2129 SHATTUCK Berkeley s Mixed-Use High-Rise Hotel

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1 2129 SHATTUCK Berkeley s Mixed-Use High-Rise Hotel Pre-Application Submittal for review by the City of Berkeley by Center Street Partners, LLC, with Pyramid Hotel Group February 9, 2015 Professional Team:

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview Commitment to Community Program & Phasing Policy Context Request for Pre-Application Review Contextual Design Tradition of Fitting In Streetwall Continuity Respectful Massing Active Frontage Conference Space Pedestrian-Friendly Heart of Downtown Policies, Regulations & Guidelines Downtown Area Plan Downtown Design Guidelines C-DMU Commercial Downtown Mixed Use Zoning Intrinsic Benefits Environmental Effects Environmental Impact Report Massing Relationships Views Shadows Wind Approval Authority Zoning Adjustments Board CEQA Timeline After Zoning Application Summary Points Professional Team Public Information

3 Berkeley s Mixed-Use High-Rise Hotel 2129 Shattuck 2129 Shattuck 1 Overview 2129 Shattuck will transform Berkeley s most prominent corner at Shattuck and Center Street into a mixed-use high-rise hotel that has been a long-held policy priority and will confer countless community benefits. The project will replace the suburban-style Berkeley main-branch Bank of America with an 18-story architectural presentation that reflects Berkeley s spirit and culture. This pre-application submittal describes initial concepts that will continue to evolve Shattuck will fulfill the community s aspiration to have a high-rise hotel on the Bank of America site: a policy priority that the City has held but has remained unfulfilled for over fifteen years. The hotel project was recently restarted by Jim Didion, managing partner of Center Street Partners, LLC, which has an agreement with the Bank of America to redevelop the site. The project had been put on hold pending the outcome of Measure R, which would have made the project infeasible, but the referendum was soundly defeated by Berkeley citizens in a 74% to 26% vote. Mr. Didion, a UC Berkeley alum, has further invigorated the project by bringing the Pyramid Hotel Group into Center Street Partners, LLC, to manage the project s development and operate the hotel. Center Street looking East. The BART plaza is located at right. Commitment to Community Pyramid has a long successful history in hotel development, financing, and operations, and special expertise with urban hotels near universities. Pyramid currently operates the DoubleTree Berkeley Marina and operated The Claremont Hotel until recently. Pyramid supports its employees and the communities in which it operates. In Berkeley, Pyramid has hosted numerous events and made significant donations to community organizations such as Berkeley Youth Orchestra and the East Bay Humane Society. Existing condition.

4 2 Pre-Application Submittal M I LV I A S T Center Street Parking Garage ARTS DISTRICT S H AT T U C K AV E Wells Fargo Building (173 Ht) S H AT T U C K AV E U N I V E R S I T Y AVE A D D I S O N S T PROJECT SITE C E N T E R S T O X F O R D S T Future BAM/PFA The Crescent UC BERKELEY CAMPUS Pyramid and Mr. Didion are committed to the use of union labor in the construction of the project and over the long term with hotel workers. Terms of these agreements have yet to be worked out and depend on the project becoming better defined. Before Pyramid assumed operations at The Claremont, the hotel was embroiled in a labor dispute, which Pyramid quickly resolved through good faith negotiations with hotel workers Union 2850, which also represents workers at DoubleTree Berkeley Marina. Pyramid s commitment to its workers is also evidenced by its designation as the Boston Globe s Best Employer of the Year in 2012 and Berkeley City College Chase Building (179 Ht) BART PLAZA A L L S T O N W AY Brower Center Vicinity Map. The project will be across Shattuck from two high-rise buildings of nearly the same height. The new Berkeley Plaza high-rise apartment has been proposed just south of the area shown. Existing Land Use Context Location Existing Use(s) Zoning District Subject Property Bank of America building North Apartments above ground floor Restaurants Surrounding South Offices above ground floor Retail & Restaurants C-DMU, Properties East Berkeley Art Museum (under construction) Core West Offices above ground floor Restaurants General Plan Designation Downtown Program & Phasing The 292,000 square-foot high-rise project will contain a restaurant, bar, and bank at its base (floor 1), with twelve hotel floors above (floors 3-12) with conference rooms (ground level and floors 3 and 12). Residential condominiums will occupy the top six floors of the building (floors 13-18). The project s high intensity will reinforce downtown Berkeley as a sustainable transit-oriented urban center, where relatively minor car use is expected from residents, employees and visitors Shattuck will be constructed in two phases. In phase one, a commercial building will be built on Bank of America s parking lot adjacent to the new Berkeley Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive. In phase two, the new phase one building will be occupied by the Bank while a high rise will be built on the

