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3 CITY DESIGN ELEMENT
Alameda has a clear identity – certainly it is among the half dozen Bay Area cities with the strongest
visual image. During an era when bland, look-alike communities are the norm, unique cities are an
increasingly prized resource. But identity cannot be taken for granted; the richness of Alameda's
historic urban fabric must continually be defended against pressures for development conforming to
current standard practice. And not all that is unique or memorable is pleasant – there are bleak areas,
clutter, and missed opportunities, as well as opportunities to be seized.
(Photo: Aeolian Yacht Club)
The City Design Element addresses visual issues at a citywide scale. The quality of architectural and
landscape design for individual sites and projects is also of great importance, as is constantly
demonstrated by Alameda's wide variation in quality from block to block and lot to lot. Policy 3.3.e
calls for detailed design guidelines. (See Figure 3-1, City Design Framework)
(Figure 3-1: City Design Framework..)
3.1 ENTRANCES
Arrival in Alameda is a distinct event, whether by tube, bridge, or along San Leandro Bay. The City
design objective is to establish immediately the desired character of Alameda for a person entering
for the first or 10,000th time. A handsome building, a cluster of trees, or other prominent entry
feature can give form to the journey.
Guiding Policy: Entrances
3.1.a Alameda's entrances should create a sense of civic pride.
Implementing Policies: Entrances
3.1.b Posey-Webster Tubes:
Work with Caltrans to refurbish, paint and light the portal towers.
Prepare an overall landscaping and design scheme as part of the Webster Street specific plan.
Use large-growing trees to unify the entrance area and make a strong visual statement. (See
Policy 2.5.g)
Diminish the visual perception of an expanse of pavement along Constitution Way and
Webster Street by creating a grove of trees on existing excess right-of-way, in Neptune Park,
on the College of Alameda campus, and in parking lots for adjoining office buildings.
Preserve the view of the Oakland skyline and hills for northbound travelers.
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Work with Caltrans to replace freeway-scale directional signs with smaller ones that convey
the slower-speed character of Alameda.
Bleak, wide open spaces have made the Tube Alameda's least friendly entrance, but a strong
planting scheme combined with completion of Neptune Park, approved offices, and
development on the drive-in site can transform it.
3.1.c Park Street Bridge:
Discuss with County staff the possibility of painting the bridge a strong color that will give it
more visual weight. Add trees on Park Street.
This busiest and most cluttered entrance can convey the quality of Alameda without severe
limitation on signs along auto row.
3.1.d Miller-Sweeney (Fruitvale) Bridge:
Add trees on open land to the west and south to announce the transition from an industrial
area to a residential neighborhood and to improve the environment for existing and planned
homes.
3.1.e High Street Bridge:
Discuss with County staff the possibility of painting the bridge a color appropriate to a
residential neighborhood. Improve the landscape quality of this entrance in conjunction with
traffic improvements to the High Street/Fernside Boulevard intersection.
3.1.f Bay Farm Island Bridge:
Ensure that the design for Bridgeview Park enhances the Bay Farm Island Bridge entry onto
the Main Island.
3.1.g Cross Airport Roadway:
Evaluate design treatment options for the entry of the Cross Airport Roadway into Alameda.
The nearby Teleport Tower at Harbor Bay Business Park will be the landmark, but City
identity will need to be established.
3.2 EDGES, VISTAS, FOCAL POINTS
Guiding Policies: Edges, Vistas, Focal Points
3.2.a Maximize views of water and access to shorelines.
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The sense of being on an island is easily lost where views of the water are blocked. On the
northern and eastern shorelines of the Main Island, few opportunities now exist for views or
access to these shorelines and marinas impede visual access to open water.
(Photo: Harbor Bay Business Park’s Teleport Tower)
3.2.b Deleted: (GPA 99-05)
3.2.c Maintain and extend Alameda's outstanding street tree system using the adopted Street Tree
Management Plan as a guide in the decision-making process.
The City's 12,000 street trees make the wide, heavily trafficked boulevards livable and place
the Gold Coast among the finest existing Victorian neighborhoods.
The few barren streets in Alameda demonstrate how bleak a densely built city can be without
trees. The Street Tree Management Plan includes detailed proposals for care of existing
trees and for the more than 3,500 identified vacant planting sites.
(Photo: Park Street Landing project)
Implementing Policies: Edges, Vistas, Focal Points
3.2.d Maintain views and access to the water along streets and other public rights-of-way that
extend to the bulkhead line. Construct benches, ramps, rails, and seating appropriate for
viewing and access, and provide walls or other screening where needed to protect adjoining
property.
Westline Drive, Grand Street, Park Street, Central Avenue and Encinal Avenue are
candidates for architectural or landscape features that would enhance the meeting of land
and water.
(Sketch: possible features)
3.2.e Encourage landmark structures at prominent locations.
The Housing Authority site at the southwest corner of Webster and Lincoln is an example of
such a location.
(Photo: potential greenway)
3.2.f Work to establish continuous greenways adjoining Main Street and Atlantic Avenue
extending east through the railroad yard to Sherman Street, provided that the greenway
design on each parcel allows for connection throughout the length of the greenway.
(GPA 96-4)
In addition to providing bike and pedestrian ways, a 100-foot-wide greenway could have
landmark trees in the sector of the City that is most in need of a greater presence of nature.
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3.2.g Work with BCDC staff to prepare a schematic plan for development of the 100-foot-wide
strip above mean high tide on properties likely to require BCDC development approval.
The schematic plan should provide for public access and provide shoreline streets wherever
possible. Specific opportunities for shoreline streets should be identified. The plan should
include design standards and guidelines for buildings, streets, pedestrian and bicycle routes,
signage and landscaping.
Bay Farm Island, Park Street Landing, and the San Leandro Bay shoreline east of the
Aeolian Yacht Club demonstrate BCDC's ability to secure high-quality development of the
shoreline for public use. Similar opportunities exist on portions of the Northern Waterfront.
3.2.h Work with the East Bay Regional Park District to plan and build a promenade along Shore
Line Drive of a quality comparable to the promenade bordering Harbor Bay Parkway.
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) stresses the importance of avoiding
encroachment onto the dune system put in place to protect the beach and Shore Line Drive.
EBRPD recommends that any promenade, if built, should occupy existing 60-foot street
right-of-way.
3.2.i Ensure that sections of the Estuary waterfront remain visually unobstructed.
Most of the Estuary waterfront not devoted to industrial use is developed as marinas which
block vistas. The proposed Estuary Park will be on the most prominent viewpoint.
3.3 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES
The Historic Preservation Element, adopted in 1980, was based on a survey of about 80 percent of
the Main Island; it identified 4,000 addresses as having architectural and historical resources. The
report noted that 1,400 structures, most of them built before the turn of the century, had been
demolished since World War II. Recommendations for preservation include designation of Heritage
Areas (no added regulation), and Historic Districts (design regulation). Historic preservation district
boundaries were not proposed, but three Heritage Areas subsequently have been studied under the
Certified Local Government Program, and designated by the City Council: Bay Station (1986), Park
Avenue (1988), and Burbank-Portola (1989). Since the adoption of the Historic Preservation
Element, the City completed detailed surveys of unreinforced buildings, commercial buildings on
Webster Street, and buildings and sites in the northern waterfront These surveys fill in gaps in the
original survey, leaving few buildings and sites undocumented.
Implementing Policies: Architectural Resources
3.3.a Continue to identify quality architecture of all periods in Alameda's history and participate in
programs to increase owners' and buyers' awareness of the importance of preservation.
(photo:1200 Block, Pacific Ave)
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3.3.b Consider formation of Historic Districts within which alterations to existing structures would
be regulated to maintain neighborhood scale and historic character.
3.3.c Maintain strong demolition control for historic properties.
3.3.d New construction, redevelopment and alterations should be compatible with historic
resources in the immediate area.
3.3.e Develop detailed design guidelines to ensure protection of Alameda's historic, neighborhood,
and small-town character. Encourage preservation of all buildings, structures, areas and other
physical environment elements having architectural, historic or aesthetic merit, including
restoration of such elements where they have been insensitively altered. Include special
guidelines for older buildings of existing or potential architectural, historical or aesthetic
merit which encourage retention of original architectural elements and restoration of any
missing elements. The design guidelines include detailed design standards for commercial
districts.
3.3.f Regulate development in neighborhood business districts to maintain a street-wall, with most
structures built to the property lines, entrances directly facing the sidewalk, and parking at
the rear.
3.3.g Encourage off-site and multi-level parking in the Park Street and Webster Street business
districts as essential to Main Street character. To maintain pedestrian character and visual
interest, avoid locating parking structures at street level on corners and along retail streets.
These areas should be occupied by retail activities and public uses.
3.3.h Regulate development in the Park Street and Webster Street business districts to encourage
two- and three-story buildings extending to the front and side property lines, with entrances
directly facing the sidewalk, and parking at the rear.
3.3.i Preserve all City-owned buildings and other facilities of architectural, historical or aesthetic
merit. Prepare a list of these facilities and develop an Historic Facilities Management Plan
that provides procedures for preserving their character-defining elements, including
significant interior features and furnishings. Include in the Management Plan design
guidelines or standards and a long-term program to restore significant character-defining
elements which have been altered.
3.3.j Encourage owners of poorly remodeled but potentially attractive older buildings to restore
the exterior of these buildings to their original appearance. Provide lists of altered buildings
which present special design opportunities and make the lists widely available. Develop
financial and design assistance programs to promote such restoration.
3.3.k Require that any exterior changes to existing buildings receiving City rehabilitation
assistance or related to Use Permits, Variances or Design Review, or other discretionary City
approvals be consistent with the building’s existing or original architectural design unless the
City determines either (a) that the building has insufficient existing or original design merit
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of historical interest to justify application of this policy or (b) that application of this policy
would cause undue economic or operational hardship to the applicant, owner or tenant.
3.4 CIVIC CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN
The imposing red-brick City Hall (1896), the Carnegie Library building (1903), and the Elks Club
(1909) form the nucleus of Alameda's civic center. The Police Administration Building (1978) was
designed to relate to the City Hall, and the library proposed on the site of the LinOaks Motel east of
Oak Street provides an opportunity to create an identifiable civic center. New and existing private
buildings of compatible design and multi-level parking structures replacing parking lots would serve
both the civic center and the adjoining Park Street business district. (See Section 6.4, Cultural
Facilities, for related policies.) (See Figure 3-2, Civic Center Specific Plan Area.)
(Figure 3-2: Civic Center Specific Plan.)
Guiding Policies: Civic Center
3.4.a Using City Hall as the centerpiece, develop the surrounding area as an identifiable civic
center that will enhance civic pride in Alameda.
3.4.b Rely on design character and provision of coordinated open spaces rather than narrow
restrictions on use to create a sense of civic center. In addition to public and institutional
facilities, permitted uses are to include pocket parks, offices, retail stores, residential units,
and parking.
Historic buildings in the area surrounding City Hall, including the main library constructed
in neo-classical style and the Elks Club in the Colonial Revival style, could contribute to the
design theme of the Civic Center.
Implementing Policies: Civic Center
3.4.c Prepare a list of desired public and private civic center users and their space needs. In
addition to a new library, the list might include City functions now located elsewhere, a
museum, a new theater, or a refurbished Alameda Theater, a downtown minipark, offices,
and restaurants.
3.4.d Prepare and adopt a Civic Center Specific Plan for the 12-acre Specific Plan area delineated
on the General Plan Diagram. The plan is to include uses, building footprints and envelopes
(location and bulk), architectural and landscape design character, street and pedestrian way
design, and schematic design of parking areas/structures.
The level of regulation and means of implementation of the Specific Plan can vary over a
broad range. Initial actions may include only library design and parking management or
construction of the first parking structure, but these must occur in the context of a plan for
the entire area. Property owners will need to know where parking will be located, how it will
be financed, and what regulations, if any, in addition to current zoning will affect their
holdings.
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3.4.e Encourage and consider City participation in an assessment district to build parking
structures serving private and public uses.
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5 OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
ELEMENT
Alameda enjoys a variety of open space resources unique to its island location. The various elements
of the City's natural environment -- the land, marshes, tideflats, and Bay waters -- constitute the
foundation of the open space system and fulfill multiple open space functions supporting community
health, safety, recreation, and preservation of natural resources. Within the built environment, parks
and other public facilities provide open space for recreation and sports.
INTEGRATION OF THE OPEN SPACE ELEMENT AND CONSERVATION ELEMENT
In function and content, the Open Space Element and Conservation Element often overlap. The
Conservation Element is oriented toward the management of natural resources to prevent waste,
destruction or neglect. The Open Space Element, in comparison, emphasizes open space as a land
use and requires that preservation and management of natural resources be considered in land use
planning and decision-making. This combined Open Space and Conservation Element describes
conservation practices within four state-designated types of open space described below, meeting the
requirements of both elements. In addition, Alameda's climate and air quality are considered, as is
the preservation of the City's historic and archaeologic resources.
