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8.A. - Page 66 of 85 <br />I'm writing to express concern over the proposed home size restrictions in Redwood City. I was alerted of this <br />only 2 weeks ago as my wife and I are in the process of finalizing construction drawings to submit for <br />permit. Our hope was to commence construction in November. The proposed limitations will greatly affect <br />our plans. <br />I was born and raised on the Peninsula and my wife and I have been residents of Redwood City since <br />2004. We moved from San Francisco as we both wanted a suburban environment to raise a family. We've <br />really enjoyed raising our 3 children in the Woodside Plaza neighborhood and love the continued <br />improvements to Downtown where we frequent the restaurants, bars, movies, concerts, etc. We've been in the <br />same house and have contemplated a major remodel for several years as they continue to grow. <br />We have been working with Morris Architecture for nearly a year on the plans for our project. We've invested <br />$50,000 in design, structural, survey and civil engineering fees to construct a high quality home. We recently <br />submitted our neighborhood approval paperwork as final drawings are nearly complete. We have been eagerly <br />anticipating this moment as our dream of a new home is so close to becoming a reality. <br />The news of the proposed FAR restrictions came as a total surprise to us and our architect. There seems to be <br />a lack of notification as he and other colleagues and clients had not heard until recently. How will this affect <br />those of us that have had projects in the works for months? Will there be an extension of any kind for the <br />current guidelines and codes? The enforcement of this new restraint would require us to make significant <br />changes to our design which would result in substantial costs and delays to our project. <br />As a resident, I'm questioning the tight restrictions given the growth our city and community has experienced <br />over the last decade or more. Downtown in particular has moved toward more density and higher and better <br />use. Why such an extreme shift for single-family homes? I'm concerned how this will impact home values as <br />neighboring cities on the Peninsula don't have the same drastic Iimitations. Has the City completed any <br />research or impact reports that led to this proposal? <br />Thank you in advance for taking my thoughts into consideration on this matter. I have a potential conflict but <br />will make an effort to attend the hearing on August 261h <br />Sincerely, <br />Clark Heppberger <br />342 <br />