AgdaPkt 2019-08-26 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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8.A. - Page 58 of 85 CD -William Chui From: Clark Heppberger Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2019 4:34 PM To: CD -William Chui Cc: GRP -City Council Subject: FAR Restrictions for RWC Homes Dear Council Members, I'm writing to express concern over the proposed home size restrictions in Redwood City. I was alerted of this only 2 weeks ago as my wife and I are in the process of finalizing construction drawings to submit for permit. Our hope was to commence construction in November. The proposed limitations will greatly affect our plans. was born and raised on the Peninsula and my wife and I have been residents of Redwood City since 2004. We moved from San Francisco as we both wanted a suburban environment to raise a family. We've really enjoyed raising our 3 children in the Woodside Plaza neighborhood and love the continued improvements to Downtown where we frequent the restaurants, bars, movies, concerts, etc. We've been in the same house and have contemplated a major remodel for several years as they continue to grow. We have been working with Morris Architecture for nearly a year on the plans for our project. We've invested $50,000 in design, structural, survey and civil engineering fees to construct a high quality home. We recently submitted our neighborhood approval paperwork as final drawings are nearly complete. We have been eagerly anticipating this moment as our dream of a new home is so close to becoming a reality. The news of the proposed FAR restrictions came as a total surprise to us and our architect. There seems to be a lack of notification as he and other colleagues and clients had not heard until recently. How will this affect those of us that have had projects in the works for months? Will there be an extension of any kind for the current guidelines and codes? The enforcement of this new restraint would require us to make significant changes to our design which would result in substantial costs and delays to our project. As a resident, I'm questioning the tight restrictions given the growth our city and community has experienced over the last decade or more. Downtown in particular has moved toward more density and higher and better use. Why such an extreme shift for single-family homes? I'm concerned how this will impact home values as neighboring cities on the Peninsula don't have the same drastic limitations. Has the City completed any research or impact reports that led to this proposal? Thank you in advance for taking my thoughts into consideration on this matter. I have a potential conflict but will make an effort to attend the hearing on August 261H Sincerely, Clark Heppberger Redwood City, CA 94061 334