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Redwood City council passes urgency ordinance aiming to limit home sizes

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With the aim of responding to community concerns over the size of newer home projects in Redwood City, City Council unanimously passed an urgency ordinance on Monday requiring home projects exceeding 45 percent of the lot size, or 3,000 square feet, whichever is greater, to undergo review by the city’s Planning Commission.

Previously, Redwood City had no floor area ratio (FAR) limits for single-family homes, and any new two-story home or second-story addition required a special planning permit process done at the staff level, without a public hearing.

Amid Redwood City’s economic and development boom, community concerns have arisen about smaller homes being purchased by developers for far more than their listing price, torn down and rebuilt as much larger homes, some with designs considered incompatible with neighborhood character.

Those concerns originated in the Mt. Carmel neighborhood, which received 21 applications for new homes and second story additions from the start of 2017 to the end of 2018, the most of any city neighborhood. The chart below shows 98 architectural permit applications for new home or second story construction during that time period. Also, according to the city staff report, “an unusually high number of applications have been initiated by developers, as opposed to homeowners, in recent months.”

Following two council study sessions last year and two Planning Commission meetings this summer, the Planning Commission on June 18 recommended that council set a hard cap on home projects of 40 percent of the lost size, or 2,500 square feet, whichever is greater. The hard-cap meant property owners would be barred from exceeding the FAR limit in home projects.

Some community members called the hard-cap proposal draconian. Opponents cited the affordable housing crisis and the need for rebuilds to accommodate additional tenants such as family members. An online petition that drew debate on social media requested that the FAR limitation be raised to 50 percent of lot size.

“Redwood City residents want freedom of choice on their own land,” and to “accommodate a growing family of more than 3-4 people, aging parents to move in,” the petition states.

At Monday’s packed council hearing, residents were divided on the issue. Meanwhile on the dais, the council focused on compromise, settling on a soft-cap of 45 percent of the lot size, or 3,000 square feet, whichever is greater, and exempting basements and detached structures such as garages and accessory dwelling units in the FAR calculations.

Mayor Ian Bain hopes a soft-cap approach will force developers to work with the public to downsize or ensure the property’s design meets the neighborhood’s character.  Redwood City has been “far too easy a target,” he said.

“We have been targeted by one developer in particular because we don’t have any floor area ratios,” Bain said, adding, “We are not solving the housing problem by doubling the footprint of the house.”

Councilmember Janet Borgens said developers have a right to make money, but she doesn’t buy that flipping a $1.2 million home into a $3.4 million home contributes to the city’s housing needs.

“They buy the property, they build the bigger houses, they go away,” Borgens said. “And we’re seeing it over and over and over. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of sitting up here and letting it happen.”

The council ordered city staff to have the newly-passed urgency ordinance reviewed in a year to ensure it is working as intended.

Meanwhile, city officials are starting a citywide study aimed at establishing design guidelines for new two-story homes and second-story additions and remodels.

Council also recently approved limits to the height and sizes of second-story accessory dwelling units while approving size incentives for the construction of single-story ADUs.

Burglar makes off with $20K in tools from San Carlos business

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San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies are searching for a man who stole $20,500 worth of tools during a window-smash burglary at a San Carlos business on Sunday, only to leave the loot behind while fleeing authorities.

On Sunday at 10:41 p.m., deputies responded to Lazar Machining at 299 Old County Road on a report of a burglary in progress and arrived two minutes later, while the suspect was still on the property, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies saw the front window of the business smashed before they saw a man get into a nearby vehicle and drive off. Deputies followed the vehicle until it drove onto southbound 101, and provided its license plate and description to other law enforcement units. The vehicle was not located, however, until 40 minutes later, when a sheriff’s deputy spotted the car at the Good Nite Inn in Redwood City. Despite and extensive search, the suspect was not located, although all the tools stolen from Lazar Machining were recovered and returned, the sheriff’s office said.

The vehicle as found to have been stolen from Burlingame on Aug. 22. It was processed for evidence and returned to the owner.

The suspect was described as a black man, approximately 6-feet tall, 170 pounds, bald, wearing a white t-shirt, dark colored pants, and white shoes.

