City of Piedmont
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: May 15, 2023
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Rosanna Bayon Moore, City Administrator
SUBJECT: University of California at Berkeley James R. Boyce Affordable and Mixed Income Housing Competition Studio – Winning Graduate Student Presentation for Moraga Canyon
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and discuss a student led presentation by the Boyce Studio, for Piedmont’s Moraga Canyon.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Boyce Studio is a graduate level course that challenges student teams to apply design, finance, and planning skills to real world scenarios. This year, the studio has focused its efforts on one of the most significant challenges facing the Bay Area and the State of California: the development of affordable housing. Piedmont is one of two communities that faculty selected for this year’s class. The project assignment and exercise are based on the goals outlined for the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan that were previously published in a Request for Proposals (RFP). Three student teams developed plans for the siting, architectural design, and financing of affordable housing in alignment with the RFP’s described Moraga Specific Plan Area. Following a juried review, the winning student team is provided audience with the Piedmont City Council and community.
DISCUSSION
The City of Piedmont recognizes the immense opportunity to learn and grow from partnerships with the University of California and its talented student population. The work of the Boyce Studio is part of an educational experience to conceptualize and address how Piedmont could approach the development of housing in Moraga Canyon. The student project is an intellectual exercise based on real-world conditions. The presentation provides the community of Piedmont and the City Council with insightful and creative material to explore and consider as the City kicks off its project to prepare a Moraga Canyon Specific Plan.
Guiding discussion topics (some of the following may overlap):
a) Financing strategies for the development of affordable and market rate housing. b) Financing strategies for the enhancement and/or modification of City facilities. c) City contributions: land, funds, etc.
d) The distribution of land for housing: long term lease vs. fee simple sale. e) Barriers to the development of housing: site constraints (including topography), financing. f) The type of affordable housing proposed (larger family vs. senior housing vs. micro units, etc.)
g) Site and architectural design considerations, including the relationship with the surrounding single-family neighborhoods.
h) Integration of the site with the larger community (including pedestrian and bike connectivity).
i) Public safety improvements: vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. j) City Recreation and Public Works facilities: redesign, improvements, relocation. k) Zoning standards necessary to make housing development financially feasible.
CONCLUSION
The Boyce Studio student project serves to provide the Piedmont City Council the chance to engage with the graduate students to explore some of the concepts, barriers and opportunities that the City will encounter as it develops housing as part of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan. The opportunity for the students to present their project to the City Council gives them an experience that real-world developers often encounter when seeking a local jurisdiction’s approval for a project.
By: Kevin Jackson, Director of Planning & Building
ATTACHMENT
A. Flyer for the James R. Boyce Affordable Housing Competition Studio (2023) B. Slideshow Presentation: Boyce Studio BNA Housing Team (Group 5) Agenda Report Page 2
James R. Boyce Affordable Housing Competition Studio
CP 238/ARCH 202 Grad Option Studio
Tomas McKay, Ben Metcalf, Claire Parisa, and Daniel Simons Studio Format: This class mimics real-world experience by simulating the process of working with a client and navigating the social, economic, and political challenges inherent in creating an affordable housing project.
Students will apply design, finance, and planning skills to develop new approaches to affordable housing—approaches that could go on to inspire an actual development for low-income residents. Thanks to a generous gift from CED Alumni James R. Boyce (M. Arch. ’67), two interdisciplinary studios—Master of Architecture students (ARCH 202) and Master of City Planning, Law, Business, Real Estate Development + Design, and Public Policy students (CP 238)—will work in tandem to consider all aspects of development and design. The course will be taught by City and Regional Planning faculty member Ben Metcalf, Claire Parisa of Red Stone Equity Partners, Daniel Simons of David Baker Architects and Tomas McKay of McKay Architecture.
Throughout the course, leading professionals in development, finance, law, planning, architecture, and government will work with students, providing a more thorough understanding of site selection, entitlements, community needs, affordable housing programs, financial modeling, management, construction, and design. Design will include the principles of site planning, sustainability, unit plans, common area spaces, pedestrian street experiences, and neighborhood context. There will be an emphasis on innovation and creativity that simultaneously lower costs and enhance livability and quality.
Project: This year the studio will focus on affordable and mixed-income housing development opportunities in affluent communities traditionally resistant to low-income housing that have recently been made available by the State of California’s new housing production and fair housing goals. During the first several weeks of class, students will evaluate how zoning regulations, physical constraints, city governments, and the neighborhood context to assess what can be built. Students will then team up to focus on a particular site for the balance of the semester, working within interdisciplinary teams to collaborate on a finished design, with each team developing their own program, financing plan, and entitlement path.
Competition: Students will present their work at an end-of-year symposium that will include a juried review.
Winning teams will be recognized by a variety of means.
