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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes January 22, 2009
<br />Agenda No. 09-02 Page 9 of I4
<br />store in the middle of town, surrounded by a chain link fence, for more than three years. This
<br />represents blight much more than the open field that now occupies the proposed project site.
<br />John Chapman, a founding Board Member of the Great Communities Collaborative and also a
<br />member of Greenbelt Alliance Board, came to the podium with other members of the Greenbelt
<br />Alliance and Urban Habitat, including San Leandro residents Tony Sisto and Brianna Swartz -
<br />all of whom support the recommendation to approve the site plan. He referenced the Greenbelt
<br />Alliance letter of support in the Commissioners' packets. This project meets the five criteria for a
<br />good transit-oriented development; San Leandro is ahead of the game with this smart-growth
<br />TOD, a pioneer. Mr. Chapman said that he has been involved with a similar project in Oakland,
<br />The 700 unit Uptown, with an 80-unit affordable housing component. This project, which was
<br />awarded LEED Silver certification, also has a childcare center, which he considers very important
<br />in this type of project.
<br />Johanne Dictor, 1 ] 66 Glen Drive, San Leandro, is President of the Estudillo Homeowners
<br />Association, which has 1,200 homes. She said she has had a long journey with the TOD and the
<br />issues, and the plans. She is disappointed; she believes in affordable housing but it's not the plan
<br />she was led to expect. She feels that the building, standing alone for five to 10 years, will be a
<br />disaster. There is no commitment from Westlake. This is not being fair to people, because
<br />residents of The Alameda would be exc]uded. It is not inclusionary development, and is planned
<br />for the other side of the tracks, creating a ghetto situation. The option to do a high percentage of
<br />low-income housing rather than doing it on a pro rata basis in the context of the whole proposal
<br />will produce too many units and won't give people a fair chance. She believes that we've lost our
<br />focus with the proposal for The Alameda. Also, the redevelopment money that BRIDGE is
<br />seeking would be better spent on police services -not for this development at this time. She said
<br />she is an affordable housing advocate, but does not favor the way this proposal is situated and
<br />does not think the timing is right for it.
<br />Susan Young, 760 Lee Avenue, San Leandro, is a homeowner who said she is one of the few
<br />speakers who is a resident and taxpayer in the community. She has been following this project for
<br />quite some time, and is very, very concerned about the different "shape-changing." She read the
<br />EIR. At first it was going to be housing, including affordable housing. Then it was going to be
<br />rental housing, but a component of affordable housing and luxury condominiums. Now she is
<br />hearing that this is a standalone affordable housing complex, with no commitment from the
<br />developer that it will be filled in. In fact, they say it could be 10 years. She said it should be made
<br />very clear to the community what is being considered - a standalone affordable housing complex.
<br />Tom Breckenridge, 45 Begier Avenue, San Leandro, submitted a letter of endorsement from the
<br />Interfaith Homelessness Network, abroad-based community organization that consists of 10 faith
<br />communities in San Leandro that strongly supports this project. Through seven years of working
<br />with the City's poor, he said his group sees again and again the critical need for affordable
<br />housing, sees how folks' lives stabilize and they become more productive when they have stable
<br />homes, and sees this project making good sense environmentally and economically. He said it is
<br />the right thing to do for our citizens.
<br />Esperanza Alcantar, 145& Ardmore Drive, San Leandro, said she has lived in San Leandro for
<br />20 years, that she served on the TOD Strategy Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), and that she
<br />speaks on behalf of low-income and very low-income people who support this project. She said
<br />that this project also needs a daycare center, a secure and safe place for their children when their
<br />parents go to work. She said especially in this bad economy, it is wonderful to hear that the
<br />project will create 750 construction jobs. This will be very positive for our community. This is
<br />not a moment to throw that away. This is a great project, not only because it is needed but
<br />because it is getting attention as a model for the nation.
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