Anyone who might have information regarding this crime is encouraged to call San Mateo County Sheriff’s Anonymous Tip Line at 1-800-547-2700

Port of Redwood City receives $1.85M security grant

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The Port of Redwood City is the recipient of a $1.85 million grant aimed at supporting the facility’s ability to detect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks.

The 2019 Homeland Security Port Security Grant given to Redwood City’s port was the largest in Northern California for a Port facility, and fourth largest in the nation, the Port said. The federal government provided $100 million in grants nationally to fund maritime transportation security enhancements.

Port of Redwood City officials said they will use their grant to fund a “new state-of-the-art Interagency Operations Center, training and exercises, and security infrastructure and equipment such as cameras, lights, fencing and a new jet dock and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive) detection equipment for the Redwood City Fire and Police Departments.”

“These improvements strengthen the Port’s collaboration with local, regional and federal first responder partners involved in maritime security,” according to the Port’s statement.

The funding comes amid another historic year in the amount of cargo and revenue generation at the Port of Redwood City, which recently announced a dredging project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and improve the federal shipping channel.

Photo credit: Port of Redwood City’s Facebook page.

Redwood City council to consider home size restrictions

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Political Climate with Mark Simon: Controversial districting process will change status quo

Redwood City’s council on Monday will consider imposing size restrictions for all single-family home projects in the city — potentially setting a cap of 40 percent of the lot area, or a house size of 2,500 square feet, whichever is greater.

A building’s proportion to its lot size, or Floor Area Ratio (FAR), would include the total covered area of all floors of a single family home, including attached garages. Council may consider exceptions that would exclude from the FAR calculation basements that are fully below grade, detached structures like ADUs, and features like bay windows, unenclosed decks, front porches and balconies, the city said.

Property owners whose homes are above the proposed size-to-lot restriction would not be able to expand under the recommendations. For more details on this issue, visit this page on the city’s website.

The issue heads to the dais one month after the council approved limits to the height and sizes of second-story accessory dwelling units. In the same vote, council approved size incentives for the construction of single-story ADUs. The new ADU rules are set for a second reading at council on Monday and, if approved, would take effect Sept. 26. For more details this issue, go here.

Meanwhile, city officials say they’re starting a citywide study aimed at establishing design guidelines for new two-story homes and second-story additions and remodels.

All actions are the result of a hot debate over a growing city’s future.

Council is responding to concerns from community members that some of the newer home construction in the city isn’t compatible in size or design with their neighborhood’s character. Similar concerns were expressed about some of the new ADU construction. In 2017, a series of state laws aiming to mitigate California’s housing shortage made it easier for property owners to construct ADUs, leading to a sharp increase in applications to construct them in Redwood City. Concern followed over how they were being constructed.

For residents wanting to contribute to the discussion, head to the council meeting Monday, which starts at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at 1017 Middlefield Road. Also, the public is also encouraged to attend an open house and joint study session on residential design guidelines in the City Hall lobby at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The study session will be hosted by the Architectural Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission. For more details on the design guidelines and to provide written comments, go here.

“When complete, the Design Guidelines will give homeowners and designers clear parameters for overall design, massing, scale, and proportions of single-family homes,” the city said.

Large community coalition opposes development on Redwood City salt ponds

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Dozens of elected officials and 26 community groups and organizations in the Bay Area called on Redwood City’s council this week to reject proposals for development on the Cargill salt ponds.

A joint statement, posted in full below, was released Tuesday in the wake of apparent renewed interest by Cargill and developer DMB Pacific Ventures to develop the salt ponds. In 2009, the developer launched an effort to build high-density housing at the 1,400 acre industrial salt production site, with over half the property proposed as open space. The project was subsequently withdrawn following community and environmental opposition.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump administration ruled the salt ponds are not subject to the federal Clean Water Act, removing an important federal hurdle to development of the site. Following the ruling, Cargill and its developer announced an intention to re-launch public outreach on the property’s future, a campaign called Reimagine Saltworks.