Attachment A Agenda Report Page 3
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Agenda Report Page 4
May 4th, 2023
BNA HOUSING - Group 5
Brittaney Bluel, Sam Greenberg,
Yizhuang Liu, Snow Zhu
MORAGA CANYON
Piedmont, California
Agenda Report Page 5 Attachment B
01 Group 5
Group 5 | BNA Housing
BNA HOUSING
01 Sam Greenberg MPA Yizhuang Liu M.Arch Brittaney Bluel M.Arch Snow Zhu MCP BNA Housing is approaching this project as a transformative opportunity to locate affordable housing for families in a high opportunity, accessible environment. This opportunity is too promising to waste, and our proposal must be financially and politically feasible.
Agenda Report Page 6 Attachment B
1 Moraga Canyon
2 Blair Park Apartments
3 Bay Overlook Homes
4 Financing
5 Project Schedule
Roadmap
Agenda Report Page 7 Attachment B
- vision
- master plan
- precedent
- design challenges
01 Moraga Canyon
Agenda Report Page 8 Attachment B
Community and Belonging
High-quality, beautiful
housing for families in the
East Bay
01 Group 5
02BNA HOUSING
Moraga Canyon: Vision
Agenda Report Page 9 Attachment B
Community and Belonging
High-quality, beautiful
housing for families in the
East Bay
01 Group 5
03BNA HOUSING
Contextual Resonance
Design that blends into and
accentuates existing landscape
and topography
Moraga Canyon: Vision
Agenda Report Page 10 Attachment B
Community and Belonging
High-quality, beautiful
housing for families in the
East Bay
01 Group 5
04BNA HOUSING
Contextual Resonance
Design that blends into and
accentuates existing landscape
and topography
A Connected Canyon
Connecting both sides of
Moraga Ave. and the rest of
Piedmont
Moraga Canyon: Vision
Agenda Report Page 11 Attachment B
Community and Belonging
High-quality, beautiful
housing for families in the
East Bay
01 Group 5
05BNA HOUSING
Contextual Resonance
Design that blends into and
accentuates existing landscape
and topography
A Connected Canyon
Connecting both sides of
Moraga Ave. and the rest of
Piedmont
Moraga Canyon: Vision
Agenda Report Page 12 Attachment B
01 Group 5
06BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments:
- 103 units of affordable housing
Bay Overlook Homes:
- 30 market rate townhomes
Public Amenities include:
- Early childhood education
center
- Expanded Coaches Field
- Dog park
- Bike lanes and sidewalks
Moraga Canyon: Master Plan
Agenda Report Page 13 Attachment B
01 Group 5
3.1 07BNA HOUSING
Master Plan: Moraga Canyon South Parcel:
Blair Park
Apartments
Agenda Report Page 14 Attachment B
01 Group 5
3.1 08BNA HOUSING
Master Plan: Moraga Canyon North Parcel:
Bay Overlook
Homes
Agenda Report Page 15 Attachment B
01 Group 5
3.1 09BNA HOUSING
Master Plan: Moraga Canyon Moraga Canyon:
Public
Infrastructure
and Amenities
Agenda Report Page 16 Attachment B
● Text heavy
○ Level 1
■ Level 2
01 Group 5
10 What we are pulling from
Sea Ranch:
- Site Specific Design
- Preservation of the
Surrounding Landscape
- Minimizing
Environmental Impact
- Aim to maintain unique
character of site
BNA HOUSING
Moraga Canyon: Design Precedent
Agenda Report Page 17 Attachment B
01 Group 5
11BNA HOUSING
Design Challenges: Orienting Buildings on Site
Agenda Report Page 18 Attachment B
01 Group 5
12BNA HOUSING
Design Challenges: Responding to the Canyon
Agenda Report Page 19 Attachment B
01 Group 5
13BNA HOUSING
1 2
3 4
5 6
1 2
3 4
5 6
Design Challenges: Buildable Area
Agenda Report Page 20 Attachment B
01 Group 5
14BNA HOUSING
Design Challenges: Residential Scale + Maximizing Density Agenda Report Page 21 Attachment B
01 Group 5
15BNA HOUSING
VS
Design Challenges: Harnessing Views
Agenda Report Page 22 Attachment B
- unit mix and affordability
- amenities and services
- site plan and landscaping
- circulation
- sections
- unit typology and plans
- renderings
Blair Park
Apartments 02
Agenda Report Page 23 Attachment B
02 Group 5
16 Unit Type and Size Number of
Units
Studio (450 sq. ft.)3
One Bedroom (500 sq. ft.) 25
Two Bedroom (725 sq. ft.) 53
Three Bedroom (926 sq. ft.) 22
Total Units
1 103
[1] Excluding 1 Manager’s Unit
BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Unit Mix
Agenda Report Page 24 Attachment B
02 Group 5
17BNA HOUSING
Affordability
Level
Number of
Units
30% AMI 26
50% AMI 26
60% AMI 51
Total Units1
103
[1] Excluding 1 Manager’s Unit
Average Affordability: 49.90% AMI
Blair Park Apartments: Affordability Range
Agenda Report Page 25 Attachment B
- Partnerships with Kidango and Low
Income Investment Fund (LIIF)
- Capacity for 100 children
- Onsite playground
02 Group 5
18BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Early Childhood Education Center Agenda Report Page 26 Attachment B