STATE CLASSIFICATION OF OPEN SPACE
State law requires that four types of open space be analyzed in the Open Space Element: open space
for the preservation of natural resources; open space for the managed production of natural resources;
open space for outdoor recreation; and open space for public health and safety. It is the intent of
State law that cities preparing general plans recognize open space as a limited and valuable resource
to be conserved whenever possible. Any action by the City to acquire, dispose of, or regulate the use
of open space lands in any of these categories must be consistent with the Open Space Element.
5.1 OPEN SPACE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
The Bay waters and tidal areas that surround Alameda sustain vital communities of animal and plant
life, some listed by Federal agencies as endangered or threatened. Protection of water resources and
fragile habitat recognizes the interdependent relationship between human and other living
communities. This section considers water resources in three parts: water-related habitat, water
quality, and water conservation.
The urban environment also comprises and provides habitat and is considered briefly in a section on
urban habitat. Following this discussion is a review of the wildlife and vegetation of both water-related
and urban habitat.
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6 PARKS AND RECREATION,
SHORELINE ACCESS, SCHOOLS AND
CULTURAL FACILITIES ELEMENT
This element establishes policies for facilities that deserve more attention than they would receive if
they were included in the Land Use or Open Space elements. Parks are especially valued in Alameda
because existing acreage is small relative to population, and opportunities for expansion of the park
system are few. Improved shoreline access has accompanied recent development, and additional
opportunities to take advantage of the island setting are available. Acquisition of the site for the new
Main Library and support for an arts center demonstrate interest in enriching the cultural life of
Alameda.
(Photo: Lincoln Park photo)
6.1 PARKS AND RECREATION
Five categories of park and recreational open space exist in Alameda:
Neighborhood Parks are mainly for the use of elementary school age children, but also provide
landscaped settings for picnicking or passive use by all ages, and greenery in a dense city. The City's
dozen existing neighborhood parks range from 1 to 5 acres.
Community Parks have adult facilities such as lighted baseball diamonds and tennis courts, but also
function as neighborhood parks. The four community parks range from 6 to 15 acres.
Community open space consists of special purpose facilities such as the Model Airplane Field (1
acre) and the Shoreline Park on Bay Farm Island (22 acres).
Greenways are landscaped linear open spaces with paths for walking, jogging, and biking. On Bay
Farm Island they are owned and maintained by homeowners' associations; the General Plan proposes
a City-owned greenway on the Main Island.
(Photo: Golf Course)
Region-serving Park and Recreation Facilities include Crown Memorial Beach and the Alameda
Municipal Golf Courses.
Table 6-1 presents an inventory of existing parks and open space, and Table 6-2 lists five additional
sites proposed by the General Plan. Existing and projected park acreage per 1,000 residents appears
in Table 6-3.
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7 AIRPORT ENVIRONS ELEMENT
Alameda is subject to noise nuisance, aircraft overflights, and safety concerns from operations at two
(GPA 01-01) airports: Metropolitan Oakland International (MOIA (Text related to NAS Alameda
deleted pursuant to (GPA 01-01)) and San Francisco International (SFO). The airports are
increasingly sensitive to their impacts on nearby residents. However, the City has no direct ability to
affect their operations. The Oakland Airport is owned by the Port of Oakland, the City and County
of San Francisco owns SFO, and the Department of Defense controls NAS.
Inclusion of the Airport Environs Element in the General Plan is optional per Section 65303 of the
Government Code. This Element contains policies that the City will implement, as well as requests
for actions by the airport proprietors.
The purposes of the Airport Environs Element are to consolidate policies relating to airports at a
single location in the General Plan document and to direct maximum attention to the impacts that
aircraft operations have on Alameda. Consequently, the Health and Safety and the Transportation
elements refer the reader to this Element, and do not repeat policies relating to airport noise and
safety.
7.1 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: NOISE AND SAFETY
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Federal, State, City and County governments have
interrelated responsibilities for airport noise and safety regulation. The Federal Aviation Act (1968
amendment) requires the FAA to consider noise as a criterion in its certification of aircraft and
airports. Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), Part 36, regulates aircraft noise emission levels,
requiring all new aircraft to meet Stage 3 (least noisy) standards. In 1986 about 40 percent of the
domestic, commercial aircraft fleet met Stage 3 standards; Stage 1 aircraft have been phased out of
the domestic airline fleet. The time schedule for phase-out of Stage 2 aircraft will become known no
later than July 1, 1991.
FAR Part 150, effective in 1985, provides funding to airport operators for preparation of noise
exposure maps (NEM) and noise compatibility programs (NCP). Following FAA approval, the
airport becomes eligible for funds to abate on-airport and off-airport noise. Cities adjacent to airports
are also eligible to receive FAA funding for noise mitigation actions. The MOIA Part 150 program
was submitted for FAA approval in 1988. Noise exposure maps for 1986 and 1991 forecast
conditions have been accepted by the FAA, but the FAR Part 150 noise compatibility program for
MOIA was returned to the Port of Oakland for revision. As of July 1, 1990, the MOIA NCP has not
been resubmitted to the FAA. Until it has been approved, no Federal funds will be available for noise
abatement projects.
California Airport Noise Standards. Standards enacted in 1971 required that all land uses within
the 65 dB Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) contour in an airport vicinity be compatible
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8 HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT
State law requires a safety element to outline policies which will protect the community from both
natural and human-induced disasters. This Health and Safety Element considers seismic, geologic,
and soils hazards, fire hazards, flooding, hazardous materials release, waste management, magnetic
fields, emergency management, and noise. Due to the City's relatively flat topography, its built-up
character, and its location, slope failure, wildlands fires, and dam failure are not considered threats to
Alameda.
The seismic safety policies in Section 8.1 incorporate lessons learned during the Loma Prieta
earthquake of October 1989. Property damage in the City involved ground infrastructure, such as
sewer lines, gas mains, storm drains, and water mains, and streets and sidewalks which buckled and
cracked. Brick chimneys on older structures collapsed. Most of the damage occurred in the Marina
Village, Southshore, and Harbor Bay Business Park areas.
Following the earthquake, an Alameda Hazard Mitigation Team (AHMT) composed of six City
departments analyzed emergency response and prepared a list of recommendations designed to save
lives, lessen injuries, and reduce damage during future earthquakes. The recommendations are listed
as "work elements," and specify tasks in detail. While not adopted as a part of the General Plan, the
City of Alameda Annex to the State Hazard Mitigation Plan for the October 17, 1989, Loma Prieta
Earthquake, California, should be used as a planning reference document. Some of the measures
proposed by the AHMT are also helpful when coping with disasters, such as fires, flooding, or
hazardous materials release.
The City is preparing an updated Emergency Operations Plan, which is expected to be adopted as the
guide for disaster planning in Alameda.
The Bay Area Regional Earthquake Preparedness Project, County Disaster Planning, and the State
Office of Emergency Services can provide additional reference materials for interested citizens.
8.1 SEISMIC, GEOLOGIC, AND SOILS HAZARDS
The largest concern regarding geologic and soils hazards in Alameda centers on the primary and
secondary effects of ground movement due to earthquakes. After the initial shaking, secondary
seismic hazards associated with earthquakes include liquefaction, lateral spreading, cracking of the
ground surface, sand boils, slope failure, tsunamis and seiches. The likelihood of occurrence of these
secondary effects due to groundshaking (with the exception of tsunamis and seiches) in the region is
high. Other hazards include erosion due to wind and wave motion, slope instability, and differential
settlement.
Guiding Policies: Seismic, Geologic, and Soils Hazards
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9 Alameda Point
9.1 CHALLENGES AND ISSUES
This element addresses the redevelopment of Alameda Point, formerly the Alameda Naval Air
Station (NAS). The Navy closed this base in 1997, and, as of late 2000, is still in the process of
transferring the property to the City of Alameda. Figure 9-1 illustrates the planning boundaries of
Alameda Point. Redevelopment of Alameda Point presents the City with unique and challenging
opportunities. Successful redevelopment of Alameda Point will include:
• Seamless integration of Alameda Point with the rest of the City. Policies in the General Plan
encourage development that is community-oriented and in keeping with Alameda’s traditional
character and scale.
• Fostering a vibrant new neighborhood. The General Plan seeks to create new and energetic
areas, encompassing a variety of uses. However, policies ensure that new development will not
unduly impact established neighborhoods.
• Maximizing waterfront accessibility. With an emphasis on a perimeter shoreline trail along the
San Francisco Bay and Oakland Estuary, the policies aim to provide a publicly accessible
waterfront.
• De-emphasizing the automobile and making new development compatible with transportation
capacity. Policies promote the use of alternative modes of transportation—such as bicycles,
shuttles and water taxis—to reduce present and potential future congestion.
• Ensuring economic development. The envisioned long-term reuse of Alameda Point will result in
replacement of jobs lost due to cessation of Naval operations, and will foster economic growth
and development that benefits the community at large.
• Creating a mixed-use environment. The General Plan encourages development of a variety of
uses in Alameda Point that promote transit and a pedestrian-friendly environment. A mixed-use
approach will allow for the development of transit friendly neighborhoods with a strong
pedestrian character that will foster the development of the desired small town feeling.
• Establishing neighborhood centers. Each neighborhood in Alameda Point should have a
neighborhood center as a focal point that allows for commercial, civic, community support
services, cultural and recreational uses. Centers should allow for human interaction and public
events. Centers should be distributed so all residents can walk to accomplish multiple purposes
and have an access point to local transit. Integration of multiple forms of transportation is
essential to a successful neighborhood center design. Similar to existing neighborhood business
districts, these centers should provide critical local services, such as grocery stores,
launderettes/cleaners and small restaurants that can rely mainly on customers who walk from
their homes.
The General Plan land use diagram for Alameda Point is shown in Figure 9-2.
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C:\1991 GENERAL PLAN\Chapter 9.doc
Northern Waterfront General Plan Amendment
10.0 Northern Waterfront
10.1 Challenges and Issues
This element addresses the redevelopment of the Northern Waterfront planning area.
Redevelopment of this area presents the City with unique and challenging opportunities. Successful
redevelopment of the Northern Waterfront will include:
􀂙􉥆 Fostering a vibrant new mixed-use environment. The General Plan seeks to create a new and vibrant
district with a variety of uses that are compatible with the waterfront location and adjacent
neighborhoods. The General Plan encourages development of a variety of uses in the area to
create a pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented environment.
􀂙􉥒 Reconnecting the community to the waterfront. With an emphasis on new public shoreline access,
replacing existing waterfront industrial and warehouse uses with residential, commercial, retail,
and open space, and extension of the existing street grid to the waterfront, the policies aim to
reconnect the community to its waterfront.
􀂙􉥉 Improving access through and around the district. Policies facilitate the extension of the existing
Alameda grid system into and through the district to allow for the extension of the Clement
Street truck route, reduce traffic volumes on Buena Vista, and increase access to the waterfront.
Policies also promote use of alternative modes of transportation-such as light rail, shuttles, water
taxis, and bicycles-to reduce present and potential future congestion.
􀂙􉥐 Preserving the unique history and environment of the Northern Waterfront Area. The General Plan includes
policies to preserve the unique environmental, cultural, and architectural assets within the area
and to utilize those assets in the creation of a new, vibrant mixed-use district.
􀂙􉥆 Financially Sound Development The General Plan policies and land use designations are designed to
ensure that new development will fund the public facilities and services that are needed to serve
the new development and that redevelopment of the area does not result in a negative financial
impact on the City’s ability to provide services to the rest of the City.
􀂙􉥆 Facilitating a Jobs/Housing Balance. With an emphasis on mixed use development, the General
Plan policies for the area are intended to facilitate a jobs housing balance in the area and in the
City for the purpose of reducing citywide traffic and the associated environmental, economic
and social impacts of long commute trips.
10.2 Background
Since its initial development in the mid-1800s, land uses and economic activities in the Northern
Waterfront area have been characterized by continual change. Prior to 1852, the area consisted
primarily of marshland. Boatyards, shipping facilities, warehouses, and residences were among the
first buildings constructed at the Northern Waterfront. Residential tracts were subdivided for
development in the 1870s, resulting in development of the first neighborhoods in the area. In the
1880s and 1890s, the shipping and commercial marine activities at the Northern Waterfront were
considered to be the best in the Bay Area. The Alaska Packers Association (the world's largest
salmon-packing company and subsidiary of the California Packing Corporation - now Del Monte)
started berthing its vessels in the area currently run by the Grand Marina around 1890. During the
two world wars and the Vietnam War, large industrial, shipbuilding, and commercial uses such as
Encinal Terminals, Del Monte Warehouse, Weyerhaeuser, Pennzoil, and Listo Pencil Company
emerged as leading economic activities at the Northern Waterfront. During the 1970s, the Northern
Waterfront area experienced a decline in activity when many of the commercial shipyards closed.