At a press conference Tuesday, the coalition of opponents promised a vigorous fight against any development plans, saying the property should be restored to wetlands in order to protect communities and habitats from the future impacts of climate change, including predictions of rising seas and increased storm surges. Save the Bay, an environmental organization and longtime opponent to development on the salt ponds, shared images exhibiting conservative projections of flooding scenarios affecting the salt ponds in 2049, accessed via the Adapting to Rising Tides program maps created by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

A recent aerial view of the Redwood City salt ponds on the left. On right, the same site in 2049 showing flooding from 36″ of water inundation – a conservative 30-year projection resulting from sea-level rise and storm surges (12″ and 24″ respectively). Map credit: Adapting to Rising Tides Bay Area Sea Level Rise & Mapping Project/ SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Accessed at https://explorer.adaptingtorisingtides.org.

David Lewis, executive director of Save the Bay, says the Cargill property should be restored to wetlands to “protect people and wildlife from rising tides.”

“There is too much at stake,” added San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine, who chairs the SF Bay Restoration Authority. “Building here will put people at risk, destroy fish and wildlife habitat and make traffic congestion on the Peninsula even worse.”

Added Dan Ponti, steering committee member at Redwood City Neighbors United, “The salt ponds have been designated as open space for years, and they should stay that way.”

In a statement, representatives of Cargill and DMB said there are no current plans to develop the site:

“We appreciate the community’s interest in the Saltworks site. We want to clarify, however, that nothing has been proposed for the site other than what it is now—an active industrial salt harvesting facility that can continue operations indefinitely. Our intent is to engage in a broad community conversation about potential future uses of the property to meet many already present needs of this community.”

In a media interview Tuesday, Supervisor Pine said it’s important that elected officials and community organizations “state no, very clearly and strongly, that this is not a site for development.”

Pine is a key driver in local efforts to respond to current and future climate change impacts, including the ongoing formation of the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District. The district has San Mateo County and all 20 incorporated cities within the county unifying to streamline and better fetch grants for cross-jurisdictional infrastructure projects protecting people, property and infrastructure.

“Water doesn’t know city boundaries,” Pine told Climate. “Everyone in the county is vulnerable.’

The developer’s statement echoed the collective call to prepare for climate change impacts.

“We need to address our existing regional vulnerability to sea level rise, annual flooding of homes and businesses, crippling congestion, access to integrated public transit options on both water and land, housing, and habitat restoration,” the statement by Reimagine Saltworks said. “We look forward to engaging with all stakeholders in this region about the future of this property.”

In March, after learning about the potential for renewed interest in development, Redwood City Mayor Ian Bain said the saltworks site “is not zoned for housing” and that he had “no interest in changing that.”

Images for this story courtesy of Save the Bay

Cal Fire grant means 129 new trees for Redwood City

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The all-volunteer organization CityTrees has received a $42,300 contribution from the Cal Fire Social Equity Grant Improvement Program to plant and maintain 129 street trees in a Redwood City neighborhood and at six local high schools.

Fifty-eight trees will be planted on the campuses of six schools in the Sequoia Union High School District, while another 71 trees will be planted in the city’s Stambaugh-Heller neighborhood, according to CityTrees, which since its founding in 2000 has added over 3,300 trees in Redwood City, with the main goal of improving the quality of life in the area.

Schools receiving new trees thanks to the grant include Woodside (3 Crepe Myrtle, 10 Coast Redwood, 1 Chinese pistache), Sequoia (11 Live Oak, 6 Crepe Myrtle, 2 Coast Redwood), Menlo-Atherton (2 European white birch, 3 Gingkos, 1 Live Oak), Everest (4 Coast Redwoods), Palo Alto Academy (1 Coast Redwood, 2 Live Oaks, 1 Gingko), and Carlmont (7 Crepe myrtle, 2 Live Oak and 2 European White Birch).

Distributed by California ReLeaf, the Cal Fire grant is aimed at combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gases, and also intended to benefit disadvantaged neighborhoods. The new trees will both beautify the neighborhood and high school campuses and reduce 500 tons of greenhouse gases from the air during their lifespan of 40-50 years, according to CityTrees.

New trees will also serve to replace a current generation of aging trees, the organization said.

CityTrees is again partnering with Redwood City’s Department of Public Works on the neighborhood plantings and will also provide educational seminars describing the importance of tree care and maintenance.