5 remainder of the site. During construction, Bank parking will move temporarily to UC Berkeley s parking lot on Addison Street with direct pedestrian access into the Bank. When the 180-foot high rise is completed, the Bank will move back into the corner of Shattuck and Center, and the phase-one building will house a restaurant. An active restaurant, bar, lobbies, and retail banking activities will line Center Street, the East Bay s busiest pedestrian corridor. Roughly half of the project s required parking will be provided on-site (floor 2) with the remaining requirement satisfied by arranging for parking off-site. Transit passes will be provided to every employee and household. A more complete description of community benefits appears below. Policy Context 2129 Shattuck implements Berkeley s awardwinning Downtown Area Plan and Climate Action Plan by delivering: a hotel in downtown s Core Area to strengthen it as a visitor destination (DAP policies LU-1.1 and ED-1.11), enhanced streets that favor pedestrians and make inviting urban places (DAP policies AC-2.1 & AC-5.1), continuity with downtown s historic groundfloor storefronts (Policy HD-4.1) and building streetwalls (DAP policy HD-3.1), 2129 Shattuck 3 Center Street Frontage. Along Center Street, the project puts a one-story mass next to the low-rise BAM/PFA, and steps the hotel floors back fifty feet along three-quarters of the frontage. Summary of Program Floor Area (sq. ft.) Use Gross Net* Hotel (254 Rooms) 185, ,000 Conference Space 14,000 12,000 Hotel Dining 5,000 4,500 Restaurant 8,000 8,000 Bank of America 6,500 6,500 Residential (30 Condos) 73,000 57,000 Total 292, ,000 *Net does not incl. circulation & service Existing condition.

6 4 Pre-Application Submittal high-intensity low-emission development close to BART and in downtown s Core Area (DAP policies ES-3.1, LU-1.5 and LU-4.1, and CAP policy 1a), LEED Gold environmental performance (DAP policy ES-4.1), diverse housing opportunities, especially larger dwellings and ownership opportunities (policies LU-3.2, HC-3.3, and HC-3.4), financial support for affordable housing, day care, street improvements, and transit (DAP policies HC-3.2, LU-2.4, and AC-3.2), as well as much needed hotel taxes for the City. Shattuck at Center. Corner of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street with bike share. Existing condition. Request for Pre-Application Review The 2129 Shattuck development team respectfully requests pre-application guidance from Berkeley s Zoning Adjustments Board, Design Review Committee, and Landmarks Preservation Commission. Comments heard at these meetings will help the team to understand concerns early in the design process, before a formal zoning application is submitted. Design refinements will continue to be made and communicated during the pre-application process. The team encourages all interested persons to attend a community open house to share project information and provide direct opportunities for comment. The open house will be held at the Marsh Theater, 2120 Allston Way, on Monday March 2 from 5 to 7pm.

7 Contextual Design 2129 Shattuck 5 Tradition of Fitting In Pyramid Hotel Group has developed hotels throughout the country in urban settings where respect for historic settings are vital, and where its hotels have played a pivotal role in revitalizing urban centers. Furthermore, architecture firm, JRDV, has an international reputation for context-sensitive design that draws on historic urban traditions while remaining an honest expression of contemporary best practices. Streetwall Continuity 2129 Shattuck will maintain continuity with and respect for surrounding neighbors, while having an authentic modern expression. A continuous streetwall will maintain downtown Berkeley s traditional pattern, along with cornice lines and human-scaled openings. The scale of neighboring buildings will be respected. The proposal places the low-rise bankthen-restaurant building next to the one-story Berkeley Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive. West of this one-story building, the project will maintain a 3-story street edge along Center and Shattuck. Shattuck Square looking south. Project streetwall has similar height as apartment building at left. Existing condition.

