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Chapter I - Background, Issues, and Goals policies are not consistent with current City of Redwood City General Precise Plan Background and Process , I Plan designations, and will require amendments to the General Plan. The Precise Plan also incorporates CEQA-related mitigation measures The Precise Plan is the result of a process that began in the summer of as appropriate. The Plan focuses on the issues listed below. These 2001, pursued in conjunction with the Bayfront Area Visioning Study issues and related Precise Plan goals are discussed in more detail later and Bayfront Transportation Options Study. At that time, the property in this chapter. owner/developer, Glenborough Pauls, Inc., requested input from the city on an initial development concept for office space and high-rise 1. Location-Appropriate Development housing, configured in a dense, "towers in a park" arrangement with 1300 housing units and 500k of office space. The concept signifi- 2. Nice Places, Building Orientation, and Pedestrian Circulation cantly exceeded the amount of development and building heights allowed by existing zoning, and proposed land uses were not con- 3. Waterfront Access and Open Space sistent with existing zoning or general plan designations. If the ini- tial proposal or a similar one were to proceed, zoning and general 4. Transportation and Circulation plan amendments would be needed in addition to required CEQA documentation. A precise plan was determined by the city to be the 5. CommunitylWaterfront Commercial Niche best mechanism for addressing the various policy issues associated with the proposal. 6. Quantity and Quality of Affordable Housing The city saw merit in accommodating new housing in the area, con- 7. Architectural Character and Image sistent with community discussions associated with the Bayfront studies. Pending analysis of development- and density-related en- The Precise Plan has been prepared in conjunction with a specific vironmental impacts, city staff and the developer's design team met development proposal. Substantive progress toward development to explore urban design and site planning issues. Eight working consistent with the Precise Plan - i.e., submittal of a first phase de- meetings were held to revise the initial plan to create a more pedes- velopment application deemed complete by the City - shall be ac- trian-oriented, village-scale layout of land use, buildings, and pub- complished within three years of the Precise Plan's adoption. If sub- lic access ways. Planning Commission and City Council progress stantive progress toward development is not made, the Planning review sessions were conducted to obtain input and direction on Commission shall initiate consideration of a rezoning, consistent issues related to the site plan, proposed architectural character, wa- with community objectives for the Precise Plan Area at that time. terfront access, and open space. Evaluation of building height, hous- The Precise Plan's policies, guidelines, and standards are a means to ing mix, density, and related issues were deferred until completion achieve the vision established for the Precise Plan Area, not ends in of the project EIR. themselves. Though they may contain quantitative requirements, . the intent of a policy is generally more important than its specifics. The Marina Shores Village Project EIR was certified by the Planning The City will consider alternatives to the Plan's detailed policy re- Commission in July, 2003, and the Precise Plan's policies for land quirements if it can be shown that such alternatives are more effec- use, development intensity, circulation, and capital improvements tive in meeting the intent of a policy than the measures contained in reflect many of the EIR's analyses and recommended impact mitiga- the Precise Plan. Final Plan - June 2004 - 2 -