Although the predominant land use within the area continues to be light industrial and warehousing,
other land uses exist, including: residential, commercial, public/institutional, commercial
recreation/marina, parks and public open space, and vacant/undeveloped lands. Currently the area
consists of a patchwork of land uses; many former thriving industrial properties are now vacant and
underutilized.
Figure 10-1 shows the Northern Waterfront planning area.
In 2000, the Alameda City Council authorized creation of a plan to manage and direct future
redevelopment in the area. A 15-member Northern Waterfront Advisory Committee representing a
range of community, area property owner, and local business interests was appointed by the City
Council to manage an active community planning process to develop recommendations for the
reuse and redevelopment of the Northern Waterfront area. By May 2002, the Advisory Committee’s
recommendations for a preferred land use concept were presented to both the Planning Board and
Northern Waterfront General Plan Amendment – Adopted March 17, 2007
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City Council. The Northern Waterfront Advisory Committee’s recommended policies, as amended
and adopted by the Alameda Planning Board and City Council, establish the overall planning and
regulatory framework that will guide redevelopment of the area.
10.3. Guiding and Implementing Policies
The guiding and implementing polices provide a regulatory framework and guidance for the
successful redevelopment of the area.
Guiding Policies: Land Use
10.3.a. Require that development in the Northern Waterfront is sensitive to the character of
Alameda and the unique waterfront setting.
10.3.b. Require a mix of uses and open space near the Estuary and shoreline that provides for a
lively waterfront and a pedestrian friendly environment.
Implementing Policies: Land Use
10.3.c. Allow the development and reuse of existing sites consistent with the land use
designations shown on the Land Use Plan, site specific development policies, and the land
use goals for each of the following sites described below:
Del Monte Site. Replace the warehousing uses on the Del Monte site with commercial,
residential, and/or work/live uses.
Encinal Terminal Site. Replace the container care uses at Encinal Terminal with a mix of
new uses including residential, commercial, senior housing, and public open space.
Marinas. Maintain the Grand and Fortmann Marinas and in-fill the adjacent sites with a
mix of new uses including residential, institutional, commercial, and public open space.
Pennzoil Site. Replace the industrial uses at the Pennzoil site with a mix of new uses such
as residential, commercial, and/or public open space.
Self-Storage Site. Replace the warehousing uses at the Self Storage site on Sherman with
residential development to match the surrounding neighborhood.
Parrot Village. Maintain the Parrot Village residential development, Parrot Park and
Community Garden.
Beltline Rail Yard Site. Consider opportunities to acquire the site for open space through a
public ballot measure. If acquisition proves to be infeasible, consider a re-designation and
Northern Waterfront General Plan Amendment – Adopted March 17, 2007
2
rezoning of the site to allow approximately 100 housing units. Maintain a right of way
through the site for pedestrians, bicyclists, alternative vehicles, and/or future rail.
The Beltline site is a 21-acre parcel located between Constitution Way and Sherman Street.
10.3.d. Provide for a mixture, both vertical and horizontal, of compatible residential,
neighborhood-serving commercial, commercial, retail, office, marine, and open space uses.
10.3.e. Encourage the preservation and imaginative adaptive reuse of historic structures in the
Northern Waterfront.
10.3.f. Allow for the development of public facilities; such as schools and/or fire stations within
the Northern Waterfront plan area. Consider opportunities to relocate Fire Station #3 to a
location within the Northern Waterfront area adjacent to the Estuary.
10.3.g. Encourage commercial retail uses to locate adjacent to the waterfront that will contribute
to a lively pedestrian oriented waterfront.
10.3.h. Rezone properties in the area to implement the Northern Waterfront Plan policies.
10.4 Housing
Guiding Policies: Housing
10.4.a. Provide for a mix of housing types, densities, and affordability levels throughout the Plan
area.
10.4.b. Encourage and support the development of both “for-rent” and “for-sale” affordable
housing units distributed throughout the Plan area.
10.4.c. Encourage and support the development of senior housing in the Northern Waterfront.
Implementing Policies: Housing
10.4.d. Rezone the Pacific Storage Site on Sherman Street for residential development.
10.4.e. Rezone the Encinal Terminals, Grand Marina, and Pennzoil sites for mixed-use residential
development.
10.4.f. Encourage the development of residential units on the upper floors of small commercial
buildings in the Mixed-Use designated areas, in compliance with the City Charter.
10.4.g. Consider opportunities for a houseboat community in the Northern Waterfront area.
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10.5 Commercial
Guiding Policies: Commercial
10.5.a. Encourage neighborhood serving retail and services in the plan area that will complement
and not compete with Bay Street Station and other commercial retail and services districts
in Alameda.
Implementing Policies: Commercial
10.5.b. Encourage water and maritime related job and business opportunities that relate to the
area’s unique waterfront location.
10.5.c. Encourage retail uses that offer recreational products and services, such as windsurfing
and sailing equipment and lessons and bicycle and boat rentals.
10.5.d. Encourage a variety of restaurants and activities that meet the needs of people of all ages
and income levels.
10.5.e. Prohibit drive-through commercial facilities in the Plan area.
10.6 Circulation and Infrastructure
Guiding Policies: Circulation and Infrastructure
10.6.a. Require a safe circulation system through the Plan area that considers the needs of
pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, transit riders, automobile and truck drivers, and adjacent
neighborhoods.
10.6.b. Design all new streets in the Northern Waterfront area for a maximum speed of 25 miles
per hour to reduce the need for sound walls and minimize the need for future traffic
calming modifications to the street.
10.6.c. Require transportation and infrastructure improvements to support full build out of the
Northern Waterfront Plan area.
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4
10.6.d. Provide docking facilities to encourage waterborne forms of transportation.
10.6.e. Extend Clement Avenue through the Northern Waterfront from Grand Street to
Sherman to facilitate the movement of trucks, transit and/or rail, bicycles, and
pedestrians.
10.6.f. Non-residential uses should be located adjacent to the Clement Truck Route to minimize
disturbances to residents from truck traffic on Clement Street; however, if residential
uses are proposed adjacent to the Clement Truck Route, residential structures shall be
adequately set back and/or provide design features to minimize disturbances to future
residents. In accordance with policy 10.8.f, sound walls shall not be used to buffer
residential uses from the truck route.
10.6.g. Designate the extension of Clement Avenue through the Northern Waterfront as a
Truck Route; remove the Truck Route designation on Buena Vista from Sherman to
Grand Street. Do not extend the truck route through the Beltline property.
10.6.h. Implement traffic calming measures to slow and control traffic flow in and around the
Plan area and protect adjacent neighborhoods.
10.6.i.
10.6.j. Establish connections to the Bay Trail and other regional circulation systems.
10.6.k. Ensure that the public access path along the waterfront includes a separated path for
bicyclists or is wide enough to minimize conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists.
Bicyclists and Pedestrians
10.6.l. Create pedestrian and bicycle pathways and visual corridors along the waterfront and
linking the waterfront to inland neighborhoods.
10.6.m. Create a Class I bicycle and pedestrian pathway through the Beltline property from
Sherman to Constitution.
10.6.n. Create safe pedestrian crossings at all intersections within the Plan Area.
10.6.o. Require new development to provide facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit
riders.
10.6.p. Ensure that all streets and pedestrian pathways include tree plantings.
Transit and other Alternatives to the Automobile
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10.6.q. Develop shuttle services to minimize parking demand and traffic in the area.
10.6.r. Establish a Transit District, amend the Citywide Development Fee Ordinance, or
establish a comparable mechanism to fund expanded Northern Waterfront transit
services in corridors through and between the Northern Waterfront and the high
ridership generators inside and outside the City such as Oakland BART stations, airport,
and transit hubs.
10.6.s. Maintain a public right of way for a future rail/transit corridor along Clement Avenue
from Grand Street to Sherman Street as part of a citywide transit corridor.
10.6.t. Provide opportunities for water transit facilities at the foot of Grand Street or at the
Alaska Basin.
Parking
10.6.u. Develop a coordinated parking strategy for the area that maximizes utilization of shared
parking facilities or structures and minimizes the need for multiple surface parking lots.
10.6.v. Require that parking be located inside, below, or behind buildings and are not located or
designed in a manner that would deter access to the waterfront or reduce the quality of
the waterfront experience. Require ample space for pedestrians, landscaping, lighting,
and benches in front of buildings.
10.6.w. Landscaping along Sherman, Buena Vista, and Clement, should be designed to screen
the cars from view from the public access, adjacent neighborhood areas, Little John Park
and the Alaska Basin without compromising public safety or views of the water.
Infrastructure Phasing and Funding
10.6.x. Phase development in accordance with transportation and infrastructure improvements
necessary to serve the new development.
10.6.y. If necessary, require new storm drain facilities to meet current and future demand and
minimize potential flooding impacts on adjacent properties.
10.6.z. Ensure that police, fire, educational, parks, opens space, and other public services are
adequately funded to serve new development.
10.6.aa. Consider creation of a Northern Waterfront Assessment District to fund public
improvements and or municipal services required to support new development in the area.
10.8 Urban Design
Guiding Policies: Urban Design
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10.8.a. Improve the visibility and public access to the Northern Waterfront Plan area and
Oakland/Alameda Estuary.
10.8.b. Require that buildings at waterfront locations be designed with attractive and varied
architecture style.
10.8.c: To ensure design compatibility with adjacent developments and neighborhoods; limit new
building heights to 60 feet.
Implementing Policies: Urban Design and Aesthetics
10.8.b. On large sites with multiple buildings and with individual tall buildings adjacent to the
water, require building heights to “step down” as they approach the water.
10.8.c. Require that new development provide a pedestrian-friendly scale with building sizes
consistent with adjacent and historic land uses in the area.
10.8.d. Require new buildings to “face” the street.
10.8.e. Prohibit the use of sound walls within the Plan area.
New development should be designed and new streets should be engineered to minimize noise impacts and
eliminate the need for sound walls.
10.10 Site Specific Development Policies
The purpose of the site-specific development policies is to ensure the redevelopment of each of the
major sites within the area is consistent with the area wide policies and citywide goals. The site-specific
development policies are intended to assist project developers in the preparation of
proposed development plans and provide additional guidance for the review of those plans by the
community and city decision makers. Where a certain facet of development and design is not
directed by the guidelines, the standards of the City of Alameda Zoning Ordinance or Design
Guidelines shall be used.
10.10.a The Mixed Use Designated Sites
The Mixed Use designation allows for the development of a wide variety of complementary uses to
create a lively, pedestrian-oriented environment containing a mixture of commercial, residential,
office, waterfront, park, and
open space uses.
The Del Monte Site
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General Plan Designation: Specified Mixed Use
Development Policies: The intent of the development policies for the Del Monte site is to
facilitate adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of the Del Monte Warehouse, a building of significant
historical value that is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in a manner that
is compatible with the needs and interests of the adjacent residential and recreational uses.
Any plan to redevelopment this site should be compatible with the following site-specific
development policies:
Site Development
D-M 1. Encourage the sensitive rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Del Monte Warehouse
Building consistent with Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation provides guidelines to ensure that
rehabilitation efforts preserve the historic integrity of the building and/or site. Copies of the document
are available at the City of Alameda and through the State of California.
D-M 2. Consider a pedestrian access or “pass through” through the building to connect
Littlejohn Park to the public greenway adjacent to Alaska Basin in a manner consistent
with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
Land Use Program
D-M 3. Adaptive reuse of the structure may include a range of uses including work/live, hotel,
commercial, retail, office and/or residential uses. A mix of compatible uses is
encouraged, but a single use is allowable if the single use is compatible with the historic
structure and the surrounding land uses. Allow a mix of retail, residential, and
commercial uses in the Del Monte Warehouse Building.
D-M 4. Encourage uses and design features at the Del Monte building that will encourage
pedestrian activity and visual interest.
D-M 5. Encourage community serving retail uses in the Del Monte Building but not including,
“big box” type retail commercial uses or drive-through commercial facilities, such as
fast food outlets.
On-Site Parking and Landscaping
D-M 6. The on-site parking plan should allow for a joint or shared parking program with the
future redevelopment within the area in an effort to consolidate parking, minimize the
amount of waterfront land dedicated to parking, and provide parking for visitors to the
public access areas.
D-M 7. Ensure that the parking plan does not create a real or perceived barrier limiting public
access to the water.
