Report on the April 26, 2010 Alameda City Planning Board meeting about the
Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Boatworks project on Clement.
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Andrew Thomas, the chief planner for the city, presented a slideshow about
the project.

Mr. Thomas described 4 options for design of the project: 1) no project,
2) preservation of the historical buildings on the property, 3) a reduced
density option of 175 units, 3 and 4 stories high, and 4) a park option.

The reduced density option would move the project approximately 100 feet
away from the shoreline.  This option would give more open space but not
enough for most activities along the waterfront, including an active park
as currently listed in the city's Master Plan.

There were several community members at the meeting that spoke about the
project.  There was only tentative support for the park.  People talked
about the traffic and parking but the major concerns seemed to be the
narrow streets in the proposed development.  Some people expressed a desire
to see businesses included in the project.

The Planning Department staff recommended the "Reduced Density" option.
The Planning Board dismissed the "no project option" since everyone on the
Board wants the area developed.  The park option was considered by staff to
be difficult, since purchasing the land, developing it into a park, and
maintaining it requires that the city pursue funding.  The staff believes
other new parks will be adequate:  Beltline, Coast Guard Estuary Park, and
future possibilities at Alameda Point.  Unfortunately, none of these parks
will be very useful for the children in our neighborhood.  In the area
around Estuary Park (now called the Northern Waterfront Park) we have less
than 2 acres of parkland serving about 10,000 people.

The staff report acknowledged the pollution in the development area will
not be cleaned up enough to allow safe residential development for 1-2
years.

The questions of staff by the Planning Board indicated that Board members
are also concerned about the street grid and want to see changes to the
design, extend Elm and Blanding into the development as normal width
streets.  Board members are not at all concerned about 3 story high
buildings, and several of them want to see high density development in
Alameda regardless of the consequences to the quality of living on the
island.  Some board members also suggested having businesses on the site.

No action was taken by the Planning Board at this meeting.  The next time
the Board will consider the development will be on May 24th.  At that
meeting they will see if the developer has submitted a new plan more in
line with the instructions given to staff by the Planning Board.  For
nearly 10 years the Planning Board has been instructing the developer to
change his design to be more in keeping with desired development in
Alameda.  Each time after such a request the developer has returned with a
worse design.