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The City of Alameda has informed us that a hearing on the Density Bonus Ordinance and inclusionary housing requirements that was planned for July 21 has been cancelled, with no further explanation.

On July 21, Alameda City Council will hold a public hearing on a new ordinance that attempts to bring into agreement the City’s inclusionary affordable housing requirement (25%) and the proposed density bonus ordinance (15%) for the redevelopment project areas West End Community Improvement Project (WECIP) and the Business and Waterfront Improvement District (BWIP.)

Critics of SunCal’s Alameda Point Revitalization Initiative have often been pejoratively, and mistakenly, labeled “anti-development” and needlessly distrustful of the “big bad developer.” But it’s coming to light, as SunCal tries to slink away from Alameda back to SoCal, that they duped even their most ardent sympathizers within Alameda. Perhaps now some of those who [...]

For the past couple of years, we’ve suggested that exercising the density bonus law might be a valid way to build no more than 2,000 homes at Alameda Point to side-step Measure A where low-income and senior housing is provided, to allow for a mixed-use, transit-oriented-development. It seems that SunCal is ready to abuse the [...]

Citing lack of complete documentation from city staff, and lack of overall comprehension of the potential impacts to the city from the proposed density bonus ordinance, the City of Alameda Planning Board voted to continue discussion of the proposed ordinance to the next planning board meeting.

At their March 9th meeting, Alameda’s Planning Board will consider the first draft of a Density Bonus Ordinance for Alameda. The State density bonus law provides for higher-density, transit-oriented-development projects that would side-step Measure A when low-income housing is built. Alameda’s ordinance codifies how that would work in Alameda, and how higher-density transit-oriented-development can occur [...]

ITEM 6-A
Alameda Planning Board Page 1 of 1
Staff Report 6-A
Meeting of January 26, 2009
City of Alameda Memorandum
To: President Kohlstrand and Members of the Planning Board
From: Jon Biggs, Planning Services Manager
Andrew Thomas, Planning Services Manager
Date: January 26, 2009
Re: Future Agenda Items

The Second Unit Ordinance comes before the Planning Board this evening at Alameda City Hall. However, consideration of the Density Bonus Ordinance has been stayed indefinitely, ostensibly because the Planning Board wants to consider it in parallel with discussion of the new Housing Element. Use of the Density Bonus Law could be a viable alternative [...]

At the November 10th Planning Board meeting, the City of Alameda Planning Board was set to discuss a CEQA negative declaration on a proposed density bonus law ordinance. Then, the Alameda Sun published a cover story about the density bonus law ordinance, and the Nov. 10th Planning Board meeting was cancelled. The density bonus law [...]

Readers may have seen the Alameda Sun’s above-the-fold cover page story this week called “Bonus Law Could Pave SunCal’s Way.” SunCal has been ignoring the potential use of the density bonus to keep the number of homes at Alameda Point down while still providing transit oriented mixed-use development.