Title
PLN22-0039; Consideration of a Resolution certifying an Environmental Impact Report and adopting required CEQA findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and consideration of a Resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit, Administrative Site Plan Review, and Administrative Exception (Height) to allow the construction and operation of a new 50-foot-tall, approximately 244,573-square-foot warehouse and distribution building at 880 Doolittle Drive. Zoning District: IG, Industrial General; Alameda County Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 77A-741-4-2 and 77A-741-5; Prologis, LP. (applicant)
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The applicant is proposing the construction of an approximately 244,573-square-foot, 50-foot-tall industrial building, which would include 15,000 square feet of office space, on an approximately 14.14 acre site located at 880 Doolittle Drive.
The applicant is requesting Planning Commission approval of Administrative Site Plan Review to allow the development of the proposed industrial building, associated site improvements, and landscaping, an Administrative Exception (Height) to allow the building to be up to 50 feet in height, and a Conditional Use Permit to authorize -Warehouse - Storage Facilities and Warehouse - Wholesale/Retail Distribution uses on site, which are conditionally permitted uses in the Industrial General (IG) Zoning District. There is no tenant identified at this time.
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared and circulated for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An EIR was prepared because the project would include new natural gas connections, which would have the potential to contribute to the long-term generation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, an environmental impact that cannot be mitigated to a level of insignificance.
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution (Attachment 1) certifying the Environmental Impact Report, and adopting required CEQA Findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and adopt a Resolution (Attachment 2) approving a Conditional Use Permit, Administrative Site Plan Review, and Administrative Exception (Height) for the construction and operation of a new 50-foot-tall, approximately 244,573-square-foot warehouse and distribution building at 880 Doolittle Drive, PLN22-0039, subject to the recommended Findings of Fact and subject to the recommended Conditions of Approval.
RELATIONSHIP TO SURROUNDING AREA
The subject property is located at 880 Doolittle Drive. Attachment 3 shows an aerial view of the project site and its surrounding area. The subject site is currently comprised of two vacant industrial buildings and a large surface parking lot. Two parcels (APNs 77A-0741-004-02 and 77A-0741-005-00) comprise the 14.14-acre site. Vehicular access is provided by existing driveways connecting to Hester Street and Doolittle Drive. Along Doolittle Drive, there is no pedestrian access to the site, and vehicular access crosses over a 60-foot-wide Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way.
The project site is in the IG Zoning District and has a General Plan land use designation of General Industrial (IG). The adjacent properties to the north, east, and southeast are also zoned IG, and southwest there are parcels zoned Industrial Park (IP). The IG General Plan land use designation identifies areas that may contain a variety of manufacturing, transportation, food and beverage processing, technology, warehousing, and other similar types of uses. Areas adjacent to the project site are primarily comprised of industrial uses such as a window treatment store, marine supply store, truck repair business, and landscaping management company. The nearest residential properties are located approximately 510 feet northeast of the proposed project site along Tudor Court.
PROPOSAL
The applicant is proposing to merge the two existing parcels, demolish the two existing industrial buildings and pavement, and develop a new approximately 244,573-square foot industrial building, including approximately 15,000 square feet of associated office space of which approximately 5,000 square feet would be on a mezzanine level. To accommodate the new industrial building, the project also includes development of new parking and circulation areas, utility connections, and landscaping as shown on Exhibit A to Attachment 2.
The project proposes the reconstruction of the existing driveways on Doolittle Drive and Hester Street. Additionally, a new driveway would be constructed at the end of Hester Street, which would provide a total of three driveways for the project site. The existing and proposed driveways would provide internal access to the site and the circulation roads that lead to surface parking areas in the north and west areas of the site and the proposed building. The internal circulation roads would be compliant with the standards for passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers, and emergency equipment (i.e., fire engines and ambulances).
The proposal includes two surface parking areas: a parking lot on the west side of the building and one on the north side of the building. The lot on the west side of the warehouse building would provide a total of 204 passenger vehicle parking spaces (116 standard spaces, 57 compact spaces, three standard accessible spaces, three accessible van spaces, 21 electric vehicle spaces, and four clean air vehicle spaces). The lot on the north side of the warehouse would provide 59 spaces for tractor trailers. Additionally, a total of 24 bicycle parking spaces would be provided adjacent to the office main entrance, consisting of 12 short-term spaces and 12 long-term spaces. Additionally, the project proposes 27 loading docks on the north and 37 loading docks on the south side of the warehouse, for a total of 64 loading docks.
