From: Helen Simpson
To: Lisa Foster
Cc: CityCouncil-List; Amy Wooldridge
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 4:56:52 PM
Thank you for your email and your answers to my questions.
It is my understanding that the ferry rates will be going up in July 2023.
Helen
On Apr 4, 2023, at 4:31 PM, Lisa Foster <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Helen Simpson,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about paid parking at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal. We appreciate your input and have also shared it with WETA and AC Transit. I am writing to answer your questions below.
1. Where will this money come from to pay for the pay stations to be installed? This will come from the City’s Parking Fund, which handles revenues and expenses related to parking citywide.
2. How many pay stations will be placed in the parking area? Because mobile payment will be offered, we are anticipating 3 pay stations at the larger Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal parking lot; then we’ll be able to choose the number of pay stations at Harbor Bay based on that experience. (Paid parking has been prioritized at Seaplane Lagoon to support AC Transit’s Line 78 Pilot.)
3. Will it be cash only, credit cards or both? The pay stations accept coins and credit cards. Parking lot customers will have two options for parking payments:
pay stations for in-person payment before boarding the ferry, and mobile payment that can be done after boarding.
4. What if the machines are broken, how will a rider pay? Mobile payment can be done via app, browser, or phone call. We will research best practices for enforcement (whether to suspend it) when all pay stations are broken but mobile payment is still offered. Thank you for this question.
5. Who will be monitoring the parking lot to make sure everyone is paying? The City’s Parking Enforcement Service
.
6. What would be the fine if you receive a parking ticket? $45
The Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy
includes further information,
including a comparison of daily round-trip costs via ferry with a $3/day parking rate vs. other modes of travel. The cost to drive to the ferry vs. nearby BART stations would be comparable. Driving to the ferry would still be significantly less expensive than driving all the way into San Francisco, not including time lost in any potential traffic. See the figures pasted below this email. Staff from WETA and AC Transit have both expressed support for paid parking at the ferry terminals.
Ferry ridership is improving. In 2022, WETA achieved 65% of pre-pandemic weekday ridership throughout the system, and ridership at Harbor Bay increased 113%. A November 2022 parking occupancy count found the Harbor Bay terminal parking lot was 88% full, which was 60% higher than occupancy in June/July that year. The City will conduct new counts soon. We need to prepare so that parking management can be in place before there are no parking spaces for people on later ferries, and they either turn away or try parking on neighboring streets.
Multiple City Council-adopted plans call for paid parking at ferry terminals to meet City goals related to mode shift and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and to help ensure available parking for ferry riders. These include the General Plan (2021), Transportation Choices Plan (2018), and the Alameda Point Transportation Management Plan (2014). In addition, the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019) includes paid parking as a key strategy to reduce emissions from the single occupancy vehicle trips.
We hope you will continue to stay involved:
Subscribe to the parking mailing list
Alameda ferry terminal parking information, including a paid parking plans section: www.AlamedaCA.gov/ferryparking
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy
Presentation slides
Thanks again for your input.
Best,
Lisa Foster, Senior Transportation Coordinator, City of Alameda (she/her) 510-747-6833 | AlamedaVisionZero.org
| AlamedaParking.org
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From: Andrew Thomas
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2023 5:00 PM
To: Jennifer Ott <[email protected]>
Cc: Lisa Foster <[email protected]>; Kevin Connolly <[email protected]>; Amy Wooldridge <[email protected]>; Allen Tai <[email protected]> Subject: Re: April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry
Jen. We can draft a response to Ms Simpson with answers to her questions.
Andrew Thomas,
510-774-5361 (c)
On Mar 30, 2023, at 3:07 PM, Jennifer Ott <[email protected]> wrote:
FYI
From: Helen Simpson <[email protected]
>
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2023 3:04 PM
To: CityCouncil-List <[email protected]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers.
It is my understanding that on April 4, 2023, you will be voting on accepting the 2022 annual reports on the general plan, transportation choices plan, vision zero action and the climate action plan. I am writing to voice my concern about one of the items for the 2023 priority highlights, “Begin paid parking at Seaplane & Harbor Bay ferry terminals.” I am only writing about Harbor Bay Ferry, since I do not ride the Seaplane ferry.
