AgdaPkt 2020-11-09 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

November 7, 2020 Honorable Mayor Diane Howard Members of the City Council, City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road Redwood City, CA 94063 Dear Mayor Howard: On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce, I urge the City Council to follow the Planning Commission's unanimous decision and approve Greystar's South Main Mixed -Use project. Building on a series of projects like Broadway Plaza and Acclaim Partners' Main Street development, Redwood City has made it clear that developers need to engage, listen, incorporate, and exceed expectations. South Main is the next step in community engagement, improving a project in direct response to City Council, board, commission, and community feedback with multiple resubmittals, and continuous evolution of the project. Your approval of South Main will set a new standard for developers to meet and exceed if they want to call Redwood City home in the following ways: Conforms with Redwood City's General Plan and existing MUT and MUC Zoning approved by the Planning Commission in 2019 — No General Plan Amendment request Maximize Housing Density over 396 units allowed by code: • 540 total residential units • 147 BMR = 27% • 94 total 2bd & 3bd units (23 BMR) • 1304 ECR offsite partnership with HIP Housing invests the $11 M commercial impact fee into a 39 - unit 100% affordable building with supportive services requiring no city funds • Pay the City $8M for the unsafe 1306 Main Street apartments and pay an addition $14M to create habitable replacement units on Parcel F. Unprecedented Child Care subsidy: • Public Child Care Center with 8,367 SF indoor space = 70 slots including much-needed infant and toddler care • Greystar pays for $3M -$4M in tenant improvements and offers 10 to 15 -year lease with $0.00 rent or rent increases • These financial subsidies allow for an operator to provide income -qualified slots and scholarships • to service the residents in the BMR units and surrounding neighborhoods Other Community Benefits: • Over an acre of open space; significant public art, large scale pedestrian safety improvements • 19,000 SF for family -focused retail/entertainment use — now likely a roller rink! • Retain Main & Elm Restaurant in historical reuse of Perry's Feed Shed and creation of Lone Palm Park and Shed Plaza — a new public plaza space that will be close in size to Courthouse Square • Expand existing dog park and add neighboring cafe and plaza as so encouraged by community feedback • Realizes vision of ECR Corridor Plan and revitalizes a blighted area and gateway to downtown • Tens of millions of dollars in impact fees, fair share contributions for infrastructure priorities like 101/Woodside Road Interchange, and significant increases to ongoing property tax payments benefitting the City and our school districts On March 17, 2020 when Dr. Scott Morrow signed the COVID-19 "shelter -in-place" orders for San Mateo County, the dream of some to stop the evolution of new housing and office in Redwood City through the DTPP and other projects was brought to a stark and devastating reality. We now know exactly what happens to our local economy and small business owners when office workers disappear from Redwood City. Our once thriving downtown becomes a ghost town and the small business owners, many minority-