8 6 Pre-Application Submittal Respectful Massing Most of the high rise will occupy the middle of the block except where the high rise addresses the corner of Shattuck and Center with a strong vertical gesture. The tower is narrowest from east-to-west and will minimize its profile as seen from the hills and UC Berkeley campus. (The upper parts of the building are expected to be setback about 50 feet from Center Street for over half of this frontage.) As one of the tallest buildings in Berkeley, 2129 Shattuck will shape the skyline of the city and define the center of the downtown. View on Center looking west. New destinations along Center Street. Active Frontage At present, Bank of America s suburban-style building and parking lot turns away from the street. The project s facade will address the street with active uses that open generously to the street and invite people in. Center Street is the most heavily traveled pedestrian route in the East Bay, and the project will line its north side with a full-service restaurant and bar, café, hotel restaurant and lounge, small market with sundries, hotel and residential lobbies, and the Bank of America. Streetlevel windows will roll away along most of the Center Street frontage for a remarkable indoor-outdoor experience.

9 Conference Space 2129 Shattuck will deliver ample conference space to downtown Berkeley. The project expects to deliver over 14,000 square feet of new conference space within steps of UC Berkeley, BART, downtown businesses, and cultural venues. There will be meeting space on the 3rd-floor terrace level, where about 5,000 square feet of indoor conference rooms will combine with over 6,000 square feet of outdoor meeting space, to take advantage of views and Berkeley s benign climate. Design for all-weather use is being explored, such as with tent canopies. Facilities also include a ground floor meeting room (1,400 sf) and a 12th-floor blue & gold room (2,000 sf). Catering will be provided. (All floor area calculations are preliminary and subject to change as the design is refined.) Pedestrian-Friendly Heart of Downtown The project lays in the heart of downtown at the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street immediately across from BART. The project proposes will widen sidewalks and add amenity at this critical location. Street improvements will strengthen Center Street as a destination and enhance the experience along the east leg of Shattuck Square, as pedestrians walk from BART to University Avenue. Conference space. Meeting rooms and outdoor break-out space will overlook Center Street Shattuck 7

10 S / 8 Pre-Application Submittal ADDISON STREET SHATTUCK SQUARE BANK (PHASE 2) DINING CAFÉ UCB PARKING RESTAURANT & BANK (PHASE 1) BAM/PFA LOBBIES TO BART CENTER STREET TO UC BERKELEY Site Plan RAMP TO 2ND FLOOR UCB PARKING SHATTUCK SQUARE LOADING BANK OF AMERICA LOADING DOCK 60.( % #% BOH MKT PREP KITCHEN LUGGAGE SERVING BAR DINING CONF. ROOM CAFÉ FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT OFFICE CONDO LOBBY HOTEL LOBBY DROP OFF DROP OFF Floor 1: Ground Floor Plan CENTER ST.

11 2129 Shattuck 9 VALET VALET VALET VALET VALET VALET VALET PARKING GARAGE 92 SPACES ( Floor 2: Parking Plan 1 BEDROOM - HOTEL ROOMS EMERGENCY GENERATOR YARD CATER INDOOR CONFERENCE STORAGE CONF. ROOM OUTDOOR CONFERENCE Floor 3: Terrace Level with Conference rooms

12 10 Pre-Application Submittal 1 BEDROOM 8 HOTEL ROOMS Floor 4-11: Typical Hotel Plan 1 BEDROOM 8 HOTEL ROOMS ' & FITNESS GUEST LAUNDRY BLUE & GOLD CONF. ROOM Floor 12: Hotel Rooms and Amenities

13 ,-., Shattuck SF 1402 SF 5 TERRACE 3445 TERRACE DECK BELOW 1402 SF CONDOMINIUMS 1 120ʼ DIAMETER Floor 13: Condominiums and Amenities 1976 sf 2569 sf 165ʼ DIAGONAL sf CONDOMINIUMS 1 120ʼ DIAMETER Floor 14-18: Typical Condominium Floor Plan

14 12 Pre-Application Submittal Street Plan Pedestrian Flow Diagrams. Existing (Top) and Proposed (Bottom). Bike sharing is being considered. Outdoor dining will accompany full service restaurant.

