bikers invade alameda point naval station
Undeterred by the threat of rain, several dozen Urban Ecologists pedaled through one of the most challenging development projects under way in the Bay Area -- the old naval air station at Alameda Point.
The four-hour event was organized as part of Urban Ecology's ongoing tour program, which highlights land use and development projects throughout the Bay Area. "We see Alameda Point's story as a microcosm of the issues at play in many communities throughout the Bay Area, " said Urban Ecology Project Coordinator Phil Olmstead, who organized the event.
Redevelopment plans for the naval air station call for transforming 3,000 acres of largely unused hangars, airstrips, officers quarters and parking lots into a new community on the island of Alameda, with nearly 2,000 new housing units.
As tour-goers learned, the transformation will bring a myriad of challenges, including how to create a livable, pedestrian-friendly community with a diversity of housing types in the face of a city law that effectively bans townhomes, condominiums, or apartments on Alameda.
In its heyday, the Naval Air Station Alameda was one of the busiest air stations in the world. During World War II, the Air Station became the staging point for many of the U.S. Navy's operations in the Pacific, and was home to over 2,000 aircraft and 30,000 personnel. When the Air Station finally closed in 1997, the City of Alameda was left with a tremendous opportunity for redevelopment - and a host of challenges to the adaptive re-use of Alameda Point.
The tour led participants through vacant airplane hangers, old officer quarters, and two overgrown runways. At various stops, Andrew Thomas, the City of Alameda's Supervising Planner, outlined Alameda's plans for 1,800 units of housing, 336,000 square feet of commercial and waterfront development, as well as 150 acres of open space. Challenges facing the city as it leads this project include preserving historic buildings, cleaning up contaminated land and groundwater, and managing congestion by providing adequate transportation alternatives for thousands of new residents.
But the most controversial aspect of the development centers on housing options. At issue is Measure A, a 1973 amendment to the city charter that restricts residential development to one or two units per building, a minimum lot area of 2,000 square feet per unit, and no attached housing. Supporters of Measure A argue that it helps preserve Alameda's historic character, while opponents contend that it will not only limit the city's ability to provide a mix of housing types, but also discourage the population density needed to support public transportation.
Thomas said he was confident that the latest development plan, presented to the City Council on July 14th , would provide a variety of housing options, including a minimum of 25% of units affordable to a variety of income levels.
Without a voter-approved change to Measure A, however, the huge development will be severely restricted, according to members of Housing Opportunities Make Economic Sense, or HOMES, a citizen's group "dedicated to preserving Alameda's values and traditions" at the Alameda Point redevelopment site.
HOMES, a partnership including transportation, ministerial, housing, educational and civic groups, is urging city leaders to consider a development plan that offers an alternative to a Measure A-compliant plan. If the project moves ahead status-quo, say HOMES leaders, Alameda Point will be developed with "no townhomes, condos or apartments...It makes it unlikely that the neighborhood will support retail and public transit as do the neighborhoods in 'old' Alameda."
Tour members who attended the April 23rd event said they appreciated learning about the issues at play for Alameda Point.
"The guest speakers provided a rich context for what is happening in Alameda," said Jason Patton, an Urban Ecology member from Oakland. Amelia Holmes summarized her tour experience by adding, "Alameda Point is a beautiful landscape with lots of potential and the Urban Ecology tour painted a nice picture of the forces at play."
For more information on Alameda Point or to see the Preliminary Development Concept, visit
www.alameda-point.com.
