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RESOLUTION No. 2015-02 of the Planning Commission Recommending that the City Council Amend the General Plan Land Use Designation and Zoning for the San Leandro Shoreline Development Project (PLN2012-00040).
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WHEREAS, as part of a public/private partnership, the City of San Leandro and Cal Coast Companies LLC propose to redevelop an approximately 75-acre area including 52 acres of land area and 23 acres of water area (both owned by the City) which encompasses the San Leandro Marina and surrounding properties. The Project proposes a mixed use development with residential, office, commercial and public recreational uses. The development would build new features including an approximately 150,000-square-foot office campus, a new 200-room hotel, an approximately 15,000-square-foot conference center, up to 354 housing units, 3 new restaurants totaling approximately 21,000 square feet, a new parking structure and related improvements. A variety of public amenities would be installed, including a new approximately 2,500-square-foot community library/community meeting space, an aquatic center/dock, bocce ball courts, outdoor recreational areas, picnic areas, a perched beach, pedestrian piers, two miles of public promenade, a natural shoreline element along the interior of the harbor basin, a pedestrian/bicycle bridge, a boardwalk/lookout pier, several small finger piers, and refurbishment of existing public restrooms on site. Implementation of the Project would remove several existing structures and uses, including the 462 existing boat slips, the El Torito restaurant building, the harbormaster’s office, and the San Leandro Yacht Club building, among others. The harbor would only be open to non-motorized watercraft, so the Project includes the construction of a small boat launch, a kayak storage building, and an aeration fountain in the harbor basin to aid in water circulation; and
WHEREAS, the submittal includes applications 1) to amend the General Plan land use designation from Parks and Recreation to Medium Density Residential for approximately 12 acres for proposed residences on the 9-hole golf course; 2) to rezone approximately 12 acres from Commercial Recreation to RM 2000(PD) Residential Multi-Family, Planned Development overlay consistent with the General Plan amendment; 3) to rezone approximately 40 acres from CR Commercial Recreation to CC(PD) Community Commercial, Planned Development Overlay; 4) site plan review and a tentative map; 5) development plan and design guidelines; and 6) development agreement. The Project is being processed in two stages. The first processing stage will consider the General Plan amendment and rezoning; the second processing stage will consider the development permits at future hearings, including but not limited to site plan review, tentative map, and PD development plan. The development described above and related applications are collectively known as the "Project"; and
WHEREAS, the Project site is approximately 75 acres, generally located along both sides of Monarch Bay Drive between Marina Boulevard and Fairway Drive. The site includes Mulford Point to the north and Pescador Point to the south and the boat harbor, businesses, development and parking lot between; portions of the existing 9-hole Marina Golf Course; and the existing Mulford-Marina Branch public library; and
WHEREAS, the General Plan Land Use Diagram currently designates the Marina side of the Project site as Commercial General (CG) and the landward side as Parks and Recreation (PR); and
WHEREAS, the Project proposes to amend the General Plan land use designation for approximately 12 acres from Parks and Recreation to Medium Density Residential to allow residential uses on the 9-hole golf course, as shown in attached Exhibit A, incorporated herein by reference. The General Plan land use designations for the rest of the Project site would remain unchanged; and
WHEREAS, the Project site is currently zoned Commercial Recreation (CR). The Project proposes to rezone the 12-acre golf course residential areas to Residential Multi-Family, Planned Development overlay (RM-2000(PD)), consistent with the proposed General Plan amendment. The Project proposes to rezone the balance of the site to Community Commercial, Planned Development overlay (CC(PD)), to accommodate the proposed office, commercial, recreational and Marina-side residential uses, as shown in attached Exhibit B, incorporated herein by reference. The Project proposes a Planned Development (PD) zoning overlay in accordance with Article 10 of the City’s zoning ordinance. This overlay is intended for projects that include a mix of land uses, that can be made compatible by applying careful and imaginative treatments to the interrelationships of uses and activities to ensure that orderly and thorough planning will result in high-quality urban design; and
WHEREAS, the City prepared a Draft EIR and Final EIR, collectively “EIR”, for the Project, including the proposed General Plan amendment and rezoning; and
WHEREAS, a staff report dated June 18, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference, described and analyzed the proposed General Plan amendment and rezoning for the Planning Commission; and
WHEREAS, on June 18, 2015, the Planning Commission reviewed the staff report and the EIR (including comments and responses) at a noticed public hearing on the General Plan amendment and rezoning, at which time all interested parties had the opportunity to be heard; and
WHEREAS, following the public hearing, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 2015-02, dated June 18, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference, recommending that the City Council certify the EIR and adopt any required CEQA findings regarding mitigations and alternatives, Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and
NOW, THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED THAT the above recitals are true and correct and made a part of this resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council amend the General Plan Land Use Map as shown in attached Exhibit A, based on the following findings and considering the staff report and the whole of the record related to the Project.
1. The proposed General Plan amendment is in the public interest in that it will provide new opportunities for additional housing, consistent with the Housing Element and will improve economic access to housing in the City through a density that will allow a range of housing types and prices.
2. The proposed amendment will not render the General Plan internally inconsistent in that the amendment supports not only the existing policies for development and enhancement of the Shoreline, but also supports Housing Element policies to increase housing opportunities in the City.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT that the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council amend the zoning map as shown in attached Exhibit B, based on the following findings and considering the staff report and the whole of the record related to the Project.
1. Pursuant to Zoning Code section 5-2708.B, the proposed zoning map amendment is consistent with the policies of the General Plan and the purposes of the zoning code. The residential rezoning for the golf course sites is consistent with the companion General Plan amendment as to residential uses and density. The Community Commercial rezoning allows a mix of uses as anticipated in the concept plan for the Project and is consistent with the existing General Commercial land use designation. The proposed amendments are consistent with the purposes of the zoning ordinance in that they allow the mix of uses and the densities anticipated in the Project concept plan. The PD overlay provides a mechanism for establishing site- and project-specific development details to implement General Plan and other applicable standards, as well as for reviewing how the Project will implement CEQA mitigation measures through project and site design, and subject to future discretionary review.
2. Pursuant to Zoning Code section 3-1008. B, the Planned Development Concept Plan is consistent with the Land Use Element of the General Plan and other applicable policies of the General Plan and is compatible with surrounding development. The Planned Development concept plan is consistent with the General Plan uses and densities, as amended by the Project. The concept plan also implements existing General Plan policies for development of the Marina and provides housing, both in accordance with the Land Use Element. The flexibility provided by the PD zoning overlay also allows the concept plan to be tailored to ensure and improve compatibility with surrounding residential, recreational and other uses through a public review process.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 18th day of June, 2015 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
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Planning Commission Chair
ATTEST:
Secretary