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D-M 8. Consider a joint parking facility to serve both the Encinal Terminals and Del Monte
sites and that would also support public access to the waterfront and the Bay Trail.
Off-site Public Improvements and Infrastructure
D-M 9. Allow the extension of Clement Street from Sherman Street to Grand Street.
D-M 10. Allow for a future rail/alternative vehicle corridor from Sherman to Grand Street within
the Clement Avenue Right of Way.
D-M 11. Allow for a shoreline public promenade of an adequate width adjacent to the Alaska
Basin.
D-M 12. The development should fund a fair share proportion of the costs of extending Clement
Street from Sherman to Grand to serve Del Monte and other projects in the Northern
Waterfront. (The fair share to consider dedication of land.)
D-M 13. The development should fund a fair share proportion of costs needed to upgrade storm
sewer and wastewater facilities to serve all future development within the Northern
Waterfront area.
Encinal Terminal Site
General Plan Designation: Specified Mixed Use
Site Specific Development Policies: The intent of the site specific
development policies for the Encinal Terminal Site is to facilitate
redevelopment of the site with new land uses that will take
advantage of the unique site configuration and waterfront
location, increase opportunities for public access and enjoyment
of the waterfront and eliminate the existing uses which contribute
a large volume of truck traffic in the vicinity. The Mixed Use
designation will allow for the development of a wide range of land
uses to capitalize on the site’s unique location adjacent to the
Alaska Basin, Oakland/Alameda Estuary, Fortman Marina, and Del
Monte Warehouse site. Anticipated land uses in this district include a range of housing types,
including senior housing, commercial, office, and public parks and open space. Public waterfront
access around the perimeter of the site is envisioned, as well as a new marina on the Alaska Basin.
Pursuant to the areawide policies, any plan to redevelop this site should be consistent with the
following Site Specific Policies:
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Site Development
E-T 1. Require that the master plan for the development of the Encinal Terminals site illustrate
how the various parcels can be developed as a unified development. The master plan
must address all phases of the development of the site.
E-T 2. Require that the master plan include adequate open space and a clear public access
around the perimeter of the site.
E-T 3. The Master Plan should consider relocating the tidelands trust lands to the perimeter of
the site to allow residential mixed-use development in the core of the site with publicly
accessible open space around the perimeter of the site.
E-T 4. Cluster development to maximize open space and view corridors to the estuary.
E-T 5. Given that Encinal Terminals is surrounded by water on three sites, taller buildings
should be located at the southern end of the site.
E-T 6. If a parking structure is proposed, require ground floor uses and/or a pedestrian
friendly facade.
E-T 7. If a parking structure is proposed, locate the structure to
serve public access to the waterfront and future
development at the Del Monte site.
Land Use Program
E-T 8. The Master Plan for the Encinal Terminal site shall
replace the existing container storage and cleaning
operation with a mix of uses to create a lively waterfront
development. The plan should include at least the
following four land uses: residential, retail, commercial,
and public open space.
E-T 9. Residential uses may include senior housing or assisted
living facilities.
E-T 10. Commercial uses may include restaurants, marine related uses, office uses, and/or
additional berths in the Alaska Basin. Additional berths should not be allowed on the
northern edge of the site facing the Estuary and Coast Guard Island to preserve views
of the water and Oakland.
On-Site Parking and Landscaping
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E-T 11. Require that the master plan include inviting, well-designed public entrances from
Clement Street. Primary vehicular access into the site should occur at a four-way
intersection at Clement/Entrance, if feasible.
E-T 12. Consider opportunities for a public human powered/non-motorized boat launch facility
at Alaska Basin.
E-T 13. Require public art installations adjacent to the Alaska Basin shoreline consistent with
the Public Art Ordinance.
Public Improvements and Infrastructure
E-T 14. The Encinal Terminal development should fund a fair share of the costs of the Clement
Street extension from Sherman to Grand.
E-T 15. The Encinal Terminal development should fund a fair share of the costs to upgrade
storm sewer and wastewater facilities necessary to serve all future development within
the Northern Waterfront area.
E-T 16. The site plan should allow for a shoreline public promenade around the perimeter of
the site and adjacent to the Alaska Basin and Fortman Marinas.
Grand Marina Site
General Plan Designation: Specified Mixed Use
Site Specific Development Policies: The intent of the site specific
development policies is to facilitate redevelopment of the site with a
mix of new uses that are compatible with the adjacent neighborhoods
and adjacent Grand and Fortman Marinas, and increase public access
and enjoyment of the waterfront.
The Grand Marina site is currently comprised of a number of parcels
each under a different ownership, a variety of uses some of which are
not compatible with the long term vision for the area and some of
which should be preserved. To ensure that the ultimate build out of the site is compatible with the
area wide goals, each development proposal should include a plan for the entire site illustrating how
the development may proceed in a manner that is consistent with the area wide policies while
ensuring that later phases of the development are not precluded or hindered.
Site Development
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G-M 1. Redevelopment of the Grand Marina area should continue the Alameda street grid from
the adjacent Marina Cove development to the Estuary and the extension of Clement
Street.
G-M 2. Provide adequate public open space, view corridors, and a clear public access to, and
along, the Oakland/Alameda Estuary.
G-M 3. Provide for a human powered/non-motorized boat launch facility at the Grand Street
terminus.
G-M 4. Where commercial buildings abut residential uses, building heights should be stepped
down to reflect the height of nearby residential buildings. Facades near residential uses
should restrict views from within the structure into nearby yards and homes.
Land Use Program
G-M 5. Redevelopment of the Grand Marina Site should replace the existing animal shelter,
corporation yard, and industrial uses with a mix of new uses which may include
residential, senior housing/assisted living; marina related commercial, office, restaurants,
general commercial, retail and/or open space.
G-M 6. Redevelopment of the area should preserve and reuse the Alaska Packers building.
Off Site Improvements
G-M 7. The Grand Marina development should fund a fair share of the costs of the Clement
Street extension from Sherman to Grand.
G-M 8. The Grand Marina development should fund a fair share of the costs to upgrade storm
sewer and wastewater facilities necessary to serve all future development within the
Northern Waterfront area.
G-M 9. Redevelopment of the Pennzoil site should provide for the extension of Clement Street.
G-M 10. Development of the City and Pennzoil sites should provide for the continuation of the
pedestrian greenway along Clement Street required as part of the Marina Cove
residential project.
10.10.b. Medium Density Residential Designated Sites
The General Plan’s Medium Density Residential designation allows two-family or one-family units
with a minimum lot size of 2,000 square feet per unit. Allowed densities range from 8.8 to 21.8
units per acre.
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Mini Storage Site
General Plan Designation: Medium Density Residential
Site Specific Development Policies: This site is designated medium density residential to allow
residential development consistent with the character and density of the adjacent residential
neighborhoods. Pursuant to the area wide policies, any plan to redevelop this site should be
consistent with the following site-specific policies.
P-S 1. Provide a pedestrian-friendly scale with building sizes consistent with the adjacent
residential properties.
P-S 2. Access to this site shall be from Sherman Street.
Residential Infill Properties
General Plan Designation: Medium Density
Residential
Site Specific Development Policies: These sites are
designated medium density residential to allow
residential infill development consistent with the
adjacent residential sites.
R-I 1. Rezone the residential properties adjacent to Clement and Grand Streets that are
currently zoned M-1 for residential development.
R-I 2. Require that new development be consistent with Citywide Design Guidelines.
R-I 3. The scale of new construction should be harmonious with the character and density of
adjacent buildings.
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R-I 4. All exterior walls of a building shall be articulated with a consistent style and materials.
Architectural detailing shall not consist solely of color changes without changes in
material or planes.
Parrot Village and Park:
General Plan Designation: Medium Density Residential
Site Specific Development Policies:
This site is designated medium density
residential to allow residential
development consistent with the
character and density of the adjacent
residential neighborhoods. Pursuant to
the areawide policies, any plan to
redevelopment this site should
consistent with the following site-specific
policies:
P-V 1. Maintain the current size and density of the existing Parrot Village development.
P-V 2. Maintain the Parrot Village Park and Community Garden.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.2 LAND USE AND DISTRICT-WIDE POLICIES
The General Plan envisions Alameda Point as a vibrant neighborhood, with a variety of land uses and
sub-areas. Six sub-areas, including three mixed-use ones, as shown in Figure 9-3, are envisioned:
• Civic Core
• Marina
• Inner Harbor
• West Neighborhood
• Northwest Territories
• Wildlife Refuge
The six Alameda Point sub-areas are displayed in Figure 9-4.
This section provides land use classifications and policies that apply to two or more sub-areas;
policies applicable to individual sub-areas are discussed in the next section.
LAND USE CLASSIFICATIONS
Alameda Point includes a variety of land use designations that are common to other areas of the City;
descriptions of these land use classifications are included in Chapter 2: Land Use Element. In
addition, Alameda Point includes three mixed-use areas – Civic Core, Inner Harbor, and Marina.
These mixed-use areas allow the development of two or more uses on a single site or within one
structure. Specific models of uses encouraged include: residential and office above or adjacent to
retail and other commercial, and retail and service commercial uses intermingled with research and
development or light industrial uses. Encouraging a mix of uses, specifically at residential and
business-oriented neighborhood centers, will help develop the transit-accessible, pedestrian-friendly
urban fabric common in Alameda.
The following describes each of the three mixed-use areas within Alameda Point:
AP1 Civic Core: Located in the center of Alameda Point, the Civic Core encompasses much
of the NAS Historic District and many of the historic buildings of the former Naval Air
Station. The Civic Core is envisioned with a major emphasis on public serving and civic
uses. Business park, office, civic, residential, public/institutional, parks and public open
space, commercial, and other supporting uses are allowed within the district.
AP2 Inner Harbor: The Inner Harbor is a mixed-use area with major emphasis on research &
development and light industrial uses. Light industry, office and supporting retail,
commercial, and residential uses are allowed within the district. Supporting uses should
be focused in or around a mixed-use neighborhood center along the extension of Pacific
Avenue, associated with patterns of use in the adjoining Marina district.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
AP3 Marina: Marine-related industry, office, commercial, residential, recreation, and
supporting retail are allowable uses within the district. Uses should be structured to
promote waterfront activity and vitality along the open space spine located along the bay.
The following policies apply to all of the sub-areas in Alameda Point. Policies specific to the mixed-use
sub-areas, as well as policies for the other sub-areas in Alameda Point, are included in Section
9.3.
Guiding Policies
9.2.a Create a series of neighborhoods, each with a central focus of mixed-use development,
including local serving commercial and recreational uses and a mixture of housing types
and densities serving all income levels.
9.2.b Provide diverse and creative development and architectural styles to achieve distinctive
neighborhoods.
9.2.c Create a district that is well integrated with the surrounding neighborhoods and has a high
level of accessibility via a variety of transportation modes.
9.2.d Preserve scenic views from the district and the area’s cultural landscape.
9.2.e Achieve human-scale transit-oriented development.
Implementing Policies
9.2.f Focus uses that create pedestrian traffic in all areas.
9.2.g Integrate Alameda Point into the community by creating transit and physical connections
to adjacent community centers such as Marina Village and Webster Street.
9.2.h Encourage architecture and design in Alameda Point that are compatible with existing
neighborhoods east of Main Street, and that do not divide the neighborhoods with the use
of physical barriers.
9.2.i Encourage a mix of uses that are compatible, rather than competitive, with existing uses
in adjacent areas.
9.2.j Maintain overall development in Alameda Point in accordance with Table 2-7 while
permitting flexibility in the location and mix of development types within Alameda Point,
provided that the development types are consistent with the sub-area policies and land
use designations. Establish zoning regulations for Alameda Point that regulate future
development consistent with the development intensity and density shown in Table 2-7.
9.2.k Observe boundaries and restriction of Public Trust Land, including housing limitations.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.2.l Encourage and support the development of community-based cultural and other facilities
such as places of worship, childcare, youth activity centers, and senior activities in
Alameda Point.
9.2.m As part of the development or landscaping approval process, define view corridors and
develop criteria so that views may be preserved.
9.2.n Explore the feasibility of creating an outdoor site for cultural celebrations, ceremonies,
and exhibitions.
9.2.o Create mixed-use development that locates service-oriented uses near residences and
offices.
