager Liao, Business Development Analyst Kay, Community Relations Representative Ornelas
Public present: None
The meeting was called to order at 4:03 p.m.
1. Marketing Lit San Leandro Update
Business Development Manager Battenberg explained to the Committee that with the license agreement completed, focus has shifted to marketing Lit San Leandro. Staff has been working to connect Dr. Patrick Kennedy with San Leandro businesses, developers, and brokers, and has been in touch with the San Francisco Business Times regarding an article. Staff has also identified a series of opportunity sites for future businesses and will be hosting a broker/property owner event in January to promote the Lit San Leandro.
The Committee discussed these marketing efforts and asked if Dr. Kennedy would be meeting with Kaiser. Battenberg informed the Committee that Dr. Kennedy has a meeting scheduled with Kaiser representatives.
2. Development Project Updates
a. Online Property Search Tool: Business Development Manager Battenberg informed the Committee that staff recently installed a customizable online property search tool on the City's website. This tool allows the public to search for available commercial properties. Although not all properties' details can be viewed by the public, the Office of Business Development staff has access to additional information and is available to assist individuals looking for a site in San Leandro.
b. Downtown Parking Garage: Battenberg informed the Committee that construction of the parking garage is going well and that the Facilities and Transportation Committee has made parking rate recommendations which will be brought to the City Council for consideration in December. The recommended rates are $70/month for a reserved parking permit, $45/month for an unreserved permit, and a daily rate of $2.50 for the top deck.
c. International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC): Battenberg explained that Business Development staff attended the local ICSC conference in San Francisco. At the conference, staff learned about recent trends in the retail industry. Staff was also able to promote the City, particularly Village Marketplace, Lit San Leandro, and the Shoreline Development.
d. California Redevelopment Agency Lawsuit: Development Analyst Kay told the Committee that oral arguments have been made in the case and that a decision is expected by mid-January 2012. Kay also noted that staff is not taking on major projects until the ruling.
e. BAL Theatre: Planning Manager Liao informed the Committee that staff recently sent Dan Dillman a letter responding to questions regarding his recent BZA approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP) modifications and his requested changes to them. Liao explained that City staff and the City Attorney reviewed the requested changes and determined they were too substantial to be approved administratively as requested. Liao continued that staff supports the BAL Theatre and has recommended to Mr. Dillman to sign the recently modified CUP, which provides the BAL Theatre more expanded uses and conditions than his existing CUP.
f. Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS): Liao explained that this strategy was required by SB375 and staff is working with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), who are preparing the Bay Area region's SCS. Originally scheduled to be adopted by March 2012, the schedule is being pushed back until May 2012 and an update will be brought to the full City Council soon when more information from ABAG/MTC is published.
3. Review and Prioritization of Current Projects and Initiatives
Interim City Manager Marshall informed the Committee that staff is working on creating lists which outline all the projects that the Planning and Business Development divisions are working on. Drafts of these lists were distributed to the Committee (see attached).
The Committee briefly discussed the projects and asked if these lists should be covered at the upcoming Council retreat. Marshall informed the Committee that the prioritization of these lists was assigned to the Business and Housing Development Committee.
4. Public Comments: None
5. Committee Member Comments: None
6. Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 4:45p.m.