Project

• The Downtown San Leandro Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Strategy Area encompasses a ½ mile radius around the intersection of East 14th and Davis Streets, representing 502 acres; 
• The proposed TOD Strategy establishes a land use framework, a comprehensive circulation system, design and development guidelines, and a series of implementation actions that will guide new development in the TOD Strategy Area of San Leandro for the next 25 years; 
• The Existing Conditions Report identified a household car ownership rate of 1.2 cars per household in the 2000 Census.  The Strategy recommends parking requirements of 1 space for residential units in properties immediately adjacent to BART, 1.5 spaces for residential units in the remainder of the study area, no parking for commercial development less than 5,000 square feet, and 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet of commercial development 5,000 square feet or greater.  These parking requirements are significantly below existing parking requirements in the study area and are seen as catalysts for development.  The TOD Strategy identifies 9 Traffic Strategies and 20 Parking Strategies to implement the vision for the downtown. 
• The Strategy establishes the policies that developers, the City’s Boards and Commissions and Planning and Community Development staff will follow for new projects in the TOD Strategy area, informing them of required or allowable uses, building heights and various elements of building design;
• The TOD Strategy proposes regulatory changes to encourage future development within the Strategy Area and identifies implementation measures to create that vision;
• The San Leandro Downtown Transit-Oriented Development Strategy Area is quite unique, with a downtown district served by both AC Transit and BART all located within the ½ mile Strategy Area; 
• Emphasizing new residential development in this area will allow San Leandro to accomplish a variety of goals, including: 
1. Preserving the City’s industrial base by encouraging residential developers to focus on the Strategy area
2. Improving public health by providing new residential development in a walkable downtown, close to transit and downtown amenities
3. Increased retail development (increased residential density will attract new retailers to downtown San Leandro)
4. Improved traffic conditions by decreasing parking requirements and locating residences close to transit and downtown
5. Improved air quality with decreased traffic
6. Responsible growth with respect to Climate Control issues, and
7. Meeting State HCD requirements for San Leandro’s share of housing growth

Status

• The TOD Strategy Area is substantially developed; however, the Strategy identifies 39 opportunity sites, representing approximately 88 acres, where development could occur over the next 25 or so years (to 2030). An adjustment of an additional 15 percent was used to establish potential maximum development in the Strategy Area of 3,431 residential units, 718,240 square feet of office development and 120,870 square feet of retail development by 2030; 
• A 27-member Citizen Advisory met over a 15 month period to develop an existing conditions report, a market assessment of the study area, a land use alternatives report, financial feasibility of development prototypes, a parking and traffic report, a station access improvement plan, design guidelines and preliminary land use concept and framework elements report;
• The TOD Strategy includes eight strategies for mixed-income and workforce housing. These strategies include provisions related to displacement, compliance with Redevelopment Law, compliance with San Leandro’s 15 percent inclusionary housing requirement, flexibility in pooling or transferring inclusionary units within the Strategy Area, to name a few;
• The Downtown San Leandro Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Strategy Public Review Draft Report is the culmination of 15 months of effort and is now being presented to various City Boards and Commissions as well as Neighborhood, Business and other Civic Associations.

Funding Sources

• The City of San Leandro, in partnership with AC Transit, was the recipient of a $450,000 MTC grant and $51,570 ACTIA grant to complete a TOD Strategy
• The TOD Strategy was identified as a project in the Countywide Transportation Improvement Plan;
• The City continues to pursue additional funding for a variety of other street improvements

Next Steps

• A Draft Environmental Impact Report is being circulated for a 45-day review period from June 5 to July 19, 2007.  Zoning Code and General Plan Amendments to implement the Strategy are now being prepared; 
• The Planning Commission will recommend action on the Final EIR, TOD Strategy and Zoning Code and General Plan Amendments in August of 2007 for City Council consideration in September of 2007.