High school students will assist at planting and pruning events and will benefit from an annual educational seminar, the organization said.

In fact, all community members are welcome to help at upcoming planting and pruning events. The next event is on Sept. 7. To volunteer at plantings on this project, sign up here.

Want to become a city insider?

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Redwood City Council meeting roundup for April 8, 2019

To truly know how your city government operates, you need a lot more than an hourlong tour.

Thankfully in Redwood City, there’s one that lasts seven weeks.

Local community members are encouraged to get an insider’s view into Redwood City’s government operations by participating in the one-night-per-week Community Building Academy (CBA) starting in October. The program aims to provide an immersive view into the operations of all city departments — public works, police and fire, city council, finance, library etc.

The academy runs from 6-9 p.m., with the first meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10, and all subsequent meetings occurring during the same hours on Wednesdays.

During meetups, activities will be provided “that illustrate how the City works, how our community is developing, and how we can all work to build a great community together,” according to a city statement.

The program is aimed at engaging community members in their government.

“Participants will learn how decisions are made, how City funds are allocated, and how City departments operate with each other – and you’ll sit down with City Council members to discuss any issues that are on your mind,” the city states.

The program accepts a maximum of 30 participants. Applications can be obtained online here, or from the City Manager’s office at 1017 Middlefield Road or by calling (650) 780-7300.

San Mateo High becomes ‘cellphone-free environment’

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San Mateo High is gaining ample media attention today over its new policy requiring students to keep their phones locked up in pouches during the school day.

Starting this school year, the school’s roughly 1,700 students are required to place their phones in Yondre pouches at the start of the school day, which lock via a magnetic device. Students must hold onto the pouches at all times during the school day, and cannot retrieve their phones until after the last class ends.

“Our goal is to improve the climate and culture in our classrooms and on campus by eliminating cell phone distractions during instructional time,” school officials state in a policy document.

A pilot project involving a group of students preceded the school’s new policy.

According to this report by ABC7 News, teachers are noticing a difference, and some students have warmed up to the new policy.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that the program costs around $20,000 to purchase the pouches. Students who lose or damage them will have to pay $25.

Photo: Courtesy of San Mateo High Unified School District

$24M plan aims to incentivize thousands of EV charging stations countywide

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Thousands of electric vehicle charging stations could be installed in San Mateo County over the next four years due to a newly proposed state and local funding partnership that aims to invest $24 million to incentivize installations.

Using $12 million from Peninsula Clean Energy and another $12 million proposed by the California Energy Commission, the recently-announced partnership intends to provide funds and guidance to property owners looking to install EV charging stations through the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP).

Increasing the number of charging stations in the county will inspire more electric vehicles on the road, thus improving air quality and saving drivers money, officials said. Drivers of electric cars reportedly save an estimated $1,200 annually in maintenance and fuel costs compared to a gas-powered car.

“Peninsula Clean Energy is moving to the forefront of the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure efforts with this significant investment,” said Andy Hoskinson, senior manager for EV Initiatives with the Center for Sustainable Energy, which implements the CALeVIP. “Local EV sales should increase as residents realize they can find convenient charging stations in San Mateo County.”

Assemblymember Phil Ting echoed that sentiment, saying “the lack of charging stations is one of the main reasons consumers are reluctant to make the switch to electric vehicles.”

“We can’t move the needle on EV adoption unless we aggressively expand our charging infrastructure,” he said. “This state and local funding partnership would not only support the current demand in the South Bay and Peninsula, but also help meet the needs of future EV drivers.

A similar partnership and incentive program is being proposed for Santa Clara County to vastly expand EV charging infrastructure across Silicon Valley.

Weekend car show presented by the Downtown Business group

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The Redwood City Downtown Business group will host a car show this Saturday, August 17 from 10:00AM – 5:00 PM at Courthouse Square in downtown Redwood City at 2200 Boradway Street.

Showcasing over 50 automobiles, the family-friendly event will also host local live music featuring Paper Thin and Amanda & The Issues. Additional festivities include food vendors, a beer and wine booth, Mister Softee Truck, and commercial vendors during the day.

The car show festivities will take place right in the middle of a downtown, full of restaurants and other shops for attendees to explore. This is an event you won’t want to miss.

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