I ride the Harbor Bay Ferry to and from San Francisco five days a week. Before March 2020, I would ride the 8:30 a.m. ferry to San Francisco. Since the Harbor Bay Ferry started running again during the pandemic, I take the 7:30 a.m. ferry into work. I ride my bike to the ferry terminal as much as I can, but there are days were riding my bike is not feasible. For safety reasons, and the fact I do not want to go to work drench, I do not ride my bike if it is raining. Also, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, I exercise by doing Jazzercise at the Temple on Bay Farm and I go directly from the ferry. Since I am carry my weights, mat, purse and bag from my workday, riding a bike is not possible for me.
I know the city would love to have everyone who commutes to the ferry ride bikes, walk or take A/C Transit, but those options are not for everyone. The timing of A/C Transit is not lined up with the ferry and there is a chance you can miss the ferry in the morning. The evening bus will arrive before the ferry is docked and the buses do not wait for riders, so a person must wait another 30 to 60 minutes for the next bus. Not everyone that rides the ferry live close enough to either walk or ride a bike. The only way to get to the ferry for a lot of people is to drive.
If I had to pay $3.00 a day to park my car at the ferry terminal, it would cost between $40.00 and $60.00 a month. Adding an extra fee to the commute would either discourage riders to take the ferry because it would be cheaper to take other transportation to San Francisco, by bus, BART, casual carpool or drive. Since the pandemic, the San Francisco Ferry has lowered the price of the tickets to ride the ferry and have added more mid-day trips to encourage people to take the ferry into San Francisco. The ridership on the Harbor Bay Ferry is still very, very low and adding a parking fee will likely hurt the ferry service and San Francisco Ferry could possibly cancel mid-day rides, due to lack of ridership.
In the information provided by the City of Alameda regarding Ferry Terminal & Transit Parking, it indicates that there will be pay stations in the lot. A few questions regarding the parking:
1. Where will this money come from to pay for the pay stations to be installed?
2. How many pay stations will be placed in the parking area?
3. Will it be cash only, credit cards or both?
4. What if the machines are broken, how will a rider pay?
5. Who will be monitoring the parking lot to make sure everyone is paying?
6. What would be the fine if you receive a parking ticket? I am requesting that you vote against the parking fee for Harbor Bay Ferry parking lot. This can be revisited during next year to see if there is a problem with parking. Someone posted that on social media on March 30, 2023, at 9:25 a.m., there were 56 empty parking spaces, so the parking lot is not even close to filling up to hit 250.
Thank you.
Helen Simpson
Resident of Alameda and frequent Harbor Bay Ferry rider
From: Lisa Foster
To: Helen Simpson
Cc: CityCouncil-List; Amy Wooldridge
Subject: RE: April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 4:31:50 PM
Dear Helen Simpson,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about paid parking at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal. We appreciate your input and have also shared it with WETA and AC Transit. I am writing to answer your questions below.
1. Where will this money come from to pay for the pay stations to be installed? This will come from the City’s Parking Fund, which handles revenues and expenses related to parking citywide.
2. How many pay stations will be placed in the parking area? Because mobile payment will be offered, we are anticipating 3 pay stations at the larger Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal parking lot; then we’ll be able to choose the number of pay stations at Harbor Bay based on that experience. (Paid parking has been prioritized at Seaplane Lagoon to support AC Transit’s Line 78 Pilot.)
3. Will it be cash only, credit cards or both? The pay stations accept coins and credit cards.
Parking lot customers will have two options for parking payments: pay stations for in-person payment before boarding the ferry, and mobile payment that can be done after boarding.
4. What if the machines are broken, how will a rider pay? Mobile payment can be done via app, browser, or phone call. We will research best practices for enforcement (whether to suspend it) when all pay stations are broken but mobile payment is still offered. Thank you for this question.
5. Who will be monitoring the parking lot to make sure everyone is paying? The City’s Parking Enforcement Service.
6. What would be the fine if you receive a parking ticket? $45
The Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy includes further information, including a comparison of daily round-trip costs via ferry with a $3/day parking rate vs. other modes of travel.
The cost to drive to the ferry vs. nearby BART stations would be comparable. Driving to the ferry would still be significantly less expensive than driving all the way into San Francisco, not including time lost in any potential traffic. See the figures pasted below this email. Staff from WETA and AC Transit have both expressed support for paid parking at the ferry terminals.
