The Galleon, the Tied House, and now Point Marina Vista…the circular building on the estuary is back at the Planning Board for yet another around of, can I have my use permit yet?
While I totally understand the need for use permits and the tortured process that businesses undergo in order to open shop in Alameda, when I read agenda items like this I wonder why some folks even bother given how difficult it seems to open a business in Alameda. Hours of operation, parking counts, noise levels, etc and so forth.. all for a business that is essentially the same type of use of the previous business that occupied the space. I can only imagine what would happen if someone tried to put another restaurant back into the building that housed the Chevy’s…
Anyway, the operator has agreed to make more concessions after the last PB meeting including the adjustment in operating hours which appears from the resolution that all events must end by 10 p.m. but the description on the agenda indicates that there are different hours for the weekend as opposed to the weekday. Hopefully someone will clarify. Weekday nights I think 10 p.m. is a reasonable time to close up shop, but the weekends, which I imagine is the bread and butter of a banquet facility, 10 p.m. would be too limiting.
One of the biggest concerns raised during the last PB meeting was the subject of parking. It’s always the parking. Some of the speakers and letter writers mentioned that they believed the initial parking study to be incorrect because it didn’t take in the peak season for parking. So the owners had to commission another parking study and this time they did a count on the July 4th holiday weekend, which should be one of the busiest times for the marina. After all, that has to be a pretty awesome view of fireworks sitting on a cushy boat without any obstructions. In that study they found that out of a total of 398 spaces that a maximum of 214 spaces were taken at a given time. As the site only has capacity for 250 guests, there is an estimate that there would only be approximately 134 spaces used by those guests. Basically the owners are trying to say there is plenty of parking spaces.
But, in bending over backwards to appease the parking gods, they have also contacted the management company for the business park to try to work out a deal to use the parking lots as overflow if necessary. It’s actually a really good idea, not like those parking lots are getting that much use during the times that the owners would be scheduling these events. Heck, even during business hours those parking lots don’t see a lot of usage either.
Anyway, staff is recommending that the new proposal be approved. The photos look nice on their Here Comes the Guide page, I like the colored lights, but am suprised that no one has complained about that yet. Although the one outdoor patio photo, I cannot get past the unironed tablecloth.
Events must end by ten p.m., but on deliveries to Towne Centre they are looking at extending to 12 midnight, plus grandfathered businesses with more latitude than that. Unless it’s really hot I sleep with windows shut because among other noises like drunk neighbors closing the local bars and bringing everybody to their place to party at 3 a.m., I get noise from Otis and mall. This Saturday at 3:30 a.m. I got up to pee. In the bathroom we keep the north facing window open facing our neighbors house about ten feet away. Bouncing off their house was some surreal industrial white noise. According to the neighbor one house closer to the mall, it was the steam cleaning of shopping carts. At 3:30 a.m.?? It was something, that’s for sure.
With windows closed we are still O.K., though I always think of the frog which is boiled so slowly it doesn’t realize it.
Comment by M.I. — July 27, 2009 @ 8:34 am
Alameda to Businesses: “We hate you … go someplace else!”
Businesses to Alameda: “OK
”
Comment by Jeff R. Thomason — July 27, 2009 @ 9:07 am
Shop Alameda! Thank you for your purchase. Please pick up your merchandise at the foot of the Fruitvale Bridge…
Comment by Edmundo Delmundo — July 27, 2009 @ 10:37 am
we are the elite, we are the cronies, we alone have the power and authority to mold the sovereign state of Alameda, all business serfs shall pay homage to the planning and zoning gods, and pay and pay and pay
Comment by observer — July 27, 2009 @ 11:14 am
Have your PSA checked, Mark, we’d hate to lose you slowly.
Comment by Jack Richard — July 27, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
sorry Jack, I’ve just spent an insane morning trying to make a job happen and I am frazzled and perhaps a little slow at this moment. “PSA”? Does slow boiling aggravate prostate cancer?
Slowly or quickly once the water is roiling it’s too late for citizen frog, though maybe slow boil is less traumatic than lobster drop, ker-plunk. http://machines.pomona.edu/dfwwiki/index.php/Consider_the_Lobster_(essay)
I did mean to include that as South Shore began morphing into Towne Centre I stated to planning board at a meeting about the gas station (where I questioned light study and light pollution) that twenty years ago we knew we had bought a house across the street from a mall, and I am prepared to “take one for the team” to an extent, in that I realize the over all importance of tax dollars and expect to have to endure SOME degradation in my standard of living. We’re just far enough away that the delivery trucks don’t rattle our dishes.
Comment by M.I. — July 27, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
Dear Lauren:
Just for the record…
PACIFIC MARINA PARKING COUNT SURVEY
Conducted 07/25/09 12:00noon, 3:00pm, 6:00pm
Method: Walk thru and personal count of every empty space in all sections 1-6 (including Triumph Drive spaces)
Person conducting count: thomas charron
Count Performed on 07/25/09 as listed times of day.
(Pacific Marina Common Parking maximal capacity is 394 parking spaces)
1. 12:00pm 122 empty spaces in total lot
2. 3:00pm 106 empty spaces in total lot
3. 6:00pm 56 empty space in total lot.
Point Marina Vista (PMV) Projects need for 134 parking spaces to handle 250 patrons, staff etc
12:00pm over max capacity =12 spaces
3:00pm over max capacity = 28 spaces
6:00pm ove max capacity = 78 spaces
Results:
1.) MAXIMAL CAPACITY COUNT EXCESS CAPACITY PROJECTIONS DONE BY ABRAMS ASSOCIATES EARLIER IN JULY ARE INVALID!
2.) Counts performed on 07/25/09 reveal that maximal parking capacity of the Pacific Marina Common Parking
would have been exceed throughout the day if Point Marina Vista were to have attempted to park 134 autos
in these lots.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas charron
Comment by morgan thomas — July 27, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
Let’s see: On July 25 Alameda had huge crowds due to the Hornet events as well as the Park Street Fair. Hardly a typical day.
Yeah, there are no parking spaces in my neighborhood when my neighbor has a graduation party too. Gee, let’s prohibit graduation parties because they impact the neighbors’ ability to park every 18 years.
Sometimes you just have to deal with an occasional inconvenience for the benefit of the community. If the parking issue occurred every weekend, it would be a problem. Once a year (or even less; how often do we have a 40 year anniversary celebration of the moon landing coinciding with a fair?) is not.
Comment by Jill — July 28, 2009 @ 9:59 pm