15 2129 Shattuck 13 Section A. Shattuck Square west of hotel East Shattuck Square. Pedestrian amenities create a visible gateway. A bike share station is one possible use. Section B. Center Street Existing (Top) & Proposed (Bottom) Existing condition.

16 14 Pre-Application Submittal Elevations facing west toward Shattuck Square (top left), south toward Center St (top right), north (bottom left), and east toward UC Campus (bottom right).

17 Policies, Regulations & Guidelines 2129 Shattuck 15 Downtown Area Plan 2129 Shattuck will play a major role in implementing Berkeley s Downtown Area Plan (DAP). The project advances DAP goals as it expands lodging options, delivers new meeting facilities, repairs key street edges, and delivers extraordinary economic benefits. Thousands of hotel guests will frequent local shops and restaurants, and hotel tax revenue significantly exceeds revenues from other uses. Furthermore, the project will replace deadening street frontages with attractive and active building edges. With BART and over thirty bus lines just steps away, the project will occupy the best location possible for minimizing car use and avoiding greenhouse gas generation. In recognition of its importance and exceptional regional access, the DAP allows buildings of exceptional height in the Core Area, including three high-rise mixed-use buildings with a height up to 180 feet about the same height as the Chase and historic Wells Fargo buildings. One high rise is reserved for a hotel. In 2010, 64% of voters endorsed allowing three 180-foot buildings in Downtown, with one reserved expressly for a hotel. This voter mandate was the basis for the Downtown Area Plan, adopted in 2012 with eight councilmembers voting for the Plan and one abstention. In 2014, 74% of voters affirmed their support for high-rise projects by rejecting requirements that would make tall buildings less feasible. Several Downtown Area Plan policies make specific references to the importance of recruiting a major hotel not merely by allowing a high rise to occur, but also by actively encouraging a high-rise hotel. DAP Policy LU-1.1 says: Encourage hotels in the Core Area through incentives and height exceptions...(emphasis added) Policy ED-1.11 also encourages a high-rise hotel and says: b) Consider other incentives for major hotel projects, commensurate with the unique public benefits that hotels are likely to deliver. The Downtown Area Plan and other downtown-related City documents can be viewed at: C-DMU Setback Standards Portion of Building at Height of: Over 120 Front Lot Line 0 min, 5 max 0 min 15 min 15 min Interior Side Lot Line 65 & less from lot frontage 0 min 0 min 15 min 15 min Over 65 from lot frontage 0 min 5 min 15 min 15 min Rear Lot Line 0 min 5 min 15 min 15 min Eyes on the street. Private decks will overlook Shattuck Square, while outdoor conference space will overlook Center Street.

18 16 Pre-Application Submittal Center Street Frontage. Along Center St, the project puts a one-story mass next to the low-rise BAM/PFA, and steps the hotel floors back fifty feet along threequarters of the frontage. Downtown Design Guidelines The project is consistent with the Downtown Design Guidelines. A side-by-side comparison of the proposed project to the Downtown Guidelines will be provided shortly after a formal zoning application for DRC review. Key guidelines were highlighted by City staff when DRC reviewed a prior proposal for 2129 Shattuck on March 20: Maintain and reinforce Downtown s historic streetwall at the property line. Upper floor setbacks are desirable above 60 feet Build consistently with the existing streetwall, particularly at corner sites. Continue dominant rhythms for structural bays and other vertical elements, and for dominant cornice lines, such as between ground floors and upper stories and at the top of facades that meet a street. Respect the height of neighboring buildings, and provide a sense of continuity and enclosure which avoids abrupt changes in height. [For taller buildings, prepare an analysis of shade impacts on public open spaces and pedestrian sidewalks across the street. For buildings over 85 feet in height, prepare an analysis of potential wind impacts. Protect sidewalk and public open spaces by deflecting downward wind drafts by using building setbacks, recesses, projections, and other devices. Consider ways that buildings with upperstory setbacks can avoid the wedding cake effect, such as by setting street-level entrances back to the same vertical plane as upper floors and/or incorporating features to tie the building together visually. On the corner sites, locate the tallest elements at the corners, particularly at major intersections, except where ridgeline views may be obstructed. West-facing Elevations South-facing Elevations

