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From: Janet Lin To: GRP -City Council Subject: Proposed Mixed Use Developments under discussion on Monday Oct 12th Date: Monday, October 12, 2020 1:09:54 AM Dear Mayor Brown and Council Members, I'm very concerned around the larger mixed use developments that are under discussion on Monday, Oct 12th, specifically: 1205-1295 Veterans 651 EI Camino Real (American Legion) 901, 947, 999 EI Camino Real (Autozone site) 601 Allerton 1900 Broadway (Wells Fargo) 2300 Broadway (Chase Bank) 603 Jefferson and 750 Bradford (RCSD) 1. Very few affordable housing units in spite of the size of each build. 2. Building very large commercial space may be premature: Many high tech and Biotech companies have realized with COVID employees can work well from home, and are in the process of reevaluating if employees should permanently work from home post COVID. The company I work for is one of these companies and they cite they are following the lead of other companies. The upside for the companies will be that they can pull talent remotely from anywhere in the U.S. (at a cheaper salary). And they can reduce their footprint in the Bay Area. • If Proposition 15 passes, taxing the aggregate commercial properties (held by an owner) over $3M at current market values, this will cause many companies to reduce their footprint in CA smaller (i.e. consolidate offices and mfg elsewhere if they decide on a return to office) and there likely will be a glut of commercial property on the market. Building large commercial office spaces would exacerbate this issue. 3. Large relative number of regular housing that are very expensive for most people: • While I understand the need to pay for the affordable housing units, employees are moving out of the Bay Area because of companies are allowing them to work remotely and they are seeing the benefit of not living in a congested environment and not paying the higher rental prices in the bay area. Several people on our block have already moved out. As an FYI there are fair number of posts to Next Door of people renting the higher end apartments in downtown Redwood City who are extremely frustrated with the condition of the downtown due to the fireworks that have occurred and more recently the homeless not finding or using available toilets, etc. Some are thinking it could also be time to move out.