9.2.p Create neighborhood centers similar to Alameda’s neighborhood business districts, with
supporting uses such as retail and local serving office and civic uses in mixed-use
neighborhood centers that are acceptable for nearby residents.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
Table 2-7: Alameda Point Buildout, 2000-2020
Land Use Categories Units Civic Core
(AP1)
Inner
Harbor
(AP2)
Marina
(AP3)
West
Neighbor-hoods
NW
Territories
Alameda
Point
Total
Lt.Industry/BusinessPark/Office sq.ft. 740,000 400,000 0 0 0 1,140,000
Industrial/Warehousing sq.ft. 277,500 76,500 76,500 0 0 430,500
Marina-Related Industry sq.ft. 0 0 44,250 0 0 44,250
Civic/Institutional Buildings sq.ft. 100,000 01 0 30,0001 0 130,0001
Commercial sq.ft. 52,000 0 0 52,000 0 104,000
Visitor-Serving Recreation/Commercial sq.ft. 0 0 130,000 0 0 130,000
Golf Clubhouse/Conference Facilities sq.ft. 0 0 0 0 26,000 26,000
Sports Complex acres 40 0 0 0 17 57
Golf Course acres 0 0 0 0 214 214
Marina slips slips 0 0 530 0 0 530
Live Aboards slips 0 0 53 0 0 53
Low Density Residential units 0 0 0 50 0 50
Medium Density Residential units 8632 0 525 490 0 1,878
Hotel/Conference Center rooms 0 0 300 0 300 600
1. Does not include square footage for Alameda Unified School District.
2. Does not include 210 units of senior housing to be provided in the former Bachelor Officers Quarters.
NOTE: This table represents the maximum build-out for Alameda Point. While development
intensities have been assigned to each Planning Area, the development increments can be moved
from one Planning Area to another to optimize development opportunities.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.3 ALAMEDA POINT SUB-AREA POLICIES
As evident in Figure 9-4, the General Plan vision for Alameda Point includes six sub-areas. Three of
these sub-areas – the Civic Core, the Inner Harbor, and the Marina – will be mixed-use areas.
Although there will be flexibility between the three mixed-use areas, each will have its own unique
character and will emphasize a slightly different mix of development. Alameda Point also contains
the primarily residential West Neighborhood; the Northwest Territories, designated for Parks and
Open Space; and the Alameda National Wildlife Refuge, harboring the endangered California least
tern.
Policies for each of the sub-areas follow.
CIVIC CORE (AP1)
The Civic Core served as the central administrative and industrial core of NAS Alameda. This core
will remain a central point of activity, and is envisioned to be a mixed-use area with a variety of uses.
The emphasis in the area is to provide public serving and civic uses while providing ample
opportunity for job creation, along with recreational opportunities such as a potential sports complex.
Redevelopment of the Civic Core will also prioritize preservation of historic buildings. The western
edge of the Civic Core area is adjacent to the Wildlife Refuge, and therefore, is subject to the certain
restrictions with respect to building size and location, parking, lighting, and landscaping.
Guiding Policy: Civic Core
9.3.a Develop the Civic Core as a major new center of the City, and a focus of the Alameda
Point district.
Implementing Policies: Civic Core
9.3.b Develop housing to serve workplaces and public and institutional uses anticipated in the
Civic Core. Focus residential development adjacent to the Shoreline open space
promenade to create opportunities for pedestrian centers and foster a transit orientation.
9.3.c Improve public transit service, including connections to ferry service to serve the public,
institutional, and workplace uses in the Civic Core.
9.3.d Provide for cultural and civic places, through the development or reuse of key civic
structures, libraries, churches, plazas, public art, or other major landmarks to provide a
sense of center and unique character.
9.3.e Ensure that development is consistent with the recommendations developed to implement
the Wildlife Refuge Impact Area, mapped in Figure 9-5.
The Wildlife Refuge Impact Area is land that is in proximity to the Alameda National
Wildlife Refuge and therefore subject to additional policies and regulations. See Policies
9.3.rr to 9.3.uu.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
INNER HARBOR (AP2)
The Inner Harbor currently contains primarily industrial uses. Future development of this area
reflects the existing industrial character of the site. Redevelopment will result in a mixed-use area
with an emphasis on light industry and research & development. Although the existing industrial
nature of the Inner Harbor area presents constraints in terms of immediate residential reuse, longer-term
residential development is a possibility. This area may also include office space, restaurants,
and cafes.
Guiding Policy: Inner Harbor
9.3.f Foster cohesion between development of this new mixed-use area and existing
surrounding neighborhoods and the City of Alameda.
Implementing Policies: Inner Harbor
9.3.g Review the East Bay Regional Park District’s plans for a regional park prior to approval
and implementation.
9.3.h Encourage development along Main Street that visually and physically connects the
existing residential West Neighborhood to development in the Inner Harbor area. Do not
permit perimeter walls that insulate development from the surrounding neighborhoods.
9.3.i Cluster mixed-use residential, retail commercial, and other supporting uses in a
neighborhood center along the extension of Pacific Avenue.
9.3.j Encourage development of Pacific Avenue as a landscaped boulevard with separated bike
paths and pedestrian routes.
MARINA (AP3)
The Marina sub-area currently contains a variety of uses, primarily industrial, research and
development, and marine-related industrial uses. The General Plan envisions this area to develop,
over time, into a vital mixed-use area, with an emphasis on public access to the waterfront. Like the
rest of Alameda Point, the Marina will have a continuous shoreline open space promenade, which
will be supported over time by residential, commercial, retail, and other supporting uses that foster
pedestrian activity. The western edge of the Marina district is adjacent to the Wildlife Refuge, and
therefore, is subject to certain restrictions with respect to building size and location, parking, lighting
and landscaping.
Guiding Policies: Marina
9.3.k Create a mixed-use area that is sensitive to the restrictions and recommendations
regarding the neighboring Wildlife Refuge.
9.3.l Foster development of residential, commercial, and retail uses that promote vitality and
pedestrian activity along the waterfront.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
Implementing Policies: Marina
9.3.m Limit housing development in the Marina district to the eastern and northeastern portions
of the marina to avoid proximity to the Wildlife Refuge.
9.3.n On the western shore of the marina, encourage industrial and marine-related industrial
uses that are consistent with the Public Trust and sensitive to the Wildlife Refuge.
9.3.o Ensure that development is consistent with the recommendations developed to implement
the Wildlife Refuge Impact Area, as mapped in Figure 9-5.
The Wildlife Refuge Impact Area is land that is in proximity to the Alameda National
Wildlife Refuge and therefore subject to additional policies and regulations. See Policies
9.3.rr to 9.3.uu.
9.3.p In case of redevelopment or replacement of existing structures, encourage development
of uses that promote pedestrian vitality and are oriented to the marina.
9.3.q Educate boat owners and users of the marina about restrictions to Breakwater Island and
install signs that warn boaters about the sensitivity of the wildlife at and around Alameda
Point and about prohibitions for disturbing protected bird and mammal species.
9.3.r Provide signs, pamphlets, public education and outreach activities advising boaters and
marina users to eliminate any discharges or pollutants to receiving waters.
WEST NEIGHBORHOOD
The West Neighborhood, which formed the residential portion of NAS Alameda and is becoming an
established neighborhood, is an existing residential area that will continue with a major residential-use
emphasis. Some of the existing homes, known as the Big Whites, are spacious, historic homes
previously occupied by higher-ranking Navy personnel. This area is being preserved, along with
units that are leased by the Homeless Collaborative and used as affordable housing. Other areas of
former Navy housing will be redeveloped for Medium-Density housing. New residential
development should provide diversity in housing types and opportunities. In addition to residential
uses a variety of other uses, such as parks and neighborhood businesses will be used to promote a
balanced neighborhood. Residential, parks and public open space, public, institutional, and
neighborhood business uses are allowed within the district. Community-oriented institutions such as
places of worship and nonprofit organizations are also considered allowable and desirable uses.
Guiding Policies: West Neighborhood
9.3.s Guide further development of this primarily residential area to improve quality of life for
residents, accessibility for pedestrians, and supporting uses to promote a balanced
neighborhood.
9.3.t Consider the need for workforce housing and childcare.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
Implementing Policies: West Neighborhood
9.3.u Encourage clustered and pedestrian- and bicycle friendly development, in conjunction
with greenways and open space.
9.3.v Integrate interim users into planning for redevelopment of existing housing areas. Honor
commitments to the Homeless Collaborative, U.S. Coast Guard, or other potential interim
users, while developing transition plans to provide for appropriate, cost-effective, long-term
redevelopment solutions.
9.3.w Incorporate small, intermittent parks into residential development.
9.3.x Preserve the Big Whites for their historical significance, and encourage surrounding
development that is complementary.
9.3.y Encourage higher density residential development in the vicinity of the multi-modal
transit centers, along with parks and community serving businesses and institutions, such
as child care and family child care homes, in order to promote accessibility via alternative
modes of transit.
9.3.z Where new residential development occurs along the waterfront, limit development to the
south side of Main Street or the Mosley Extension in order to protect public access to the
waterfront.
9.3.aa Cluster supporting uses such as retail and local serving office and civic uses in mixed-use
neighborhood centers.
9.3.bb Consider the preservation of the Admiral’s House for community and City use.
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Allowable Uses
The Northwest Territories are designated as Parks and Public Open Space. Plans for a sports complex
are being discussed, and development of a golf course/hotel-resort in this area is underway. The
southern border of the Northwest Territories is adjacent to the Wildlife Refuge, and therefore,
portions of the Northwest Territories will be within the Wildlife Refuge Impact Area and subject to
certain restrictions with respect to building size and location, roads, parking, lighting, and
landscaping.
Guiding Policies: Northwest Territories
9.3.cc Preserve the Northwest Territories for parks and open space, which may include a golf
course/hotel-resort, pedestrian and bicycle trails, and public access.
9.3.dd Incorporate recommendations and regulations regarding the Wildlife Refuge into
development in the Northwest Territories.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
Implementing Policies: Northwest Territories
9.3.ee Develop a perimeter trail along the north and west boundaries of this area.
9.3.ff Develop a public park, called Alameda Point Park, in this area.
9.3.gg Use reclaimed wastewater from EBMUD to irrigate the planned golf course, if feasible.
9.3.hh Explore using elements of the golf course design such as roads, retention/drainage
collection ponds, or bunkers as physical barriers between the golf course and the Wildlife
Refuge.
9.3.ii Maintain grassland foraging areas for raptors in the golf course design.
9.3.jj Ensure that development is consistent with the recommendations developed to implement
the Wildlife Refuge Impact Area, as mapped in Figure 9-5.
The Wildlife Refuge Impact Area is land that is in proximity to the Alameda National
Wildlife Refuge and therefore subject to additional policies and regulations. See Policies
9.3.rr to 9.3.uu.
WILDLIFE REFUGE
Designation of the Alameda National Wildlife Refuge
Most of the area formerly used as runways in the former NAS Alameda will be transferred to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for use as a National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately 50
acres of this area, located in the southwest corner of the current Wildlife Refuge, are within the City
and County of San Francisco. The Wildlife Refuge contains two wetlands areas and provides habitat
for the endangered California least tern, as well as the Caspian tern, as shown in Figure 9-5. Also
shown is the Wildlife Refuge Impact Area, which is subject to special policies and regulations due to
its proximity to the Wildlife Refuge. The USFWS has written a Comprehensive Conservation Plan
(1998) for management of the Alameda National Wildlife Refuge. These policies are intended to
facilitate implementation of this Comprehensive Conservation Plan, as well as of the
recommendations written by the USFWS in their 1999 Biological Opinion.
Guiding Policy: Wildlife Refuge
9.3.kk Help maintain a Wildlife Refuge that balances natural conservation with public access,
education, and ship navigation.
Implementing Policies: Wildlife Refuge
9.3.ll Support implementation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Comprehensive
Conservation Plan for Alameda National Wildlife Refuge (1998).
9.3.mm Support a system of trails that provide public access to and within the Wildlife Refuge.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.3.nn Support education facilities and programs, similar to other conservation areas such as the
Elsie D. Roemer Bird Sanctuary, in conjunction with either Point Alameda Park or the
Wildlife Refuge.
9.3.oo Establish continued access for ships, ferries, and water-taxis within the deep-water
channel to the Alameda Point piers and the Seaplane Lagoon through the southern bay
waters of the Refuge through agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
9.3.pp Maintain the breakwater gap and isolation of the Island Breakwater.
9.3.qq Work with the City and County of San Francisco and appropriate agencies to transfer the
jurisdiction of the southwest corner of the Wildlife Refuge from the City and County of
San Francisco to the City of Alameda and Alameda County.
Implementing Policies: Wildlife Refuge Impact Area
9.3.rr Prepare and adopt development regulations that implement the Biological Opinion (1999)
prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to guide development within the Wildlife
Refuge Impact Area (see Figure 9-5). Ensure that the regulations contain specific
requirements regarding, but not limited to:
• Building size, height, design and location
• Appropriate uses adjacent to the Refuge
• Predator management
• Parking restrictions
• Lighting provisions
• Landscaping restrictions, and
• Stormwater management.
