BAY FAIR TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD)
SPECIFIC PLAN

BACKGROUND & VISION

In Spring 2014, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) awarded the City of San Leandro a $440,000 Priority Development Area (PDA) Planning Grant to prepare a long-range TOD specific plan for the approximate ½ mile area around the Bay Fair BART Station area, including Bayfair Center. Figure 1 below outlines the proposed Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan Area boundaries.  With its proximity to multiple public transit options and major corridors, the plan area has exciting possibilities 1) as a higher density mixed-use, transit-oriented retail, commercial and residential destination, 2) as a regionally sustainable and vibrant place, and 3) to achieve regional (i.e., Plan Bay Area) and State (Senate Bill 375) climate change goals including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  For information on past plans or planning documents related to the Bay Fair TOD Plan study area, click HERE. 

Figure 1 - Final Plan Area

The City’s local project partners are the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Madison Marquette (owner of Bayfair Center), and Alameda County as they represent direct stakeholders in the enhancement of the proposed project area. Along with the City, these partners are contributing matching funds for the MTC grant and/or staff time for the preparation of the TOD Specific Plan.

 In 2015, the City Council approved a contract with the experienced and highly regarded planning firm of Raimi + Associates to serve as lead consultant to guide the planning process and prepare the TOD Specific Plan and related documents. The following are key components of the final TOD Specific Plan:

• Market demand analysis for TOD development in the plan area
• Affordable housing and anti-displacement strategy
• Financial and market feasibility study of potential development options
• Regulatory framework for achieving the preferred development alternative (e.g., Zoning Code amendments)
• Urban design standards and guidelines 
• Parking/transit strategies to better manage parking resources, reduce parking demand and increase transit use
• Transportation/infrastructure improvements recommendations
• Financing options and implementation strategies to foster implementation of the final Specific Plan
• Environmental Impact Report (EIR) required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which will streamline environmental review for future development projects

 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

 To view the City's Community Involvement Strategy for the Bay Fair TOD Plan process, please click HERE. 

MTC requires the creation of a diverse community advisory committee (CAC) to help guide and provide input during the planning process. The City in late 2015 solicited interested applications for the 21-member Bay Fair TOD CAC and received over 60 qualified applications.  A CAC Ad Hoc Selection Committee consisting of Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter and Councilmember Ursula Reed then preliminarily recommended qualified applicants (to view this list, please click HERE), who were ratified by the City Council on February 1, 2016.  For information on past and upcoming Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meetings, click HERE. 

The creation of a Technical Advisory Committee is also required under the MTC/ABAG grant. The TAC will consist of 10 members and will provide more detailed and expert analysis from varied public and private stakeholder perspectives.  The TAC will consist of representatives of public agencies that are typically engaged in TOD planning projects.  Following is a list of the organizations which will be represented on the TAC: City Planning, City Engineering and Transportation Department, BART, Alameda County Planning, Alameda County Flood Control District, Madison Marquette, AC Transit, Alameda County Transportation Commission, Association of Bay Area Governments, and Caltrans.

The TAC and CAC review similar information and shall meet at least four times throughout the Bay Fair TOD planning process.  Below is the schedule for TAC meetings (subject to change), which are held in the Sister Cities Gallery in City Hall: 

• February 24, 2016 – TAC Meeting #1
• April 21, 2016 – TAC Meeting #2
• November 16, 2016 – TAC Meeting #3
• October 5, 2017 – TAC Meeting #4

The TOD Specific Plan, including the EIR, is anticipated to be completed in Summer 2017. Public participation and feedback will be critical to the comprehensiveness and success of the final Plan throughout the planning process from now until the final Specific Plan & EIR are completed. See notable upcoming events/milestones, subject to change, below:

• Community Workshop #1 – September 21, 2016, 6 pm, Senior Community Center
• Community Workshop #2 – October 18, 2017, 6 pm, Senior Community Center
• Draft TOD Specific Plan publicly released – September 28, 2017
• Draft EIR publicly released – September 28, 2017
• Final Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan and Final EiR publicly released – January 5, 2018 
• Planning Commission Meeting to Review Final Plan/EIR – January 18, 2018
• City Council Meeting -Final Plan/Final EIR – February 20, 2018 

For more information on upcoming and past Bay Fair TOD public meetings, click HERE. 

If you have any questions or would like to provide input or comments during the Bay Fair TOD planning process, please contact Tom Liao, Deputy Community Development Director, at 510-577-6003 or tliao@sanleandro.org.