AgdaPkt 2002-02-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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IO,A-di Staff described the salient details of the DA, focusing on the two categories of costs defined under the headings 'Standard Improvements' and 'Additional Improvements'. The standard improvements cover those items required of all developers in Redwood City. One of these standard requirements is undergrounding of overhead lines. In most instances this work would be required of the developer as part of their site work. However, since the project is so small and no other undergrounding was proposed along Middlefield or Willow in the near future, staff agreed to accept a payment in lieu of the actual undergrounding. The City's Engineering staff used actual costs from a recent project in the area to define the total costs. These other project costs were estimated at $800 per linear foot of actual undergrounding. Since there were more utilities at the other project, Engineering discounted the linear foot for the current application to $600, multiplied by the linear footage along Middlefield Road (the developer had already agreed to perform the undergrounding along Willow adjacent to their project as a part of their construction). The total in-lieu cost for the undergrounding was $58,134. Other standard requirements such as street, curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements adjacent to the property frontage were being installed by the developer during actual construction. Staff also defined the 'Additional Improvements' to be provided by the developer under the DA. This was the payment of a cost in-lieu of the developer actually installing street improvements along Willow Street to the junction with Stambaugh Street. As already noted, the developer would be installing street improvements on Willow to the center line along their property frontage, and the additional requirement would be a payment to the City for the estimated cost of improving the balance of Willow Street. The Engineering staff had estimated this in-lieu fee at $124,931. Commissioner McCoy asked if the $124,931 would in fact be used to improve Willow Street. Staff clarified that the funds would be held for this purpose during the five year term of the DA but if not done during that time, the funds would be available to be spent anywhere in Redwood City. Staff noted that the proposed DA has a term of five years. The developer had requested fifteen years but staff felt that this provided too much potential for the site to site undeveloped. ~. Public hearing opens Jeff Opfer, speaking on behalf of his parents, detailed the long negotiations over the DA, stating that the Redevelopment Agency's consideration of the use of eminent domain to acquire the property had delayed their plans. Commissioner Faust asked Mr. Opfer what precisely he was asking of the Commission. Mr. Opfer responded that he felt the in-lieu fees proposed by staff were too high. Commissioner Faust asked staff to explain the reference in Mr. Opfer's letter to an in-lieu fee that had been rejected by the City Council. Staff indicated that they believed Mr. Opfer was referring to a housing ordinance proposed during the review of the Interim Ordinance. This would have required developers of office buildings to either develop housing for the new employees in the area, or paying an in-lieu fee. The proposal was not approved by the Council. Mr. Opfer indicated that staff's explanation was accurate, noting that his project was too small to be able to fit both office and housing.