- 1 FTE Resident Services
Coordinator
- Focus on supporting families
recently experiencing
homelessness
02 Group 5
19BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Resident Services
Agenda Report Page 27 Attachment B
02 Group 5
20BNA HOUSING
Agenda Report Page 28 Attachment B
02 Group 5
21BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Interlocking Landscape
Agenda Report Page 29 Attachment B
02 Group 5
22BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Interlocking Landscape
Agenda Report Page 30 Attachment B
02 Group 5
23BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Public Access
Agenda Report Page 31 Attachment B
02 Group 5
24BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Vehicular Circulation
Agenda Report Page 32 Attachment B
02 Group 5
25BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Preserving Green Space
Agenda Report Page 33 Attachment B
02 Group 5
26BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Early Childhood Education Center Agenda Report Page 34 Attachment B
02 Group 5
27BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Parking
Agenda Report Page 35 Attachment B
02 Group 5
28BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Unit Typology
Agenda Report Page 36 Attachment B
02 Group 5
29BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Two Bedroom Unit Plan
Agenda Report Page 37 Attachment B
02 Group 5
30BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Contextual Resonance
Agenda Report Page 38 Attachment B
02 Group 5
31BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: A Connected Canyon
Agenda Report Page 39 Attachment B
02 Group 5
32BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Building Connections
Agenda Report Page 40 Attachment B
- site plan
- renderings
Bay Overlook
Homes 03
Agenda Report Page 41 Attachment B
03 Group 5
33BNA HOUSING
Bay
Overlook
Homes:
Master
Plan
Agenda Report Page 42 Attachment B
03 Group 5
34BNA HOUSING
Bay Overlook Homes
Agenda Report Page 43 Attachment B
03 Group 5
35BNA HOUSING
Bay Overlook Homes: Balcony
Agenda Report Page 44 Attachment B
- capital sources and uses: Blair Park
- RLV analysis: Bay Overlook Homes
- infrastructure investments
04 Finance
Agenda Report Page 45 Attachment B
04 Group 5
36BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Sources and Total Development Cost Total Development Cost: $96.2 M
($925,000 per unit)
Sources ($ Millions)
Agenda Report Page 46 Attachment B
04 Group 5
37 Sources Amount
LIHTC 4% Equity (State and Federal) $48.7 M
HCD Multifamily Housing Program (MHP) $23.1 M
Perm Loan: Section 8 + Residential $8.8 M
Donated Land $7.0 M
HCD Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) $4.5 M
Alameda County Measure A1 $2.2 M
Deferred Developer Fee $1.3 M
City of Piedmont CDBG $600 K
Total $96.2 M
Uses Amount
Construction $70.5 M
Financing $8.4 M
Land Acquisition $7.0 M
Other $5.7 M
Professional Fees $4.3 M
Fees and Permits $300 K
Total $96.2 M
BNA HOUSING
Blair Park Apartments: Capital Sources and Uses
Agenda Report Page 47 Attachment B
04 Group 5
38BNA HOUSING
Development
Cost of $1.5 M
per Unit
Sale Price of
$1.7 M per
Unit
Total Residual
Land Value of
$5.3 M ($175k
per Unit)
Bay Overlook Homes: RLV (Residual Land Value) Calculation Agenda Report Page 48 Attachment B
04 Group 5
39BNA HOUSING
Land sale proceeds of $5.3 M could be used for City improvements:
$3.3 M
Infrastructure, Pedestrian
Improvements, Bike Lanes
$1.0 M
Consolidated Corp Yard,
Dog Park
$1.0 M
Coaches Field Expansion
Bay Overlook Homes: Funding for City Improvements
Agenda Report Page 49 Attachment B
- Blair Park Apartments
- Bay Overlook Homes
05 Timeline
Agenda Report Page 50 Attachment B
05 40BNA HOUSING
2024
Q1
2025 2026 2027
Design
Entitlements
Construction
Financing
Specific Plan
RFP
LORE
M
2028
LORE
Community M
Engagement
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2029
Q1 Q2
LEASE UP
ENTITLEMENTS SECURED
BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED
ENA
PROJECT STABILIZATION
Blair Park Apartments: Development Timeline
Agenda Report Page 51 Attachment B
05 41BNA HOUSING
2024
Q1
2025 2026 2027
Design
Entitlements
Construction
Financing
Specific Plan
RFP
LORE
M
2028
LORE
Community M
Engagement
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2029
Q1 Q2
ENTITLEMENTS SECURED
BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED
ENA
PROJECT STABILIZATION
CONSTRUCTION ENDS
Bay Overlook Homes: Development Timeline
Agenda Report Page 52 Attachment B
Agenda Report Page 53 Attachment B
THANK YOU
Agenda Report Page 54 Attachment B