3A Public Hearing 2009 0302 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes January 22, 2009 Agenda No. 09-02 Page 8 of 14 Chair Dlugosh asked for a show of hands to get a sense of how many people wanted to speak in the public hearing. Due to the many hands raised, he suggested that during the break, those who want to speak might discuss among themselves whether they could consolidate comments and thus be allocated five minutes per speaker. If not, each speaker would have two minutes. After another show of hands following the break, Chair Dlugosh announced that each speaker would have two minutes. April Mitchell, 5518 Vallejo Street, Oakland, said she represents Sierra Club's Northern Alameda County group, which engages in conservation issues and supports the San Leandro Crossings development. Sierra Club's process in endorsing development projects involves evaluating a proposal against its Urban Infill Guidelines, some of which include containing sprawl, developing housing near transit, 20% affordable housing, LEED certification, mixed use and pedestrian-oriented design. A project that meets most or all of these guidelines generally wins a Sierra Club endorsement, she explained. She referenced a letter Sierra Club sent in support of this project, and said the organization applauds San Leandro for embarking on such an important project, one that all cities should be embracing and moving forward with. She said San Leandro has become a model city for that. Matt Regan, Director of Housing and Sustainable Development with the Bay Area Council, described the Council as abusiness-sponsored public policy and advocacy organization with about 300 member companies that represent about one in five of the private sector workforce in the nine Bay Area counties. Every year, the organization surveys members asking about primary concerns and impediments to doing business in the region, and every year, he said, the lack of housing at all levels of affordability comes in as the top or second concern. Because the Bay Area Council is a regional organization, he spoke to the regional importance of San Leandro Crossings. He said this region is pretty badly out of balance, perhaps more so than any other in the U.S. The Bay Area's housing market is skewed in such a way that it forces workers to live further away from job centers than in other areas. San Leandro's current housing jobs imbalance reflects that fact. Our collective carbon footprint also reflects this imbalance. The Bay Area likes to think of itself as being the "center of the green universe and on the cutting edge of environmentalism, but the facts say otherwise," Mr. Regan stated. He said that we produce more carbon dioxide per capita than anywhere else in the country because we drive more than others do. Nationwide, l 5% of COZ production comes from cars and light trucks; in California it's 25% and in the Bay Area it's close to 40% -primarily because so many live so far from where they work. We need to reduce vehicle miles traveled and restore some balance to the housing jobs ratio -both needs that the San Leandro Crossings project will help meet. Addressing Commissioner Abero's concerns about the future of the development after The Alameda, he said that last year the California Legislature passed SB375, a piece of legislation that will funnel State funds toward transit- oriented developments, primarily those that are close to transit hubs such as the San Leandro BART station. "Sites that are next to fixed transit will be developed," he predicts. "They're gold mines." Frank Lynn, 450 Oakes Boulevard, San Leandro, identified himself as a concerned homeowner and Board Member of Estudillo Estates Homeowners Association who opposes this project. He pointed out that while the project has received a few letters of support, a 300-signature petition against the project has been presented to the City Council. Most of those who signed the petition are concerned homeowners in Estudillo Estates and the Pacific Plaza condominiums, he said. He also noted that while the project will bring approximately $600,000 in additional property taxes, BRIDGE has applied for City redevelopment funds of $9.3 million, meaning that citizens of San Leandro would be fronting the money for this project and it won't pay for itself for 15 years. He added that the purpose of redevelopment funds is to erase blight, and we've had an empty grocery