"Get it in Writing" is Mantra at Village Development Meeting

A planned at met with concern, and some support, from many members of the public Tuesday night before the Albany Planning & Zoning Commission. 

The project involves 175 senior housing units, seven spots for small businesses and a 55,000-square-foot Whole Foods market.

Public comment about the project stretched on for hours, which was not aided by a decision by the commission to skip a three-minute timer and allow people to speak as long as they liked. Many comments went on for six to eight minutes as supporters and detractors outlined a range of considerations.

"It's a big project. It brings out lots and lots of things we want to see happen in our city one way or another," said Commissioner Peter Maass toward the end of the discussion. , urban farming and fields all came up throughout the meeting.

"It's sad that those people end up getting played off one another," Maass added.

The meeting's purpose was to collect ideas from commissioners about rezoning part of the proposed project area to include more commercial space and relax certain city code requirements.

Commissioners considered the benefits and drawbacks of designating the area a "planned unit development." This would allow for more flexibility in zoning requirements, but brings with it a demand for community assets such as a bike path, creek improvements or a park. 

Another meeting, about the environmental impact of the project, will take place at a later date. (The final Environmental Impact Report is posted on the city's website.)

The documents from two presentations in Tuesday's meeting appear along with this story as PDFs.

Commissioners Leo Panian, Peter Maass and Stacy Eisenmann were in attendance, along with dozens from the public. (Commission Vice Chair David Arkin recused himself because of the proximity of his home and business to the project. Chair Phillip Moss was not at the meeting because of an out-of-town family event.)

While the scope of the commissioners' work was narrow, to advise staff on what to consider in relation to possible zoning changes, members of the public spoke on a broad range of concerns.

These ran the gamut from the effect of a large corporate grocery store in Albany; how such a project would affect the environment; whether proposed bike and pedestrian aspects would work; if the senior housing would be affordable for Albany residents; and whether the university could be trusted to follow through with its plans. 

Project manager Kevin Hufferd, from the University of California, said the project will offer a new opportunity for seniors to stay in Albany once a single-family home is no longer realistic. It will bring a projected 320 new jobs, along with $460,000 in revenues, he said, in addition to integrating University Village with the rest of the Albany.

Some said the project will be a boon for Albany, and should not be unnecessarily hindered, or made to jump through too many hoops before approval. 

"It's an incredible project, which has the opportunity to revitalize an area of San Pablo that is in bad shape," said Brian Parsley. "That section of San Pablo is dying. All of San Pablo is dying. San Pablo is the red-headed stepchild" of the city's business district.

Parsley, and many others, said planners would have to take a closer look at how the project would affect Dartmouth Street, which likely will see increased bike and car traffic as a result of the nearby development.

Jack Miller, the president of Albany Little League, told commissioners the university had been in touch with the league about a possible agreement to allow the fields to remain on the land for 10 years.

He said he hoped the fields would be protected for future generations, and that the league was open to considering changes that would impact the fields as more of the details get hammered out.

Many expressed concern that the way the project is planned, with a first phase involving the Whole Foods market, and a second phase for the senior housing, could leave the city in an awkward position if plans change down the line, particularly if improvements such as bike paths and public spaces are tied to the second phase.

Nick Pilch, Albany resident and co-founder of the , said the chronology made him "nervous," and that it would be better to develop the entire project in a unified way.

"This is our chance as Albany residents to get what we want out of this project," said Pilch. "The sky's the limit... As commissioners, be strong (about what you want them to bring to the table)....  And get it in writing. That's just a good practice for any business entity."

Others disagreed about how hard Albany should push as far as its demands.

"The sky isn't the limit," said Tod Abbott of the Albany Chamber of Commerce. "This has to be a practical, doable project.... We want this to happen in reasonable amount of time."

Commissioners said the presentation Tuesday night seemed potentially lacking in terms of open space and public amenities, if the project hopes to get the more flexible zoning designation. 

Officials said they definitely wanted to get all the details down on paper, rather than leave the deal up to good faith agreements. 

"I agree we need to get this in writing," said Commissioner Eisenmann. "I agree we need to get this airtight. We want to make sure it's absolutely clear."

Officials also weren't sure if the proposed timeline would be realistic. (City planner Jeff Bond said the project's environmental review could happen as soon as June. Project manager Hufferd said the first phase of the project could open as soon as fall 2013.

"Can we do this in June? I don't know," said Commissioner Maass. "There's a lot on everybody's plate here."

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.

CORRECTION: Phillip Moss is the chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission. David Arkin is the vice chair. Their titles were incorrect in this story initially.