19 Design new construction and alterations to resonate with prevalent architectural characteristics of historic development in the vicinity of the project including but not limited to: materials, color, cornice, fenestration patterns, structural bays, roof form, vertical projections, overhanging elements, and motif. New features should not precisely replicate but should generally reinforce patterns associated with historic development. Refrain from false historicism. Do not trivialize or mimic [historic] buildings. Maintain the typical rhythm of structural bays and enframed storefronts of feet spacing at ground level, in order to enhance visual continuity with existing buildings and pedestrian scale. Curtain walls, if used, should be designed with rhythm, patterns and modulation to be visually interesting. View from Shattuck at Haste. The project s upper floors would be visible when walking on the west side of Shattuck, but would not block the Berkeley Hills Ridgeline when factoring existing and potential future buildings Shattuck 17 North-facing Elevations East-facing Elevations

20 18 Pre-Application Submittal C-DMU Commercial Downtown Mixed Use Zoning Permits Associated with Use Use Hotel Multifamily Residential Financial Services Full-Service Restaurant Permit or Certificate Required Use Permit After Public Hearing Use Permit After Public Hearing Administrative Use Permit Administrative Use Permit Building Envelope. The project will conform to standards, as they appear in Berkeley Municipal Code Section 23E , but will exceed the by-right maximum diagonal width of 120 feet for portions of the building above 120 feet. The additional width is needed for an adequate number of residential condominiums to make the project financially viable, as pre-sale of the condominiums will play a vital role in getting the project on its feet as hotel revenues will lag. While a Use Permit will be sought, the proposed width of the upper stories is significantly less than was indicated in the proposal submitted in In the prior proposal, the building s diagonal width would have been about 220 feet. Under this submittal, the diagonal width of upper floors is 165 feet. Consequently, the project will require a Use Permit for setback adjustments. Findings for setback adjustments in Section 23E F require that the ZAB must find that the modified setbacks will not unreasonably limit solar access or create significant increases in wind experienced on the public sidewalk. The ZAB will have opportunity to review and certify a project-specific EIR before making these findings. A preliminary description of Environmental Effects, including solar and wind effects, appears later in this document. Permitted Uses. Berkeley Municipal Code Zoning Ordinance Section 23E sets out the permitted uses in the district. The following table notes uses associated with the project and the Permit or Certificate required. Non-Detriment. A Use Permit (following a Public Hearing) must be obtained to construct any project exceeding a gross area of 10,000 square feet (Section 23E ) and for buildings exceeding 75 feet in height (Section 23E ). Each Use Permit will also be subject to Section 23B Findings for Issuance and Denial and Conditions, which requires the ZAB to find that the project will not be detrimental to the health, safety, peace, morals, comfort or general welfare of persons residing or working in the area or neighborhood of such proposed use or be detrimental or injurious to property and improvements of the adjacent properties, the surrounding area or neighborhood or to the general welfare of the City (subsection A), and that The Board may attach such conditions to any Use Permit as it deems reasonable or necessary to achieve the purposes of this Ordinance, and which otherwise promote the municipal health, safety and welfare (subsection D). Community Benefits. Zoning also requires buildings taller than 75 feet to provide community benefits beyond what would otherwise be required, as noted in Section 23E E of the Zoning Ordinance: E. In order to approve a Use Permit for buildings over 75 feet in height under Section 23E B, the Board must find that the