Ferry ridership is improving. In 2022, WETA achieved 65% of pre-pandemic weekday ridership throughout the system, and ridership at Harbor Bay increased 113%. A November 2022 parking occupancy count found the Harbor Bay terminal parking lot was 88% full, which was 60% higher than occupancy in June/July that year. The City will conduct new counts soon. We need to prepare so that parking management can be in place before there are no parking spaces for people on later ferries, and they either turn away or try parking on neighboring streets.
Multiple City Council-adopted plans call for paid parking at ferry terminals to meet City goals related to mode shift and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and to help ensure available parking for ferry riders. These include the General Plan (2021), Transportation Choices Plan (2018), and the Alameda Point Transportation Management Plan (2014). In addition, the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019) includes paid parking as a key strategy to reduce emissions from the single occupancy vehicle trips.
We hope you will continue to stay involved:
Subscribe to the parking mailing list
Alameda ferry terminal parking information, including a paid parking plans section:
www.AlamedaCA.gov/ferryparking
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy
Presentation slides
Thanks again for your input.
Best,
Lisa Foster, Senior Transportation Coordinator, City of Alameda (she/her) 510-747-6833 | AlamedaVisionZero.org
| AlamedaParking.org
From: Andrew Thomas
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2023 5:00 PM
To: Jennifer Ott <[email protected]>
Cc: Lisa Foster <[email protected]>; Kevin Connolly <[email protected]>; Amy Wooldridge <[email protected]>; Allen Tai <[email protected]> Subject: Re: April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry
Jen. We can draft a response to Ms Simpson with answers to her questions.
Andrew Thomas,
510-774-5361 (c)
On Mar 30, 2023, at 3:07 PM, Jennifer Ott <[email protected] > wrote:
FYI
From: Helen Simpson <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2023 3:04 PM
To: CityCouncil-List <[email protected]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers.
It is my understanding that on April 4, 2023, you will be voting on accepting the 2022 annual reports on the general plan, transportation choices plan, vision zero action and the climate action plan. I am writing to voice my concern about one of the items for the 2023 priority highlights, “Begin paid parking at Seaplane & Harbor Bay ferry terminals.” I am only writing about Harbor Bay Ferry, since I do not ride the Seaplane ferry.
I ride the Harbor Bay Ferry to and from San Francisco five days a week. Before March 2020, I would ride the 8:30 a.m. ferry to San Francisco. Since the Harbor Bay Ferry started running again during the pandemic, I take the 7:30 a.m. ferry into work. I ride my bike to the ferry terminal as much as I can, but there are days were riding my bike is not feasible. For safety reasons, and the fact I do not want to go to work drench, I do not ride my bike if it is raining. Also, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, I exercise by doing Jazzercise at the Temple on Bay Farm and I go directly from the ferry. Since I am carry my weights, mat, purse and bag from my workday, riding a bike is not possible for me.
I know the city would love to have everyone who commutes to the ferry ride bikes, walk or take A/C Transit, but those options are not for everyone. The timing of A/C Transit is not lined up with the ferry and there is a chance you can miss the ferry in the morning. The evening bus will arrive before the ferry is docked and the buses do not wait for riders, so a person must wait another 30 to 60 minutes for the next bus. Not everyone that rides the ferry live close enough to either walk or ride a bike. The only way to get to the ferry for a lot of people is to drive.
If I had to pay $3.00 a day to park my car at the ferry terminal, it would cost between $40.00 and $60.00 a month. Adding an extra fee to the commute would either discourage riders to take the ferry because it would be cheaper to take other transportation to San Francisco, by bus, BART, casual carpool or drive. Since the pandemic, the San Francisco Ferry has lowered the price of the tickets to ride the ferry and have added more mid-day trips to encourage people to take the ferry into San Francisco. The ridership on the Harbor Bay Ferry is still very, very low and adding a parking fee will likely hurt the ferry service and San Francisco Ferry could possibly cancel mid-day rides, due to lack of ridership.