Ensure that development in all areas adjoining the Wildlife Refuge adheres to the
Wildlife Refuge Management Plan’s guidelines regarding pets, predator control and
landscaping.
9.3.ss Encourage funding and implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation Plan by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
9.3.tt Work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Wildlife Services, to develop informational materials and an educational program for
occupants in Alameda Point and marina users or tenants describing the importance of
animal control for protection of the least tern colony.
9.3.uu Develop detailed stormwater management and monitoring plans for the Northwest
Territories in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect open-water
foraging areas for least terns and brown pelicans. Ensure that the plans are reviewed and
approved by the Service contemporaneously with the City environmental review process
and prior to development within this area.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.4 TRANSPORTATION
As Alameda Point grows over the next twenty years, additional trips will be generated both on and
off the island due to the planned new land uses. Roadway improvements within Alameda Point will
address local congestion, but because Alameda is an island with limited access routes to Oakland, the
success of Alameda Point’s transportation system depends increasingly on alternative modes of
transportation within the Planning Area, throughout the City, and between Alameda and Oakland.
As shown in Figure 9-6, Alameda Point’s planned street system reinforces the City’s traditional street
layout, a primary grid pattern of streets with variation allowing for smooth traffic flow, specialized
land use patterns, and landscaping opportunities. This pattern of development, along with policies
intended for neighborhood traffic management would result in a safe and comfortable pedestrian,
bicycling, transit, and automobile environment. Alameda Point’s street system also needs to be
integrated with the surrounding neighborhoods. In addition, transportation policies in Alameda Point
need to provide for truck access, preserve vistas, accommodate the needs of transit users, pedestrians,
and bicyclists, and offer adequate vehicular access to and within Alameda Point with out unduly
impacting existing neighborhoods. In response to these issues, transportation policies address
Alameda Point’s transportation needs in terms of street system and improvements, gateways, transit,
pedestrian routes and biking, roadway vistas, and movement of goods. “
STREET SYSTEM AND IMPROVEMENTS
Guiding Policies: Street System
9.4.a Promote street connectivity within Alameda Point and with the surrounding neighborhoods.
9.4.b Design transportation improvements to anticipate future growth and minimize traffic
congestion.
Implementing Policies: Street System
9.4.c Continue the existing primary grid of the City of Alameda in all new development.
9.4.d Require roadway improvements that will allow acceptable levels of service of future traffic
levels within the Alameda Point local roadway system.
9.4.e Work with the City of Oakland, Alameda County, Caltrans and other regional organizations
to develop plans for design, phasing, funding, and construction of a new vehicle access to
Interstate 880 (bridge, tunnel or other vehicle connection) or transit only crossing to Oakland.
9.4.f Minimize vehicle trips to and from Alameda Point that must use the Webster/Posey tubes by
providing alternative travel modes and connections to the regional transportation system.
9.4.g Plan for the extension of Tinker and Mitchell Mosely Avenues to provide additional access
routes to Alameda Point.
9.4.h Incorporate traffic calming techniques into roadway design at Alameda Point to help maintain
appropriate vehicle speeds of 25 miles per hour or less.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
GATEWAYS
Guiding Policy: Gateways
9.4.i Create entryways that maximize views, create connections to surrounding uses, and reflect
Alameda’s island character.
Implementing Policies: Gateways
9.4.j Create entry features to all entryways of Alameda Point through use of signage, landscaping,
or landmarks that announce Alameda Point’s unique character.
Tinker Avenue:
9.4.k Ensure uniform and consistent design and landscaping of Tinker Avenue.
Pacific Avenue:
9.4.l Design the entry of Pacific Avenue to create views and connections to the Marina district.
Mitchell Mosley Extension:
9.4.m Design the Mitchell Mosely extension to make effective use of its proximity to the
waterfront.
Water Taxis/Ferries:
9.4.n Emphasize the design of water taxi and ferry terminals and entrances at both the north and
south waterfronts to establish connections to destinations in Alameda Point that can be
reached by walking, bicycles or transit, reflect the island character and pedestrian-friendly
environment of Alameda.
TRANSIT
Guiding Policies: Transit
9.4.o Optimize the use of transit and other alternative modes of transportation in all development at
Alameda Point by increased accessibility to local and regional transit systems and ensuring
safe and reliable transportation alternatives.
Implementing Policies: Transit
9.4.p Expand water transportation by establishing a water taxi or ferry in the Marina district with
potential destinations including San Francisco, Angel Island, Treasure Island, and Alcatraz.
9.4.q Preserve opportunities to develop future transit links including transit exclusive corridors.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.4.r Develop alternative mode connections between Alameda Point and BART, such as a people
mover system, bus barge, or aerial tram.
9.4.s Redesign Atlantic Avenue to include a landscaped transit corridor for buses, jitneys, or future
light-rail development.
9.4.t Explore feasibility of establishing shuttle service to the ferry terminal(s), Civic Core, Webster
Street Marina Village, and Oakland BART stations.
9.4.u Develop and implement design guidelines and standards to assure that new development at
Alameda Point facilitates transit use and consult with AC Transit to assure that roadway
improvements at Alameda Point are transit compatible.
9.4.v Create innovative new funding mechanisms to subsidize transit service operations at Alameda
Point
9.4.w Develop a transit center at Alameda Point to facilitate efficient transfers between
transportation modes and enhance regional transportation connections.
PEDESTRIAN ROUTES AND BIKING
Guiding Policy: Pedestrian Routes and Biking
9.4.x Integrate pedestrian and bicycle uses into the design of the roadway system and fabric of
neighborhoods.
Implementing Policies: Pedestrian Routes and Biking
9.4.y Provide a system of connections for pedestrians and bicyclists including sidewalks,
crosswalks, bike lanes and multi-use paths connecting residential, schools, parks, transit
stops, employment, commercial districts, and other areas of community activity on Alameda
Point.
9.4.z Develop Tinker Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, and Main Street with pedestrian and bicycle
oriented paths and bus facilities and landscaping as a means to maximize alternative modes of
transportation and minimize impacts of vehicle traffic and noise to the residential
neighborhood.
ROADWAY VISTAS
Guiding Policy: Roadway Vistas
9.4.aa Preserve view corridors in the layout and landscaping of the roadway system, particularly
along the waterfront.
Implementing Policy: Roadway Vistas
9.4.bb Where possible, align roadways to frame important views.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.5 OPEN SPACE, CONSERVATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
Specialized natural resources, historical resources, urban open space, and focal points will be
preserved throughout Alameda Point and will include a full array of active and passive recreational
opportunities. Water facilities, including a continuous shoreline trail and marina, will be included. A
National Wildlife Refuge has been established in the western portion of Alameda Point. Public parks
and plazas will be dispersed throughout the island. Historical buildings and other historical resources,
as well as focal points, will be maintained and showcased. The goal is to provide a family-friendly
environment serving all members of the community of all age groups, including individuals with
special needs, children, teens, and seniors. Figure 9-7 illustrates the parks and open space in Alameda
Point, and Figure 9-8 displays the Alameda Point Historic District, including historically significant,
or contributing, buildings.
Guiding Policy: Open Space and Urban Habitat
9.5.a Provide open space and recreational opportunities to serve new residents and employees
of Alameda Point.
Implementing Policies: Open Space and Urban Habitat
9.5.b Integrate parks and plazas into new development at Alameda Point.
9.5.c Provide for community recreation opportunities throughout Alameda Point.
9.5.d Establish a pedestrian- and bicycle-accessible perimeter shoreline trail throughout
Alameda Point. Ensure that this trail is open year round, that the trail meets minimum
multi-use trail standards, and that landscape treatment of the open spaces adjacent to the
Estuary and the San Francisco Bay does not block distant views.
9.5.e Establish a public plaza at the marina that will serve as a focus for public uses on the
waterfront.
9.5.f Pursue an aggressive tree-planting program at Alameda Point to bring it up to par with
Alameda-wide forestation levels/standards.
Guiding Policy: Historic Resources
9.5.g Preserve Alameda Point’s Historic District, buildings, development patterns, and open
spaces.
Implementing Policies: Historic Resources
9.5.h Preserve to the greatest extent possible buildings within the Alameda Point Historic
District (boundaries shown in Figure 9-8) to maintain the neighborhood and historic
character.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.5.i Provide a mechanism for timely and expedient reviews to ensure that contributing
buildings in the Historic District are not left vacant and are managed in compliance with
all applicable regulations.
Care for contributing buildings of the NAS Historic District using the standards
presented in the National Park Service Preservation Brief 31, Mothballing Historic
Buildings.
9.5.j Preserve the historic sense of place of the Historic District by preserving the historic
pattern of streets and open spaces in the area.
9.5.k Minimize impacts on the architectural integrity of individual contributing buildings and
structures.
9.5.l Make every reasonable effort to incorporate compatible adaptive uses or uses for which
the buildings were originally designed. Address impacts related to rehabilitation of
historic buildings when proposals are submitted and tenants are selected. In addition,
identify methods to eliminate hazardous materials (such as asbestos and lead paint),
secure and protect vacant buildings, provide for fire detection and suppression, and
correct deficiencies in access for people with disabilities with minimal impact on the
buildings using the State Historic Building Code.
Advise tenants and property owners within the Historic District of the financial tools and
economic incentives that are available, including, but not limited to, the State Historic
Building Code and Federal and State tax incentives for the preservation and adaptive
rehabilitation of historic properties.
9.5.m Prepare design guidelines and specifications for new construction within and adjacent to
the Historic District that ensures compatibility of new construction with the character of
the Historic District.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.6 HEALTH AND SAFETY
State law requires a safety element to outline policies that will protect the community from both
natural and human-induced disasters. Many of the Health and Safety policies applicable to Alameda
Point are common to other parts of Alameda as well, and are addressed in the Health and Safety
Element. This section considers water quality and flooding hazards, fire hazards, environmental
cleanup, and emergency management, in the specific context of Alameda Point.
One of the greatest health and safety issues at Alameda Point concerns environmental cleanup of the
former Naval base. Alameda Point has been designated a federal Superfund site, which establishes
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the lead agency for the coordination of cleanup
of the site. A Federal Facilities Agreement has been signed between the Navy and the U.S. EPA in
which the parties agree to a schedule and funding program for cleanup of the site.
Addressing Alameda Point’s flooding hazards and emergency management largely requires smooth
integration of Alameda Point into the City’s existing programs and methods for dealing with these
issues.
WATER QUALITY AND FLOODING HAZARDS
Guiding Policies: Water Quality and Flooding Hazards
9.6.a Integrate the management of Alameda Point’s runoff management into the City’s existing
programs.
9.6.b Support improvement programs that address water quality, urban runoff and flooding.
Implementing Policies: Water Quality and Flooding Hazards
9.6.c Integrate Alameda Point into the City of Alameda's Storm Water Management and
Discharge Control Program.
9.6.d Require all proposed reuse activity in Alameda Point to be in compliance with the
Regional Water Quality Control Board storm water recommendations.
9.6.e Restrict the installation of water supply wells in the uppermost aquifer at Alameda Point
to reduce the potential use, or migration of, groundwater affected by the release of
hazardous materials.
9.6.f Support development of a water-quality testing program for all existing water supply
wells in Alameda Point to determine the safe uses or appropriate discharge of pumped
water.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.6.g Support preparation of a Flood Insurance Study by FEMA to cover Alameda Point.
9.6.h Coordinate incorporation of Alameda Point into the City of Alameda Urban Runoff
Program to reduce potential water quality degradation related to urban runoff.
9.6.i Identify and implement improvement programs to address periodic flooding at Alameda
Point.
9.6.j Establish an assessment mechanism to provide for capital costs for construction,
maintenance, and operation of urban runoff Best Management Practices and costs
associated with inspection, monitoring, and reporting that could be incurred by the City
in incorporation of the Alameda Point into the Urban Runoff Program.
FIRE HAZARDS
Guiding Policy: Fire Hazards
9.6.k Mitigate factors and conditions in Alameda Point that are conducive to fire hazards.
9.6.l Identify effective means of dealing with fire disasters should they occur.
Implementing Policies: Fire Hazards
9.6.m Maintain and expand the City's fire prevention and fire-fighting capability into Alameda
Point by establishing a station with two fire companies to service the emergency needs of
all residents and businesses of the area.
9.6.n Extend Alameda's current level of emergency medical service into Alameda Point as
reuse activities and residential buildout proceed.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
Guiding Policy: Environmental Cleanup
9.6.o Continue to support cleanup of contaminated lands.
Implementing Policies: Environmental Clean-up
9.6.p Maintain information about contamination and clean-up activities and make the
information available to the public.