21 project will provide significant community benefits, either directly or by providing funding for such benefits to the satisfaction of the City, beyond what would otherwise be required by the City. These may include, but are not limited to: affordable housing, supportive social services, green features, open space, transportation demand management features, job training, and/or employment opportunities. The applicable public benefit requirements of this Chapter shall be included as conditions of approval and the owner shall enter into a written agreement that shall be binding on all successors in interest. Guidance from City Council is anticipated on how this requirement can be satisfied. In addition, the project team looks forward to working constructively with the Zoning Adjustments Board to reach agreement around this provision, in a way that maintains the financial feasibility of the project and provides enough incentive to take on a project type that has eluded the City for twenty years. The economics of the high-rise hotel remain challenging and can be simply summarized as needing to pay San Francisco construction costs but only getting room rates consistent with Berkeley s market. Per diem allowances for faculty and government employees will generally cap room rates. Furthermore, Pyramid Hotel Group wants to deliver a project that can be affordable to families and others. From above BART Plaza. The building s window patterns vary to optimize solar access. The project team expects to take up the community benefits with ZAB early in the process, but hopefully after City Council has provided guidance. The team respectfully requests that ZAB community benefits discussion run concurrent with the DRC design review process, so community benefits questions have been settled before DRC makes its recommendations. Our team also welcomes the creation of a community benefits ZAB subcommittee to accelerate the process Shattuck 19 The project team respectfully holds that intrinsic benefits associated with a high-rise hotel with conference rooms deserve to be considered toward this requirement, especially in light of DAP policies encouraging a high-rise hotel through incentives. The EIR will analyze economic impacts, which for this project will demonstrate extraordinary benefits.

22 20 Art District Pre-Application Submittal BAM/PFA entrance facing Center Street credit: Intrinsic Benefits Complete and Vibrant Destination 2129 Shattuck will play a pivotal role in making downtown Berkeley into a more vibrant and complete regional destination. The project will release untapped synergies with local cultural uses, businesses, and UC Berkeley. The pre-application submittal shows 254 hotel suites: each with a bedroom, living room and small kitchen. This type of lodging is particularly well suited to downtown Berkeley because short and longer stays (such as by visiting faculty and families) will be in demand. Berkeley generates considerable attendance at conferences and events, such as those at UC Berkeley, yet studies show that large numbers of Berkeley conference-goers and visitors regularly drive to Emeryville or stay in San Francisco for lodging. By lodging downtown, visitors meal and shopping expenditures will be captured within the local economy. Conference Rooms 2129 Shattuck will deliver much-needed conference rooms to downtown Berkeley. A large contiguous meeting room is planned to occupy the 3rd floor terrace level, adjoined by a smaller meeting room and outdoor meeting space. Outdoor meeting space is used in many contemporary hotels and leverages the benign climate, while having a retractable canopy for rain. More meeting space will be on the ground-floor and 12th floor. (Please see Program Summary for more information.) Support for Local Businesses 2129 Shattuck will significantly strengthen downtown Berkeley economically. Hotel guests and office employees will support surrounding businesses and cultural destinations spending tens of thousands of dollars each day and encouraging a wider variety of downtown offerings. Foot traffic from the project will spill out onto surrounding streets, and make them more active and inviting. An estimate of economic benefits to surrounding businesses, along with project fiscal benefits, will be provided after the formal zoning application is submitted. The project s architecture will reinforce downtown s special character and support downtown s emergence as a great place to live, work and play. A Great Residential Neighborhood Hotel visitors and condominium residents will be an integral part of downtown life and vitality, and make downtown a 24-hour place. Foot traffic generated by the hotel and condominiums, along with the project s streetoriented architecture and lighting, will enliven the center of downtown and contribute significantly to public safety. The project will also pay affordable housing impact fees into the City s Housing Trust Fund. This fund provides a vital public service by leveraging low- and very-low housing in Berkeley.

