Update:  City Council denied the appeal protesting the Redwood City downtown housing development on a 4:2:1 vote with Council Member Howard recused and Council Members Borgens/Bain voting no.

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On Monday at a meeting starting at 7pm, Redwood City City Council will be hearing an appeal by opponents of a housing/retail development at 1409 El Camino Real, in the downtown area at Diller and Franklin, less than a 10 minute walk from the Caltrain station.

The proposed building includes 350 apartments, of which 315 will be market rate and 35 below market rate at the low income level. and an additional payment of $1.2 million in affordable housing fees, and $250K contribution toward the Habitat for Humanity affordable housing project nearby Jefferson. The development will include about 6,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

The project is endorsed by Greenbelt Alliance, which has a detailed process for reviewing and supporting smart infill projects that foster walkable, bicycle-friendly neighborhoods that support active lifestyles and healthy communities, and reduce harmful sprawl.

The Planning Commission recently recommended that Council reject the appeal, finding that the development meets the goals and requirements of the Downtown Precise Plan.  From the staff report:

“The DTPP articulates the City Council’s multiple goals, including reviving downtown as a commercial hub, creating a strong employment district, providing just enough parking to meet the needs of residents, workers and visitors, encouraging non-vehicular travel, and encouraging preservation of historic resources. (DTPP, p. 14.) The DTPP also describes strategies for achieving these goals, such as creating a dense downtown area in a manner that expands the employment base, including compact, taller buildings reflective of an urban (rather than suburban) environment, and capitalizing on nearby commuter rail.”

The staff report rebuts, in exhaustive and methodical detail, the numerous claims that are made in the appeal, which seeks additional environmental review and “impact mitigation” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Compelling rebuttals of the claims include persuasive evidence that comparable developments in the downtown area are generating substantially less car trips than expected in the downtown plan.

An earlier project built by the same developer completed shows a high percentage of nondriving transportation (approximately 42% and 37% during the AM and PM peak hours, respectively), which is greater than the 20 to 25% assumed in the DTPP EIR.

So, while opponents of downtown development might fear that new housing developments downtown might generate more traffic than expected, the facts do not support the fear.
(CEQA requires study of the impacts of plans and projects, and mitigation of environmental impacts.  The law has frequently been used to challenge infill development projects in downtown areas near transit, which tend to be helpful for the environment because they reduce driving and prevent greenfield development on agricultural and other open space.)

If you are in or near downtown Redwood City tonight, and support housing and retail near transit that supports the city’s  goals of creating a walkable, lively, mixed-use urban place downtown, you can come and speak in support.

The Council meeting starts at 7pm, but there are a few items ahead of it. If you are nearby, it can be helpful to watch online and come over when the previous item is wrapping up. See the agenda page for a link to the video which will be live during the Council meeting.