9.6.q Require environmental restrictions (i.e., deed restrictions) regarding Marsh Crust/subtidal
zone excavation and shallow groundwater use.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
9.6.r Create a land use and construction permitting program that requires consideration of
residual contamination. The permitting program should include:
• A means for tracking deed restrictions
• A means for tracking remediation to help ensure that future land uses are compatible
• A method for classifying land uses by exposure scenario
• Identification of areas that might require special construction precautions
• A system for ongoing communication with the environmental regulatory agencies.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Guiding Policies: Emergency Management
9.6.s Support integration of Alameda Point into the City of Alameda’s Emergency Operations
Plan.
Implementing Policies: Emergency Management
9.6.t Create and integrate provisions for emergency management in Alameda Point into the
City of Alameda's Emergency Operations Plan.
9.6.u Identify "critical facilities" in Alameda Point area, as defined in Alameda’s 1976 Safety
Element, and integrate them to the City's existing “critical facilities” list and emergency
provision plan.
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Chapter 9: Alameda Point
20
Table of Contents
9 Alameda Point..................................................................................... 1
9.1 Challenges and Issues ........................................................................................1
9.2 Land Use and District-Wide Policies.................................................................2
Land Use Classifications.........................................................................................2
9.3 Alameda Point Sub-Area Policies......................................................................6
Civic Core (AP1).....................................................................................................6
Inner Harbor (AP2) .................................................................................................7
Marina (AP3) ..........................................................................................................7
West Neighborhood ................................................................................................8
Northwest Territories ..............................................................................................9
Wildlife Refuge.....................................................................................................10
9.4 Transportation ..................................................................................................12
Street System and Improvements..........................................................................12
Gateways ...............................................................................................................13
Transit ...................................................................................................................13
Pedestrian Routes and Biking ...............................................................................14
Roadway Vistas.....................................................................................................14
9.5 Open Space, Conservation and Cultural Resources.........................................15
9.6 Health and Safety.............................................................................................17
Water Quality and Flooding Hazards....................................................................17
Fire Hazards ..........................................................................................................18
Environmental Cleanup.........................................................................................18
Emergency Management.......................................................................................19
8.1.a A soils and geologic report will be submitted if required by the Director of Public Works
prior to the issue of all grading and building permits and submission of final maps, in
accordance with the Subdivision Ordinance, to evaluate the potential for lateral spreading,
liquefaction, differential settlement, and other types of ground failures.
Parts of Bay Farm Island, the Oakland Airport, and the NAS were subjected to liquefaction
and sand boils during the Loma Prieta earthquake.
8.1.b Require design of new buildings to resist the lateral effects and other potential forces of a
large earthquake on any of the nearby faults, as required by the Uniform Building Code.
The San Andreas, Hayward, Calaveras and San Gregorio faults are of primary concern in
the evaluation of seismic activity that affects the San Francisco Bay Area and Alameda. Any
of these four faults are capable of producing large, destructive earthquakes that could affect
the entire region.
8.1.c Require building design to incorporate recommendations contained in the soils and geologic
report.
8.1.d Require all structures of three or more stories to be supported on pile foundations that
penetrate Bay Mud deposits to firm, non-compressible materials, unless geotechnical findings
indicate a more appropriate design.
8.1.e Design underground utilities to minimize the effect of differential ground displacements.
8.1.f Continue to provide for the identification and evaluation of existing structural hazards, and
abate those hazards to acceptable levels of risk.
The City has identified unreinforced masonry (URM) building hazards and will continue to
refine abatement policies (such as retrofitting), based on the nature of the building, as well
as its location, historic value, and value as a revenue producer to the City. Other types of
vulnerable construction, such as tilt-up slab, "soft story" wood frame construction, and non-anchored
wood frame construction, are numerous in Alameda and have not been identified.
The prevalence of these types combined with the soil profiles in Alameda leaves a large
unidentified threat.
Funding for preventive measures such as reinforcing URM buildings, or bracing and bolting
structures to their foundations is not readily available through specific State or Federal
sources. According to the State Office of Emergency Services (OES), limited funds may
become available through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. With $15 to $20
million to distribute throughout a 10-county area, OES is prioritizing requests which exceed
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available funds by over $80 million. To encourage retrofitting, the City may choose to
consider offering owners subsidies, tax incentives, or low- or zero-interest loans.
Implementing Policies: Geologic, Seismic, and Soils Hazards
8.1.g Design building entrances, exits, and other vital features to accommodate expected
settlement.
Buildings should be sited so entrances, exits, and other vital structures continue to be
accessible as settling occurs.
8.1.h Require owners of shoreline properties to inspect, maintain, and repair the perimeter slopes
according to City standards as settlement occurs due to the consolidation of underlying Bay
Mud and wave erosion.
Bay Mud (a silty clay rich in organic materials) and Merritt Sand (a loose, well-sorted fine-to-
medium grained sand with silt) are the two base soils underlying Alameda. Development
along the edges of the Main Island and on all of Bay Farm Island rests on fill overlying Bay
Mud. Bay Mud is prone to consolidation, leading to surface settlement, and potentially
increasing perimeter erosion.
Projects such as the proposed Ballena Isle Hotel could increase island erosion, and should
be mitigated according to City specifications/standards.
8.1.i Develop a comprehensive public information program, supervised by one department, that
provides information on seismic hazards, including structural and nonstructural hazards, and
areas most susceptible to damage.
Current (1990) public information programs are fragmented, and different types and depths
of information are handled by different offices, such as the City Manager's Office and the
Fire Department.
The Fire Department's emphasis is on teaching earthquake preparedness and citizen self-help.
Homeowners are encouraged to perform cost-effective seismic upgrades to their
homes, such as bolting house frames to the foundation, sheathing cripple walls, strapping
water heaters to studs, inspecting and repairing masonry chimneys, and developing
neighborhood-level preparedness.
8.1.j Amend the local Uniform Building Code, as frequently as may be prudent, to incorporate
standards for new and modified construction pertaining to development on areas of fill or
underlain by Bay Mud or Merritt Sand.
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8.1.k Conduct periodic earthquake and emergency fire drills; coordinate these drills on a regional
basis in cooperation with involved jurisdictions and affected community organizations.
This policy, from the 1976 Safety Element for Alameda, continues to have relevance and
important public health and safety benefits. Multijurisdictional disaster planning is essential
given the contiguous boundaries of cities within the Bay Area.
8.1.l Continue to cooperate with the East Bay Regional Park District on beach erosion abatement.
While tides and currents move sand from Crown Memorial State Beach, the joint efforts of
the City and the East Bay Regional Park District serve to mitigate this erosion. To maintain
the beach, sand is caught in offshore traps and returned to the beach. Vegetation helps
anchor the sand.
8.2 FIRE HAZARDS
Major fires are most likely to occur in large apartment complexes or industrial areas. Fires resulting
from the rupture of local gas or electric lines during an earthquake could be severely compounded by
water main failures.
Guiding Policies: Fire Hazards
8.2.a Maintain and expand the City's fire prevention and fire-fighting capability.
The Fire Department is requesting a new fireboat which, when coupled with a recently
ordered 5-inch hose, could provide a virtually unlimited supply of Bay water to much of the
City, regardless of earthquake-induced damage to the EBMUD water main system.
8.2.b Maintain the current level of emergency medical service.
Implementing Policies: Fire Hazards
8.2.c Update the City's list of "critical facilities."
The 1976 Safety Element contained a listing of 49 "critical facilities" in Alameda, "whose
presence and continued functioning constitutes a vital role in a potential emergency, or
whose failure might prove catastrophic." These facilities included the hospital, fire and
police stations, City Hall, schools, auditoriums, and ambulance services.
8.2.d Assure the compliance of new structures with the City's current Fire, Seismic, and Sprinkler
Codes. Existing structures shall be required to comply with the intent of the Codes in a cost-effective
manner.
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Judgment and ingenuity are needed to balance safety concerns with economic realities so
that Alameda can retain moderate-cost living and working space as well as important
historic buildings.
8.2.e Require new development to plan underground utilities so disruption by earthshaking or
other natural disasters is diminished.
8.3 FLOODING
The 100-year flood (a flood having a one percent chance of occurrence in any year) generally has
been accepted as the basis for flood hazard evaluation, flood insurance, and flood planning.
Although the San Francisco Bay region is rarely subjected to area-wide floods, the potential for a
100-year flood in Alameda needs to be evaluated. Physical changes of land in Alameda include
modification and additions of lagoons on Bay Farm Island, additional fill and new development on
Bay Farm Island, and new development and land-use changes on the Northern Waterfront near the
Posey Tube.
The Preliminary Flood Insurance Study, published in June 1990, but still awaiting adoption,
delineates the boundaries of areas subject to 100- and 500-year floods. Preliminary flood insurance
maps prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are the source for flood areas shown
on Figure 8-1, Environmental Hazards.
Global warming and accelerated sea rise could have severe long-term effects on Alameda. There is
little the City can do to prevent sea level rise, although citizens acting individually may collectively
make a difference. Plan policies encourage an awareness that will allow the City to design
appropriate responses should the need arise.
(Figure 8-1: Environmental Hazards)
Guiding Policies: Flooding
8.3.a Adopt the final version of the June 1990 Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps produced
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Alameda.
8.3.b Ensure that structures proposed for sites located on flood plains subject to the 100-year flood
are provided adequate protection from floods.
Portions of Alameda identified to be at risk include areas along Main Street near the
Gateway and near the Webster Street/Posey tubes.
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8.3.c Monitor EPA reports on sea level rise in order to anticipate impacts if sea level rise
accelerates; coordinate with BCDC to design an appropriate response.
Accelerated rates of rise would require an aggressive response on a regional basis.
Estimates for future rates of sea level rise vary widely, from 4.32 inches over the next 50
years to estimates of up to 10 feet over the next 100 years. A representative of the EPA notes
that there is perhaps a 5 percent chance that sea level rise by 2100 would exceed 6 feet.
8.3.d Support national and international efforts to protect the Earth's ozone layer, including policy
to minimize or prevent the release of chlorofluorocarbons and similar gases.
The City's efforts to prevent the release of gases which contribute to the "Greenhouse Effect"
would make only a tiny difference. However, international concern over this issue may lead
to stricter controls of these gases over the next two decades on national, State, and local
levels.
Actions individuals can take to slow global warming include planting more trees (specified
as a part of the Street Tree Management Program, described in Section 6.1), using
alternative forms of transportation to help reduce CO2 emissions caused by automobiles
(described in Section 4.2, Transportation Systems Management, Section 4.3, Transit, Section
4.4, Pedestrian Routes, and Section 4.5, Bikeways), recycling newspapers, glass, metal, and
paper (specified in Section 8.4), and reducing use of plastic, styrofoam cups, and packaging
materials.
8.3.e Support a multi-use concept of waterways, including, where appropriate, uses for flood
control, open space, nature study, habitat, pedestrian circulation, and outdoor sports and
recreation.
Implementing Policies: Flooding
8.3.f Use all possible means of reducing the potential for flood damage in Alameda. These may
include the requirement of flood-proofing, flood forecast and warning or evacuation
programs, and stringent groundwater management programs to prevent subsidence.
Relocation of existing structures has been identified as another method of reducing flood
damage, but is considered generally economically infeasible and socially unacceptable.
8.3.g Require the maintenance of easements along those drainage ways necessary for adequate
drainage of normal or increased surface runoff due to storms.
The lagoons on Bay Farm Island and along Otis Drive, for example, provide drainage for
runoff and should be maintained as easements that preclude further development and enable
continued maintenance.
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8.3.h Require new drainage facilities to be designed to minimize the effects of settlement.
Areas of the island underlain by Bay Mud are especially susceptible to settlement and
disruption of drainage and other underground facilities, because of the soft, compressible
nature of the Bay Mud.
8.3.i Reduce the effects of surface runoff by the use of extensive landscaping, minimizing
impervious surface and drainage easements.
The Harbor Bay Isle Master Plan uses some of these methods to reduce the amount of
surface water runoff, thereby reducing negative impacts on the groundwater and natural
drainage cycles. See also the Water Quality section within Section 5.1.
8.3.j Require shoreline owners to maintain perimeter dikes to applicable standards.
8.3.k Leave adequate setbacks along waterfront areas for the expansion of seawalls and levees.
8.3.l Regularly inspect and maintain seawalls around the City.
