What is your vision for the future of Alameda Point, and what are three steps you would take to implement that vision?

I see Alameda Point as a place where “life cycle” needs of local residents from across the City, as well as residents living there can be met. By “life cycle” needs, I mean a variety of things that everyone needs at different points in our lives:

· In terms of “life cycle” residential uses, we must plan affordable and well-designed townhouses and condos for young adults, who, over time, might then move into larger single-family homes in historic Alameda; perhaps they will purchase homes of elderly-residents who want to scale-down from large homes to active senior housing, which we must also plan for at Alameda Point. So, if we’re looking for one or a series of developer for Alameda Point, we need to understand what kind of successes can they point to with regard to implementing residential approaches that speak to all ages and price points?

In terms of “life cycle” approaches to economic development, we need to pursue young businesses in burgeoning sectors – such as food/beverage manufacturing – encourage their growth at Alameda Point, and, once mature, encourage their further growth at Harbor Isle Business Park or Marina Village. So, if we’re looking for one or a series of developer for Alameda Point, in the selection process, we need to understand how potential developers targeted and then subsequently attracted businesses in key sectors.

“Life cycle” economic development applies also to job development: we need to encourage businesses with an abundance of career pathways offering upward mobility. So, if we’re looking for one or a series of developer for Alameda Point, we need to understand in what ways these entities targeted and attracted businesses with an abundance of career pathways. What strategies work; what strategies based on their experience work less well?

In terms of recreation, Alameda point should have active recreation areas for young and young-at-heart to play informally or in organized sports activities; but we must also plan for recreational activities for persons of all ages who simply want to walk waterfront paths with beautiful view corridors or the Bay Area and San Francisco in the distance. So, if we’re looking for one or a series of developer for Alameda Point, we need to understand what thought or strategies potential builders have in mind when it comes to including in the built environment active and passive recreational amenities?

[Additional Comments About Alameda Point]

If elected, what would be your top three priorities?

...

Priority 2: Strengthen lines of communication between City Hall/City Council and the public, first through informal coffee talks and issue-focused workshops and town hall meetings that I will organize. By holding these meetings regularly, I will strengthen communication and trust between Council and the public. Other ways I’ll seek to strengthen lines of communications between City Hall and the public include creating new Council-appointed City Finance Commission and new City Infrastructure Commission (give guidance regarding streets, sidewalks, sewage and water systems), as well as Base Re-use Advisory Group to give Council guidance over Alameda Point redevelopment process.

Priority 3: implement Alameda Point plans that take into account city needs (for recreational amenities for all ages, for example) and city constraints (such as traffic caused by too much new housing): any plan we implement for Alameda Point must be sustainable, as in the following manner:

Alameda Point must “pay for itself”: taxes, fees, rents from leases, and proceeds from land sales generated by current and future activity at the Point must pay for on-going services at the Point, as well as cost of infrastructure improvements: Alameda City Hall must reserve revenues generated “on this side of the fence” for historic Alameda.
Alameda Point must be sustainable in the sense of emphasizing re-using existing buildings and sites, as opposed to developing every square of land out there with new uses in mind.
City Council must emphasize economic development (job-creation and business attraction) at Alameda Point over residential development.
With re: to residential development, City Council must emphasize mixed-use development that marries multi-family residential (no more than three stories) with economic activity on the building floor, such as commercial retail and or office, and possibly even industrial live-work.
City Council must identify, discuss, and begin implementing meaningful traffic-mitigating strategies – such as possible alterations to outbound Posey Tube to expand capacity of this infrastructure – before selecting any one or set of private sector partners to re-use or develop Alameda Point.
Alameda Point must preserve open space, walk ways, and Bay Area view corridors for the public, and work closely with regional entities such as East Bay Regional Parks to this end

...

Do you think there are unmet housing needs in Alameda? If so, what are they and how would you address them?
We have a moral responsibility to provide affordable housing within financial reason. We should not avoid that moral responsibility. We can focus on affordable homeownership opportunity, look at ways to work with the private sector and other public sector partners in the region to deal with a major homeownership challenge of downpayment. We must not be afraid to work with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), which identifies targets for cities like Alameda to build affordable housing; in building such housing, we should make sure to focus on well-designed, quality homes. Alameda Point offers us a great opportunity to develop mixed-income mixed-use housing that is both modern, aesthteically-pleasing, and also conducive to mass transit.