In the information provided by the City of Alameda regarding Ferry Terminal & Transit Parking, it indicates that there will be pay stations in the lot. A few questions regarding the parking:
1. Where will this money come from to pay for the pay stations to be installed?
2. How many pay stations will be placed in the parking area?
3. Will it be cash only, credit cards or both?
4. What if the machines are broken, how will a rider pay?
5. Who will be monitoring the parking lot to make sure everyone is paying?
6. What would be the fine if you receive a parking ticket? I am requesting that you vote against the parking fee for Harbor Bay Ferry parking lot. This can be revisited during next year to see if there is a problem with parking. Someone posted that on social media on March 30, 2023, at 9:25 a.m., there were 56 empty parking spaces, so the parking lot is not even close to filling up to hit 250.
Thank you.
Helen Simpson
Resident of Alameda and frequent Harbor Bay Ferry rider
From: Marilyn Alwan
To: Andrew Thomas
Cc: City Clerk; CityCouncil-List; Jennifer Ott; Lara Weisiger Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] City Council Agenda. Item 6A. General Plan Annual Report Date: Monday, April 3, 2023 5:23:24 PM
Hello Mr. Thomas,
If memory serves, in the name of fairness and equity, the concentration of high income households on the East End was deemed illegal. Would not the concentration of low and very low households on the West End also be considered inequitable? Surely as a matter of policy it is up to the City of Alameda to bear this in mind in the decisions it makes going forward.
Thank you.
Marilyn Alwan
> On Apr 3, 2023, at 5:09 PM, Andrew Thomas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Dear Ms. Alwan:
>
> The Housing Element and the General Plan are in alignment with each other and with State Law, as confirmed by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development. >
> State law does not allow us to deny the types of housing that you are referring to. Pursuant to State Law, Alameda allows for these types of housing to be constructed anywhere in the City of Alameda (including West Alameda), which is the basic premise of fairness and equity. >
> - Andrew
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marilyn Alwan [mailto:[email protected]
]
> Sent: Monday, April 3, 2023 5:01 PM
> To: Andrew Thomas <[email protected]>
> Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>; CityCouncil-List <[email protected]>; Jennifer Ott <[email protected]>; Lara Weisiger <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] City Council Agenda. Item 6A. General Plan Annual Report >
> Hello Mr. Thomas,
>
> There is a list of types of housing in the item that I referenced I am requesting that the City Council deny the types of housing that are listed in this item.
>
> My letter also points out the disconnect between the fairness and equity in the Housing Element that is submitted to the State and the reality in the City of Alameda as written in the General Plan. >
> Thank you.
>
> Marilyn Alwan.
>
>> On Apr 3, 2023, at 4:16 PM, Andrew Thomas <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Ms. Alwan:
>>
>> Thank you for your email regarding the Housing Element. As the primary author of the Housing Element, I read your email with great interest.
>>
>> Are you requesting that the City Council deny any future affordable housing development in West Alameda? If so, this would be a violation of State Housing Law.
>>
>> - Andrew Thomas, Planning and Building Director.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Marilyn Alwan [mailto:[email protected]
]
>> Sent: Monday, April 3, 2023 4:09 PM
>> To: City Clerk <[email protected]>; CityCouncil-List <[email protected]>; Jennifer Ott <[email protected]>; Lara Weisiger <[email protected]>; Andrew Thomas <[email protected]>
>> Subject: [EXTERNAL] City Council Agenda. Item 6A. General Plan Annual Report >>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>This is to request that Book One. Program 21 of the General Plan not be approved as presented. >>>
>>>I come to this issue as an affordable housing professional with 30 plus years working both as part of the management team for a major affordable housing firm, and as the principal of my own consulting company working with private developers, city and state agencies, and lenders to build and preserve affordable housing, and with residents, prospective tenants and homebuyers for and of these units. >>>
>>> The first point is that I understand that the City does not build housing, but rather sets policy and adopts regulations. I also understand that builders go where land is available and the economics pencil out. >>>
>>> It is not dependent on developers alone to make the numbers work. The Dignity Village is an example of how this was accomplished. The land used is City owned land and a portion of the building costs is money from the General Fund.
>>>
>>> Recognizing land costs as part in any equation it is incumbent upon the City look to City owned land and buildings beyond the West End and Alameda Point for locations to build the developments listed in Program 21.
This is a policy decision and as such does not relieve the City of being guided by the principles of equity and fairness.