STAFF ANALYSIS
Site Plan Review
As discussed below, staff believes the project design will create a harmonious and orderly development that is compatible with its surroundings. Additionally, the proposed project has been evaluated for conformity with the development standards for the IG District and other sections of the Zoning Code. With the approval of the requested Administrative Exception (Height) and the implementation of the conditions of approval, the project would meet all applicable development standards of the IG Zoning District. A detailed table analyzing the proposed project relative to the required development standards is included as Attachment 4.
Building Design: The exterior of the proposed warehouse would consist of concrete panels, corrugated and noncorrugated metal panels, wood, and glazing, consistent with other high-quality modern industrial developments in the area. Exhibit B to Attachment 2 shows the conceptual elevations of the proposed industrial warehouse building and identifies different exterior finishes.
Employee Amenity Space: Outdoor space for employees has been integrated into the project at the northwestern part of the building, at grade and on a balcony.
Parking: The project would meet the required passenger vehicle parking requirements. The parking requirement in the Zoning Code is 1 space per 300 square feet of office space and 1 space per 1,500 square feet of warehouse space, for a total of 203 required spaces. The proposed project meets this requirement by providing 204 passenger vehicle parking spaces and 59 truck/trailer spaces. A total of 24 bicycle parking spaces (12 short-term and 12 long-term) would be provided, exceeding the 11 short-term spaces required by the Zoning Code. The proposed bicycle parking spaces and the existing Class II bike lanes on Doolittle Drive and Adams Avenue would support safe and convenient bicycle access to the site.
Access and Site Circulation: The project site would be accessed from driveways on Hester Street and Doolittle Drive. A condition of approval has been added by the City’s Engineering Division to restrict truck/trailer access to the site to the Hester Street driveway only to minimize disruption to traffic flow on Doolittle Drive. The driveway on Doolittle Drive would be restricted to right-in/right-out turning movements only.
Landscaping: A total of approximately 41,592 square feet of landscaping would be provided, approximately seven percent of the site (exceeding the five percent requirement in the Zoning Code), including the buffering and screening between adjoining properties and land uses and parking islands. Landscaping is proposed along most of the property perimeter and the surface parking areas.
Landscaping throughout the site would primarily consist of shrubs, which would serve as screening or visual accents. New conifer and deciduous trees would be planted in landscaped parking islands and around the Hester Street driveways. Landscaping trees and shrubs would consist of California native species and the proposed project would comply with water efficient landscaping.
Site landscaping includes bioretention swales along the site perimeter, within the vehicular parking space landscaping, and adjacent to the proposed warehouse building. These bioretention swales will serve to slow any runoff and aid in infiltration to reduce the amount of runoff that enters the City’s storm drain system.
Loading facilities would be screened from view from the adjacent streets, as the docks would be screened by landscaping and are adequately setback from property lines, as well as being largely obscured from view by other buildings. Landscaping will help to screen views of the parking areas from public streets and the trees at the front will help soften the building’s appearance.
Administrative Exception (Height)
The applicant has proposed a 50-foot-tall building to accommodate high-piled storage and allow maximum flexibility for potential tenants. The maximum building height in the IG zone is 50 feet with approval of an Administrative Exception (Height). The building would be consistent with the height of other buildings in San Leandro’s industrial zones, including recently approved developments at 1700 Doolittle Drive and 14143 Washington Avenue, and under-construction developments at 1919 Williams Street and 1345 Doolittle Drive.
The project site is located within Airport Safety Zones 4 and 6 in the Oakland International Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. The applicant submitted the project for review to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which determined that the proposed building height of 50 feet does not present a hazard to air navigation. Port of Oakland staff has provided staff with requirements to reduce avigation hazards during construction, which have been incorporated into the conditions of approval. A condition of approval has also been added requiring the recordation of an avigation easement permitting the right of flight in the airspace above the site. Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission staff have indicated that a warehouse/distribution use at the subject site is consistent with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.