23 Transit-Oriented Development 2129 Shattuck will be a noteworthy example of transit-oriented development (TOD), which is a key component of creating environmentally sustainable regions. Employees and hotel guests will be just steps away from BART, thirty AC Transit bus routes, and shuttle service to UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Car use associated with the project is expected to be extremely low, thereby reducing traffic, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This transit-oriented project will help implement Berkeley s Climate Action Plan and One Bay Area, the Bay Area s vision for a sustainable future. Fiscal Dividends Fiscal benefits from 2129 Shattuck are unrivaled within Berkeley, as hotels are among the biggest revenue generators for cities. With a gross floor area exceeding 290,000 square feet, the project will make significant monetary contributions towards the creation of affordable housing, affordable childcare, and street improvements. Current City of Berkeley development fees and special taxes include: Transient Occupancy Tax ( hotel tax ): 12% of hotel room income; Affordable Housing Impact Fee: $4 per square foot for most commercial uses, $28,000 per dwelling (if rental); Childcare Impact Fee: $1 per square foot for most commercial uses; Street & Open Space Improvement Plan (SOSIP) Fee: $1.68 per square foot of commercial use, $2.23 per square foot of residential uses; and local property taxes and property-based assessments. Environmental Performance The 2012 Downtown Area Plan and the C-DMU zoning stress environmental performance with new requirements. A cursory examination of other Bay Area communities indicates that Berkeley s set of requirements exceed those of communities surveyed, including San Francisco and San Jose. The project will meet and exceed these requirements: LEED Gold equivalent performance, zero-net stormwater runoff, transit passes for all households and employees, car sharing pods, parking lease unbundled from main leases, secure bicycle parking, Bay Area drought tolerant landscaping Green features will be described in detail when a formal zoning application is submitted and as the project moves through the design review process. Shattuck Avenue and BART Plaza 2129 Shattuck 21

24 22 Pre-Application Submittal Environmental Effects View from Shattuck at Haste. The upper stories of the project would be visible from this location. The building would be less visible when planned development occurs on the parking lot just east of Shattuck. View from the Campanile. The proposed project would be barely discernible from the top of the Campanile Environmental Impact Report A project-specific Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared by an independent consultant team. To ensure fairness, the EIR team will be selected by and paid for by the City. The developer will give money to the City to cover the cost of this work. The project team has asked the City to initiate the process for selecting an EIR consultant. Massing Relationships Please see discussion above. Views No protected views will be blocked by the project, and no ridgeline or bay views will be blocked when existing and potential new buildings are considered. While the project s uppermost floors will exceed the 120-foot diagonal width allowed without a Use Permit, the effects of this additional width appear to be minor based on photosimulations to date. Photosimulations in this document have been created using a reliable computer-generated model for downtown. An EIR will also examine views that may be sensitive. From the west, the project would be visible from UC Berkeley s Crescent where, from some angles, the Chase and Wells Fargo high rise buildings would be a backdrop. The project would also be visible from the Campanile,

25 2129 Shattuck 23 but have virtually no effect at this distance and elevation. The project is not visible from Campanile Way. In downtown and when approaching downtown, views of the project would be blocked by existing or planned development. The project would be visible from some locations in neighborhoods that overlook downtown. For the close-in hillside neighborhoods examined, the top of the project would fall below views of the Bay and blend with established urban fabric. Often, the project would fall at least partly within the silhouette of the existing Chase and Wells Fargo buildings. Shadows The project would not shade City parks or plazas, nor would it add substantial additional shadows to downtown s streets, when shadows from existing buildings and potential new buildings are factored. The project would cast shadows on The Crescent during afternoons near the winter equinox, but not during other times of the day or year. The Crescent is a lawn area on UC Berkeley s campus, which is used informally for sitting but is rarely used as a play area on account of significant slope. At 3pm, the project would cast shadows the Crescent from mid-november to late-january. The project-specific EIR will determine if this limited period and amount of shadows on the Crescent reaches a threshold of significance. If it does, a determination of overriding consideration would be needed to build any 180- foot building on the site. This determination would be needed regardless of whether Zoning was amended to allow wider upper floors, on account of the small amount of additional shadow associated with the wider building. Wind Taller structures can result in an increase in surface wind speeds along streets and sidewalks, and reduce pedestrians comfort. While parts of buildings that significantly exceed the height of neighboring buildings have the potential to catch wind and redirect it downward, the proposed building has stepbacks and projections that will deflect downward drafts. The building s use of stepbacks and overhangs are likely to avoid significant wind impacts at street level. At the same time, the consultant team recognizes that the City and EIR consultant may find it advisable to retain a wind consultant to evaluate the project and propose mitigations, if needed. If wind simulation analysis is required, the team proposes that the City retain a wind consultant as early in the process as possible to work with the design team in making adjustments in a timely way.

