Title
Overview of and Discussion on the Bay Fair Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Specific Plan
Staffreport
BACKGROUND
This report is for information only.
With its proximity to multiple transit options, the proposed Bay Fair Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Specific Plan (Bay Fair Plan) project area (see Attachment 1 for regional context of where this proposed plan area exists with other TOD plan areas and Attachment 2 for the initially proposed Bay Fair Plan project area map) has exciting possibilities as a mixed-use, transit-oriented retail, commercial and residential destination. The Bay Fair Plan includes Bayfair Center and Bay Fair BART Station. Attachment 3 shows the existing land uses for the proposed project area.
In Spring 2014, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) awarded the City of San Leandro a $440,000 Priority Development Area (PDA) Planning Grant to prepare a long-range Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan and EIR. The City’s local project partners are the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Madison Marquette (owner of Bayfair Center), and Alameda County as they represent direct stakeholders in the enhancement of the proposed project area.
The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and MTC have recognized the Downtown TOD and East 14th Street corridor as certified Priority Development Areas (PDA), but the Bay Fair Plan area does not have the designation. PDAs are regionally certified TOD plan areas that have capacity for higher density and sustainable development near transit. By having an approved TOD Plan in place, the Bay Fair Plan area will be able to gain PDA status from ABAG and MTC. Key benefits for PDA certified areas are access to and/or priority for a variety of federal, State and regional funding.
The project area represents an important opportunity for transit-oriented development that can transform the area into a regionally sustainable and vibrant destination in support of Plan Bay Area’s goals. ABAG and MTC adopted Plan Bay Area in 2013 to address State mandated land use, transportation and greenhouse gas emission goals and requirements under Senate Bill (SB) 375.
The City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in Fall 2014 to over 20 qualified planning firms to prepare the Specific Plan and EIR. Five well highly qualified firms submitted proposals. The selection committee, consisting of representatives from the City, Alameda County, BART and Madison Marquette, reviewed the submittals, interviewed each firm, and chose Raimi + Associates (Raimi) as the most qualified candidate. City Council approved the contract with Raimi in Spring 2015.
Raimi was founded in 2006 and is a multi-disciplinary urban planning firm with offices in Berkeley, Riverside and Los Angeles. Raimi has prepared similar TOD specific plans for other Bay Area cities, including Mountain View, Fremont, and Oakland. This year, the American Planning Association awarded Raimi the “National Planning Excellence Award for an Emerging Planning & Design Firm.” Raimi’s consulting team for the project consists of:
• Raimi + Associates, Lead consultant and project manager
• Van Meter Williams Pollack, Urban design
• Strategic Economics, Economic consultant
• Kittelson Associates, Transportation consultant
• Rincon, Environmental consultant
• Wood Rogers, Engineering/Infrastructure consultant
The following outcomes or work products will result from the planning process and will be incorporated into the final Bay Fair Plan:
• Market demand analysis for TOD development in the project area
• Affordable housing and anti-displacement strategy
• Financial and market feasibility study of potential development options
• Regulatory framework for achieving the preferred development alternative (e.g., Zoning Code and/or General Plan amendments)
• Urban design standards and guidelines
• Parking/transit strategies to better manage parking resources, reduce parking demand and increase transit use
• Transportation/infrastructure improvements to accommodate the preferred development alternative and better serve BART and AC Transit riders
• Financing options and implementation strategies to foster implementation of the preferred land use alternative
• Final EIR to streamline environmental review for future development projects
Community Involvement
MTC requires wide-ranging public participation under its PDA Planning Program. The City and Raimi must prepare a community involvement strategy to describe how they plan to broaden public engagement. The City will create a citizen advisory committee (CAC) and technical advisory committee (TAC) to provide stakeholder and professional input at key junctures during the planning process. Both the CAC and TAC will meet 4 times. The CAC will consist primarily of stakeholders from in and around the Bay Fair area, including residents, property owners, business owners and public service providers. Staff presented an introduction of the proposed Bay Fair Plan planning process, including the CAC and TAC process, to the City Council in Spring 2015.
The CAC shall consist of 21 members and the following application and outreach process, subject to change, for selection of the CAC membership:
• Fall 2015 - Staff prepares application and marketing materials for the CAC. The CAC application process shall be open for at least 3 weeks. Broad outreach to the community through local/regional newspapers, posting in City community facilities and on the City website, social media postings such as SL NEXT, and directly market to targeted local civic and community organizations (e.g., homeowner associations, Chamber of Commerce).
• Fall/Winter 2015 - Ad-Hoc Selection Committee reviews applications and selects members. Staff recommends that the Ad-Hoc Committee should be composed of Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter, Councilmember Ursula Reed (who is from District 2, where the Bay Fair Plan area is located), and the City Manager. The selection factors to create a broad-based and diverse committee may include:
Ø Diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender)
Ø Business representation (e.g., Fairmont Plaza and Fashion Faire shopping centers, Bayfair Center businesses)
Ø Resident representation (e.g., HOAs)
Ø Regional/Local Stakeholder Group representation (e.g., community organizations, business associations, local property owners)
Ø City board/commission representation
Ø Professional/Technical expertise (e.g., realtors, developers, architects)
Ø City and County At Large seats
The TAC shall be composed of no more than 10 members, including at least two staff representatives from the City (i.e., Planning and Engineering/Transportation), two from Alameda County (i.e., Planning and Flood Control) and one each from the two other local Specific Plan partners (BART and Madison Marquette). In addition, the TAC should also consist of one staff member from ABAG, AC Transit, Caltrans, and the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC).
There will be 2 large community-wide workshops during the planning process. In addition, Raimi and City staff will conduct smaller stakeholder meetings (with local residents, businesses, community/advocacy groups, property owners, and other key stakeholders within the project area) as well as focus groups with for-profit and non-profit developers to gain a greater understanding of the residential and commercial market.
Proposed Schedule
Below is an outline of notable dates and milestones for the Specific Plan process. These are subject to change.
• Project kick-off meeting/project area tour with Raimi, City staff and project partners (Completed in July 2015)
• Overview/Initial Feedback from Planning Commission and City Council (Summer-Fall 2015)
• Analyze development alternatives and identify the preferred alternative (Spring 2016)
• Planning Commission & City Council to review development alternatives and preferred alternative (Spring/Summer 2016)
• Complete Draft Specific Plan and EIR (Fall/Winter 2016)
• Planning Commission Reviews Draft Specific Plan and EIR (Spring 2017)
• Complete Final Specific Plan and EIR (Spring 2017)
• City Council Reviews Final Specific Plan and EIR (Spring 2017)
Questions
As the planning process for the Bay Fair Plan is just beginning, staff and Raimi are seeking preliminary feedback from the Planning Commission and the public tonight through the following questions:
1) What do you hope this planning process will accomplish and what is your "criteria for success"?
2) What are the strengths and/or weaknesses of the Bay Fair TOD Plan area?
3) What do you envision the Bay Fair TOD Plan area to be like in the next 20 to 30 years?
ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1: Regional Priority Development Area Map
• Attachment 2: Project Area Map
• Attachment 3 - Existing Project Area Land Uses
PREPARED BY: Tom Liao, Deputy Community Development Director