Conditional Use Permit
The applicant is seeking a Conditional Use Permit to allow -Warehouse - Storage Facilities and Warehouse - Wholesale/Retail Distribution uses in the proposed new building. As noted, the site is surrounded by other IG District properties. Staff recommends approval of the proposed Conditional Use Permit subject to compliance with recommended conditions of approval and mitigation measures that address operational characteristics (noise, glare, hazardous materials, and other applicable performance standards) and ensure compatibility with adjacent uses. The project site and design are appropriate to accommodate a wide range of potential future industrial uses without creating incompatible conflicts with adjacent uses.
FINDINGS OF FACT
To recommend approval of the proposed Administrative Site Plan Review, Conditional Use Permit and Administrative Exception (Height), the Planning Commission must make certain findings of facts and/or determination pursuant to the Zoning Code. Staff has analyzed the proposal and determined that the following required findings can be made.
Site Plan Review
1. The project is in compliance with the minimum requirements of this Zoning Code and are arranged as to achieve the intent of such requirements by providing a harmonious and orderly development that is compatible with its surroundings. Parking, loading, storage, and service areas are appropriately screened by building placement, orientation walls, and/or landscaping.
The proposed project complies with all of the minimum requirements of the Zoning Code and is harmonious and compatible with the surrounding industrial developments. Parking, loading, and service areas are screened to the extent possible. The building is appropriately designed and similar in style to other modern industrial buildings. Landscaping along street frontages and in parking areas will soften the industrial nature of the development and provide further screening.
2. The building has adequate articulation, with appropriate window placement, use of detailing, and/or changes in building planes to provide visual interest. The exterior materials, finishes, detailing, and colors are compatible with those of surrounding structures. Visually incompatible elements, such as roof-mounted utilities, are fully screened from public view. If the proposal is for an addition to an existing building, such additions shall appear as an integral element of the building. Additions shall not have a “tacked on” appearance, and either the addition should be consistent with the existing building’s design element, or the existing building should be remodeled concurrently with construction of the addition.
Windows are appropriately placed in office and warehouse areas. Conceptual elevations indicate an appropriate use of materials and colors to break up the large planes of concrete and create a more interesting exterior. As conditioned, roof-mounted utilities will not be visible from Doolittle Drive or Hester Street.
3. The landscaping complements the architectural design, with an appropriate balance of trees, shrubs, and living ground covers, and provides adequate screening and shading of parking lots and/or driveways.
Approximately seven percent of the site will be landscaped, exceeding the five percent minimum requirement. One tree for every six parking spaces will be required throughout the parking lot to provide shade and visually soften the exterior and edges of the site. The proposed site landscaping will complement the building design and provide adequate screening and shading of parking areas.
4. Detail features, such as signs, fences, and lighting for buildings, parking lots, and/or driveways are visually consistent with the architectural and landscape design and minimize off-site glare.
As conditioned, signage, fencing and lighting will be designed to meet all applicable code requirements. Compliance with code standards will ensure consistency with the design of the building and site and will not generate off-site impacts.
Administrative Exception (Height)
1. The proposal would not be detrimental to public health, safety or welfare and would not cause undue damage, hardship, nuisance or other detriment to persons or property in the vicinity.
The building would be consistent with the height of other buildings in San Leandro’s industrial zones. The applicant has submitted the project to the Federal Aviation Administration, which determined that the proposed building height of 50 feet does not present a hazard to air navigation. The Port of Oakland has added conditions of approval to further reduce avigation hazards during construction.
Conditional Use Permit
1. That the proposed location of the use is in accord with the objectives of this Zoning Code and the purposes of the district in which the site is located.
The subject site is located in the IG, Industrial General, zone. Site lighting is not expected to affect the nearby neighborhood at night, however, noise could affect the neighborhood, particularly noise from loading and unloading operations that occur on site. Exterior activity on site during construction will be restricted in accordance with the Noise Ordinance to between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. weekdays and between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. weekends. Operations activities will be subject to Chapter 4, Article 11 of the Municipal Code, limiting noise.
2. That the proposed location of the use and the proposed conditions under which it would be operated or maintained will be consistent with the General Plan; will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare of persons residing, or working in, or adjacent to, the neighborhood of such use; and will not be detrimental to properties or improvements in the vicinity, or to the general welfare of the City.