>>>
>>> Secondly, I read the Housing Element and it does indeed many times speak of fair housing and equal distribution. However, “Table E-2 Housing Element Capacity to Accommodate the RHNA” does not live up to these words. The projects list, all on the West End, total 3,730 housing units. Of these 1,315 are low or very low and 2,415 are moderate and above moderate. That is 35% of actually approved projects going forward. If you add them to the current concentration of low and very low housing dwellings already built on the West End and those not listed, Dignity Village, Hawthorne Suites and Rica Vista, one does not conclude that fair distribution and equity are the policy of the City of Alameda.
>>>
>>> I respectfully request that Book One Program 21 be amended by adding the following:
>>>
Book One. Program 21: The City will annually review, and amend as necessary, the Municipal Code to ensure consistency with State Housing Government Code requirements and remove or lessen constraints on new housing development, pertaining to, but not limited to emergency shelters, transitional and supportive housing, Low-Barrier Navigation Centers, and Residential Care Facilities.
>>>
>>> “To ensure recognition of fairness and equity across the City all such housing developments will be located at sites other than the West End.”
>>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Marilyn Alwan
>>
>
From: Helen Simpson
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] April 4, 2023 Council Meeting - Parking Fee at Harbor Bay Ferry Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023 3:04:18 PM
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers.
It is my understanding that on April 4, 2023, you will be voting on accepting the 2022 annual reports on the general plan, transportation choices plan, vision zero action and the climate action plan. I am writing to voice my concern about one of the items for the 2023 priority highlights, “Begin paid parking at Seaplane & Harbor Bay ferry terminals.” I am only writing about Harbor Bay Ferry, since I do not ride the Seaplane ferry.
I ride the Harbor Bay Ferry to and from San Francisco five days a week. Before March 2020, I would ride the 8:30 a.m. ferry to San Francisco. Since the Harbor Bay Ferry started running again during the pandemic, I take the 7:30 a.m. ferry into work. I ride my bike to the ferry terminal as much as I can, but there are days were riding my bike is not feasible. For safety reasons, and the fact I do not want to go to work drench, I do not ride my bike if it is raining.
Also, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, I exercise by doing Jazzercise at the Temple on Bay Farm and I go directly from the ferry. Since I am carry my weights, mat, purse and bag from my workday, riding a bike is not possible for me.
I know the city would love to have everyone who commutes to the ferry ride bikes, walk or take A/C Transit, but those options are not for everyone. The timing of A/C Transit is not lined up with the ferry and there is a chance you can miss the ferry in the morning. The evening bus will arrive before the ferry is docked and the buses do not wait for riders, so a person must wait another 30 to 60 minutes for the next bus. Not everyone that rides the ferry live close enough to either walk or ride a bike. The only way to get to the ferry for a lot of people is to drive.
If I had to pay $3.00 a day to park my car at the ferry terminal, it would cost between $40.00 and $60.00 a month. Adding an extra fee to the commute would either discourage riders to take the ferry because it would be cheaper to take other transportation to San Francisco, by bus, BART, casual carpool or drive. Since the pandemic, the San Francisco Ferry has lowered the price of the tickets to ride the ferry and have added more mid-day trips to encourage people to take the ferry into San Francisco. The ridership on the Harbor Bay Ferry is still very, very low and adding a parking fee will likely hurt the ferry service and San Francisco Ferry could possibly cancel mid-day rides, due to lack of ridership.
In the information provided by the City of Alameda regarding Ferry Terminal & Transit Parking, it indicates that there will be pay stations in the lot. A few questions regarding the parking:
1. Where will this money come from to pay for the pay stations to be installed?
2. How many pay stations will be placed in the parking area?
3. Will it be cash only, credit cards or both?
4. What if the machines are broken, how will a rider pay?
5. Who will be monitoring the parking lot to make sure everyone is paying?
6. What would be the fine if you receive a parking ticket? I am requesting that you vote against the parking fee for Harbor Bay Ferry parking lot. This can be revisited during next year to see if there is a problem with parking. Someone posted that on social media on March 30, 2023, at 9:25 a.m., there were 56 empty parking spaces, so the parking lot is not even close to filling up to hit 250.
Thank you.