26 24 Pre-Application Submittal MARCH/SEPTEMBER 21 9am Noon 3pm JUNE 21 9am Noon 3pm

27 2129 Shattuck 25 DECEMBER 21 9am Noon 3pm

28 26 Pre-Application Submittal Approval Authority Zoning Adjustments Board Entitlements for the project will require a public hearing before the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) for project approval. ZAB refers projects of significance to the Design Review Committee (DRC) for comment. ZAB may also refer the project to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to consider the project s relationship to historic resources in the vicinity. The DAP recognizes that the Shattuck corridor has concentrations of historic resources and that historic district(s) may be established in the future. A project-specific EIR must be ZAB-certified before project approval (see below). ZAB decisions may be appealed to City Council. CEQA The proposed project is subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. The project s applicant recognizes that a focused project-specific Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be required. This EIR be informed by the program-level EIR that was certified by the City Council for the Downtown Area Plan. An EIR consultant will be selected and managed by the City staff. Once selected, the EIR consultant will work with City staff and the community to develop a thorough understanding of issues to be addressed by the EIR. The applicant expects the EIR consultant to be on board and beginning to assess issues shortly after the zoning project application has been submitted. To this end, the development team has already deposited funds with the City to initiate the EIR.

29 Timeline After Zoning Application The 2129 Shattuck team respectfully proposes the following timeline for the entitlement process, in light of the downtown hotel project being a policy priority Feb- Mar Mar-Apr May-Aug Sept-Oct December Pre-App Review: ZAB, DRC, & LPC Public Open House Zoning Project App submitted EIR Consultant on board EIR Scoping DRC Design Review ZAB Community Benefits Draft EIR & EIR Comments Final EIR ZAB hearings EIR certified Project Approval Summary Points The Downtown Area Plan recognizes extraordinary importance of a high-rise hotel and calls for incentives to attract one. The project will confer extremely significant intrinsic benefits to the downtown and community, which are unique to a high-rise hotel with conference rooms. For the project to be economically feasible, a Use Permit will be needed to allow upper floors to exceed a 120-foot diagonal building width. The building, which will be tapered at the top, will not block protected views. The building will not shade streets or public open space beyond what might occur if generally-allowed 75-foot tall buildings were constructed on the site and nearby. Building stepbacks and overhangs can be expected to eliminate significant wind impacts at street level. A project-level EIR will provide a thorough and independent assessment of the project s impacts on views, shade and wind, and the EIR must be certified before the project can be approved. A streamlined entitlement process is vital to maintaining the project s feasibility Shattuck 27

30 28 Pre-Application Submittal Professional Team Public Information JRDV Architects will provide design leadership and coordinate the technical team. Taecker Planning and Design will coordinate the entitlement process for the development team and serve as community liaison. For more information, please contact Matt Taecker at Both firms are recognized leaders in context-sensitive design, transit-oriented development and environmental sustainability. JRDV Architects is an Oakland-based fullservice architecture firm that works closely with forward-looking developers and communities. The firm excels at strategic thinking, creative design, and realizing great urban places. JRDV has designed innovative and exciting mixed-use centers around the world. Principal Ed McFarlan will direct the project s design and lead its technical team. Taecker Planning and Design delivers effective urban planning and design solutions that stress urban placemaking and ecological design. Principal Matt Taecker will serve as community liaison, entitlement lead, and advise on urban design. For 30 years, Matt Taecker s career has focused on pedestrianfriendly transit-oriented development. From 2005 to 2011, Taecker worked for the City of Berkeley as the Principal Planner for the development of the Downtown Area Plan, winner of the national American Planning Association award for best practices. Community members are encouraged to attend a project open house that will provide more information about the project and offer opportunities for participants to comment directly. The open house will be held at the Marsh Theater, 2120 Allston Way, on Monday March 2 from 5 to 7pm. Project information can also be obtained throughout the process by contacting Matt Taecker, the project s community liaison, at matt@taeckerplanning.com.