The use will be compatible with the surrounding area, which is largely comprised of industrial uses. The proposed use would be subject to certain limitations through the recommended conditions of approval to avoid adverse effects on adjacent uses and properties. The proposed use as conditioned to operate in an orderly manner within the site and noise impacts would be minimal as the use would be subject to the City’s noise ordinance. The recommended conditions of approval will maintain the character of the industrial area, promote the use of the existing industrial area, and prevent impacts to the adjacent uses. Additionally, construction activities will be required to comply with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s basic control measures for reducing PM10 construction emissions, Table 8-1. Other activities on site will be subject to various local and state laws. Compliance with applicable regulations and conditions of approval will ensure the project is not detrimental to nearby residents, employees, or the community at large.
3. That the proposed use will comply with the provisions of this Code, including any specific condition required for the proposed use in the district in which it would be located.
The City will require ongoing compliance with all development standards and conditions of approval, as indicated in the Conditions of Approval for this project. Failure to adhere to Conditions of Approval is grounds for a revocation hearing.
4. That the proposed use will not create adverse impacts on traffic or create demands exceeding the capacity of public services and facilities, which cannot be mitigated.
The proposed project has been reviewed with respect to its impact on traffic and other facilities and public services. Staff has determined that no impacts greater than those anticipated in the general plan would occur.
GENERAL PLAN CONFORMITY
The proposal is consistent with numerous General Plan policies, as provided in Attachment 5 - General Plan Goals and Policies.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
A notice of public hearing was published for this project in the East Bay Times Daily Review newspaper on January 24, 2025, at City Hall, on the property, and by mail to property owners within 500 feet of the subject property.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An EIR has been prepared and circulated in accordance with the requirements of CEQA. Under CEQA, an EIR is required to be prepared when a proposed project may have a significant effect on the environment, and that effect cannot be mitigated to a level of insignificance. An agency may approve a project with significant and unavoidable impacts if it adopts a Statement of Overriding Considerations, which finds that the benefits of a project outweigh the potential environmental impact. The Draft and Final EIR for the proposed project are available for review on the City’s web site: <https://www.sanleandro.org/335/CEQA-Documents-Project-Studies>.
The proposed project would include plumbing for new natural gas connections. Based on recent adopted guidance from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), the inclusion of natural gas plumbing has been determined to constitute a significant and unavoidable environmental impact based on the potential to contribute to long-term generation of GHG emissions.
The applicant is proposing to include natural gas plumbing in the project for the purpose of attracting a wide range of potential tenants. Many advanced manufacturing and research and development (R&D) users rely on natural gas for key processes and systems, including industries targeted in the City’s recently adopted Economic Development Strategy (clean tech, food tech, biomedical, hardware/robotics and emerging technologies). Attracting these types of industrial uses advances various goals and policies in the City’s General Plan Land Use and Economic Development Elements (as outlined in Attachment 5) and supports Economic Development Strategy goals to accelerate innovation and growth of target industries, preserve industrial districts and address infrastructure needs.
As discussed in the EIR, this potential environmental impact cannot be mitigated to a level of insignificance, but staff is recommending adoption of mitigation measures that would limit the use of natural gas to the extent feasible. The building and its appliances (space heating, hot water heating, office cooking facilities, etc.) would be required to be all electric and natural gas would be limited to only specific industrial or manufacturing processes that require natural gas as a critical component to that process or processes.
Staff is recommending that the Planning Commission approve the project and adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations (Attachment 1 Exhibit C) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15093, which finds that the benefits to the project outweigh the potential environmental effects.
The EIR also includes mitigation measures addressing potentially significant impacts regarding Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Noise, Transportation and Tribal Cultural Resources. With implementation of mitigation measures, these impacts would be reduced to less than significant. All Mitigation Measures are included in Attachment 1, Exhibit D.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a resolution (Attachment 1) certifying the Environmental Impact Report and making required CEQA findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and adopt a resolution (Attachment 2) approving a Conditional Use Permit, Administrative Site Plan Review, and Administgrative Exception (Height) for the construction and operation of a new 50-foot-tall, approximately 244,573-square-foot warehouse and distribution building at 880 Doolittle Drive.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: Resolution 2025-XXX Certifying EIR
Exhibit A: Draft EIR
Exhibit B: Final EIR
Exhibit C: CEQA Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations
Exhibit D: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
Attachment 2: Resolution 2025-XXX Approving PLN22-0039
Exhibit A: Project Plans
Attachment 3: Vicinity Map
Attachment 4: Development Regulations Table
Attachment 5: General Plan Goals and Policies
PREPARED BY:
Cindy Lemaire, AICP, Senior Planner
Planning Division