Helen Simpson
Resident of Alameda and frequent Harbor Bay Ferry rider
From: Allen Tai
To: [email protected]
Cc: Lara Weisiger; CityCouncil-List; Andrew Thomas; Ashley Zieba Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] 7C. City Council Agenda. Please add Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 12:06:40 PM
Dear Marilyn Alwan,
Thank you for your comments on the General Plan Annual Report. Staff agrees with you about housing equity. The City's housing plan for the next 8 years (Housing Element 2023-2031) places great emphasis on fair housing and equal distribution (see pages 4 and 5 https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/major-planning-projects/2023- 2031-city-of-alameda-adopted-housing-element.pdf ). The City Council has already approved zoning changes that create housing opportunity across the island. Going forward we'll have a much more robust discussion of equity in the annual report.
The City does not actually build housing, but rather we set policy and adopt regulations for the home builders.
Home builders and affordable housing providers will go where land is available and where the economics pencil out. The City has created the necessary zoning environment for all types of housing to occur in across Alameda, and outside the West End on Park St, the shopping centers, and in the neighborhoods. Some of that new housing may not be the big splashy project on the front page, but rather they will be spread across the city above shops, in existing buildings, or in the backyards of people's houses.
Please let me know if you have more questions/comments.
Sincerely,
Allen Tai, AICP | City Planner
City of Alameda
Planning, Building and Transportation Dept.
510-747-6888 (direct)
alamedaca.gov/planning
From: Marilyn Alwan
To: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] 7C. City Council Agenda. Please add Date: Monday, March 20, 2023 12:28:18 PM
20 March 2023
Honorable Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft, Vice Mayor Daysog, City Council Members Spencer, Vella and Jensen, City Manager Jennifer Ott, Planning, Building and Transportation Director Andrew Thomas, and City Staff:
> Three weeks ago I read with interest the article about funding for fifty affordable apartments, thirteen of which that will be set aside for supportive housing, at the Hawthorn Suites Hotel on Webster Street, > one more affordable housing complex located in the West End. >> As an interesting comment, the current owner of the Hawthorn Suites Hotel noted that the hotel was successful but that visitors will be able to stay at other locations. One could ask, why is the Coral Reef Inn, which is not successful, being converted into condominiums, and why is a new hotel slated to be built on Park Street? Is the answer that neither of these locations are in the West End? >
> We will soon see an article letting us know that construction will be beginning at the Alameda Wellness Center on McKay Avenue. This mixed-use development includes an affordable housing component and is in the West End. >
>> The next article was an announcement that the Alameda Housing Authority had obtained funding to extend the affordability of up to 132 or 70% of the apartments at Rica Vista on Poggi Street, a complex located in the West End.
>
> After reading these two articles I thought back to last year’s discussion during the development of the Housing Element. When community members voiced concerns about the concentration of affordable units in the West End the response was that in order to distribute the affordable units fairly throughout the island equity would be the guiding principle going forward.
>
> Between then and now we have seen the approval of Dignity Village, Village of Love, four Big Whites and the North Housing Development Plan on Mosley Avenue, all affordable and/or supportive housing, > with the common feature that all are in the West End. >
> There are, of course, affordable units that predate the 2022 Housing Element. The by no means complete list at the time were the Alameda Point Collaborative, the 25% affordable home requirements for new developments at Alameda Landing and the majority of the Alameda Housing Authority’s portfolio. Residents expressed concern that all are in the West End.
>
Today I read the document, “2022 City of Alameda Annual Reports. General Plan & Housing Element.” I searched in vain for the goal of ensuring equity. The word equity does not appear in the document. I suggest that the appropriate place where the principle of equity can be included is in the following section. >
> Book One. Program 21: The City will annually review, and amend as necessary, the Municipal Code to ensure consistency with State Housing Government Code requirements and remove or lessen constraints on new housing development, pertaining to, but not limited to emergency shelters, transitional and supportive housing, Low-Barrier Navigation Centers, and Residential Care Facilities.”
>
> Will these code modifications and resulting emergency shelters, transitional and supportive housing, Low-Barrier Navigation Centers and Rescue Care Facilities be located using the principle of equity in the center of the Island, in the East End or on Bay Farm Island, or will we continue to see the concentration of inequity in the West End? > I request that the principle of equity be added as a required part of the decision making process regarding the location of these facilities. It is long past the time for the fair distribution of affordable living and specialized spaces across all Alameda neighborhoods to become a reality.
Thank you.
Marilyn Alwan
Resident of Alameda