8.4 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
The careful management of hazardous materials and the reduction in generation and safe disposal of
both hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste contribute to the maintenance of public health and
safety. Although these issues are most effectively approached on a regional level, General Plan
policies outline strategies for coping with the presence of hazardous materials in the City, and stress
citizen participation in reduction of the waste stream through recycling.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Hazardous materials are stored and transported throughout Alameda. Specific sites of concentrated
materials include Alameda Point (GPA 01-01) (nuclear materials and paint sludge) and the Alameda
Hospital (biowaste). The residues of spent ammunition from the former gun range operations (at the
Gun Club site) are currently being evaluated by the Alameda County Environmental Health Office to
determine whether this material can be contained on site under paving. Hazardous materials found in
industrial areas, small businesses, and households include: flammable and combustible liquids,
solvents, paint, plating or photographic solutions, acids, and pesticides. Waste oil, gases, and other
hazardous liquids associated with vehicle and heavy machinery maintenance are also present.
General Plan policies support existing methods of problem assessment and response, and call for a
comprehensive plan in the case of a large-scale disaster. Section 5.1 specifies policies governing the
clean-up of potential water-quality-threatening hazardous water sites.
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HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
Hazardous materials often end up as hazardous waste. The 1989 Alameda County Hazardous Waste
Management Plan estimated that the City of Alameda generates slightly more than 6,000 tons of
hazardous wastes per year, representing 6 percent of the total hazardous waste stream generated in
Alameda County. The largest component of the local hazardous waste stream is waste oil, and the
Alameda Naval Air Station was (GPA 01-01) the largest generator of hazardous wastes, producing
around one third of the City's total hazardous waste, and more waste than all the small waste
generators combined. Section 9.6 provides more discussion of the status of hazardous waste clean-up
t a Alameda Point. (GPA 01-01)
The projected stream of hazardous wastes can be reduced significantly through both recycling efforts
and source reduction. There are three large waste oil recyclers in Alameda County All American Oil
Co., Pleasanton, Evergreen Oil Inc., Newark, and Waste Oil Recovery Systems Inc., Oakland, and
two recyclers specializing in commercial solvents (Baron-Blakeslee Inc., Neward, and Safety Kleen
Inc., Oakland). The Plan supports the City's continuing participation in the Alameda County
Hazardous Waste Management Plan program, and policies in Section 5.1 specify measures to protect
water resources from contamination by toxic wastes.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
As with most East Bay cities, Alameda's non-hazardous solid waste is collected primarily by the
Oakland Scavenger Company and taken to the Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro. From
there, the solid waste is transported to and deposited in the Altamont Road Landfill. (Text associated
with NAS Alameda deleted pursuant to GPA 01-01)
Altamont Road Landfill is anticipated to reach capacity and close in the year 2016; however, the life
of the landfill could be extended with implementation of resource recovery programs. Alameda
County's Solid Waste Management Plan, July 1987, encourages cities to implement resource
recovery programs, including recycling, curbside pickup, and energy recovery (waste-to-energy)
programs. The Alameda County recycling rate as of 1985 was estimated to be 10-12 percent, and the
Solid Waste Management Authority has adopted a goal of recovering 75 percent of the waste stream
by 2005.
The City Council recently selected Oakland Scavenger Company for a curbside recycling program.
Residents would participate voluntarily, and would be able to dispose of newspapers, brown paper
bags, food and beverage containers, white paper, computer paper, aluminum, glass, two-liter soda
bottles, and plastic milk and water bottle containers. The program would also incorporate an
educational component.
In addition to recycling, the Solid Waste Management Plan encourages implementation of small-scale
waste-to-energy facilities. In the 1970s, the Alameda Bureau of Electricity (ABOE) explored
the options surrounding construction and operation of a waste-to-energy facility. Since then, the
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ABOE developed other sources of electric power generation, and the waste-to-energy project is now
inactive.
Guiding Policies: Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
8.4.a Continue to identify and assess the risks associated with various hazardous materials
transported in Alameda.
8.4.b Clarify responsibilities for resolving incidents of hazardous materials release.
Alameda County's Health Services is the legal lead agency for enforcing hazardous materials
transport regulations, but the Alameda Fire Department has first-response responsibility,
including cordoning off the area, identifying the substance, and preventing further harm.
8.4.c Apply the Emergency Operations Plan, if necessary, in response to a hazardous materials
release disaster.
The Emergency Operations Plan outlines the primary and secondary functional
responsibilities for each City department, in the case of an emergency or disaster.
8.4.d Continue to support the resource recovery measures specified in the Alameda County Solid
Waste Management Plan, July 1987.
Resource recovery measures include recycling of aluminum, glass, newspapers, corrugated
materials, and construction and demolition debris. The Solid Waste Management Plan
additionally encourages the development of waste-to-energy facilities, composting practices,
and the recovery and reuse of scrap iron, steel, and tin.
8.4.e Continue to support implementation of the Alameda County Hazardous
Waste Management Plan.
The March 1989 Final Alameda County Hazardous Waste Management Plan was prepared
by the Alameda County Hazardous Waste Management Authority to meet the requirements of
AB 2948 (Tanner Bill). The goals of the Plan are to protect the public health, safety, welfare,
and environment through eliminating land disposal of untreated hazardous waste, and to
help business and households in Alameda County reduce hazardous waste production and
manage their remaining waste effectively.
Implementing Policies: Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
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8.4.f Continue to rely on the mutual aid services of Alameda County (Text associated with NAS
Alameda deleted pursuant GPA 01-01) to reduce the potential for hazardous materials
accidents.
See also policies 5.1.s, 5.1.t, and 5.1.u for policies on hazardous waste which might affect
water quality(.GPA 01-01)
8.4.g Improve the training and capability of the Fire Department to handle moderate-size releases
of hazardous materials without dependence on outside aid.
8.4.h Continue to remove the methane gas produced as a waste product of materials decomposing
in the former dump, Mt. Trashmore.
This process is expected to be completed by the year 2000, and is required as part of the
City's compliance with BAAQMD regulations. Methane, a colorless, odorless gas, is
flammable.
8.4.i Require those who store hazardous materials to have the training and capacity to respond to
their own emergencies.
In the event of a large-scale disaster, City personnel will prioritize emergency calls. Private
and public agencies storing hazardous materials should be able to deal with containment and
clean-up.
8.4.j Implement the recently approved residential area curbside recycling program.
8.4.k Design and implement a recycling program for commercial and industrial
businesses, including paper product recycling strategies for business parks.
8.4.l Adopt procedures that provide for adequate control measures for all buildings constructed on
or near areas where surface emissions of hazardous soil gases may occur.
8.5 MAGNETIC FIELDS
Electric and magnetic fields abound in nature, and emanate from the flow of electricity through
everything from transmission lines to household appliances. After several years of analysis of
dozens of studies exploring a possible connection between cancer and extremely low frequency
(ELF) electromagnetic fields, the EPA has concluded that a growing body of data suggests a causal
link. Because the data suggests rather than proves a link, the EPA has not formally classified power-line
electric magnetic fields as a potential carcinogen.
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Congressional bills that would boost Federal funds for research into the biological effects of
electromagnetic fields, including ELF fields from power lines in residential areas, are under
consideration.
Guiding Policy: Magnetic Fields
8.5.a Support research on the health effects of magnetic fields generated by power transmission
lines and other sources, and take appropriate action, if warranted, to reduce hazardous
exposure.
Magnetic fields are measurable, but their intensity is not related to any yet-established health
standards, and ELF effects on human tissue are subtle, complex, and poorly understood.
Cancer risk has been associated with long-term residence close to high-voltage power lines
and substations. Department of Energy and PG&E studies are in progress during 1990.
The Alameda Bureau of Electricity monitors the popular press and industry-related news in
an attempt to keep the citizenry informed.
8.6 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
The Emergency Operations Management program in Alameda is intended to coordinate response to
potential disasters such as hazardous materials spills or clouds, nuclear accidents, and hazards due to
earthquakes, fire, or aircraft crash. Specific policies for each of these hazards are listed under
Seismic Hazards, 8.1.; Fire, 8.2; Flooding, 8.3; and Hazardous Materials, 8.4. This section refers to
the overall management and responsibility plan for controlling or reducing the consequences of any
of these hazards if they are realized. The Emergency Operations Plan is still in its infancy;
departmental annexes outlining responsibilities are being developed, with completed annexes
available for fire and rescue, personnel, and management departments. Disaster exercises are
planned and carried out on a periodic basis. Since the details of emergency management will be
specified in the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), Section 8.6 only highlights a few key aspects of
emergency preparedness.
Guiding Policy: Emergency Management
8.6.a Adopt the recommendations and standards to be established in the City of Alameda's
Emergency Operations Plan as the guide for disaster planning in Alameda.
Implementing Policies: Emergency Management
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8.6.b Designate staff and assign time for the continued update and implementation of procedures
outlined in the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
The proximity of Alameda to two major earthquake faults, the large percentage of the City
built on unstable soils, and potential isolation of the Main Island (outside aid would not be
able to reach the Island by automobile if tubes and bridges failed) encourage the
arrangement of staff time to complete emergency planning services.
8.6.c Establish community programs to train volunteers to assist police, fire, and civil defense
personnel during and after a major earthquake, fire, or flood.
The City can encourage this training by publicizing courses available to the public in
standard CPR and First Aid, as well as disaster-oriented training. The Emergency
Operations Plan should specify locations to which volunteers can report during an
emergency, and should include listings of appropriate jobs for volunteers. The City
Personnel Department and the Alameda Red Cross should coordinate their efforts.
8.6.d Aim for City-level self-sufficiency in emergency response.
While multijurisdictional planning is an ideal, in the event of a regionwide disaster the
emergency services of the State, County, and Federal agencies, and of adjacent locales may
be severely strained. Slippage on the San Andreas or Hayward faults, for example, may
interrupt communication with outside emergency services or cut off evacuation routes,
requiring the City to handle the crisis in isolation. The Emergency Operations Plan may
include provision for City personnel training as emergency services workers and damage
assessors. Mass care centers will be identified, as will strategies for staffing, supplies, and
coordination among City departments.
8.6.e Establish a priority system of evacuation routes.
Alamedans are limited to several "exits" from the City during an evacuation. Emergency
personnel are reluctant to designate evacuation routes until a disaster occurs, since the
details of a particular emergency (location and extent) will aid in determining evacuation
pathways. Primary routes are Dollittle Drive, Posey Tube, and Park Street Bridge.
8.6.f Designate Crown Beach (parking lot), Rittler Park, Krusi Park, and the Municipal Golf
Courses as emergency operations staging areas.
8.7 NOISE
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Aircraft noise is Alameda's primary noise problem, followed by surface traffic noise. Section 7,
Airport Environs Element, includes policies intended to limit airport noise and establish sound
insulation requirements for noise-sensitive uses exposed to aircraft noise exceeding 65 dB CNEL.
This section includes policies relating to all noise sources and establishes sound insulation
performance standards. In recognition of the physiological and resulting economic effects of
excessive noise, State law requires preparation of a Noise Element "which shall identify and appraise
noise problems in the community." The California Department of Health Services publishes
recommended Land Use Compatibility Standards for Community Noise Environments (Table 8-1)
that are the basis for noise mitigation policies.
(Table 8-1: Land Use Compatibilty Standards for Community Noise Envionment)
Figure 8-2 illustrates street and railroad noise in 2010, based on projected traffic volumes, speeds,
and percentage of trucks, and assuming constant railroad use. The Community Noise Equivalent
Level (CNEL) is a 24-hour energy equivalent expressed in decibels (dB), and is derived from a
variety of single-noise events. To account for increased sensitivity to noise during the nighttime
hours, the CNEL calculation penalizes evening and nighttime sound levels. The decibel (dB) scale is
logarithmic; a 3 dB difference is barely discernible to most people, and a 10 dB increase is
subjectively heard as a doubling of noise.
The CNELs on the map were prepared using a mathematical model of traffic noise that projects
"worst case" conditions. It indicates where site-specific studies are needed to determine whether
noise compatibility exists or how it might be achieved. To calibrate the model, 24-hour
measurements were made in 1989 at typical building setback lines at six locations. Projected noise
levels at buildout on Figure 8-2 are at 40 feet from street centerlines.
A table of distances from the centerline to contours of 60 dB and above, in 5 dB increments, appears
in Appendix 6, Projected (General Plan Buildout) Traffic Noise Contour Distance, City of Alameda.
These contours assume no shielding by buildings. Because Alameda is densely built with narrow
side yards, noise levels in the rear yards of houses and apartments typically are 10 dB lower than at
the building facade. Thus, virtually all rear yards and homes on streets for which no noise level is
indicated on Figure 8-2 are expected to be consistent with State guidelines. The major street noise
problem is impact on the indoor environment in buildings facing streets exceeding 60 dB CNEL at
40 feet from the centerline.
With the exception of Harbor Bay Parkway, noise exposure along Alameda streets will not change
significantly between 1989 and buildout. Increases will be 3 dB or less, a change that hardly will be
noticed as it take pla