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owned employing immigrants, struggle to survive. Even as our businesses are allowed to resume some operations, many will not survive. Brick Monkey Squared is gone, Pomegranate Seeds is gone, Old Spaghetti Factory is gone, Love Joys Tea closing, and the list will grow. Prior to the pandemic and even continuing today, the issue of a jobs/housing imbalance has been the subject of intense discussion inside and outside of city hall. This is an important topic, but it has been weaponized by a handful of people to advocate against development in Redwood City; and many are the same people who previously opposed the housing already built under the DTPP. City of Redwood City must take the first step to encourage more housing by updating zoning which limits or prohibits it today. When the Planning Commission and City Council in late 2019 both unanimously approved the new Mixed -Use Transitional Zoning District to allowing housing and incentivize community benefits in areas close to transit, it was an important first step that needs to be expanded. Additionally, predictions about the death of office due to COVID make for good headlines, but when I look at the list of projects submitted under the Gatekeeper process, monitor the Life Sciences industry emerging in San Carlos, and speak to chamber members about how telecommuting will continue yet many people will come back to work next year. Caltrain Measure RR is winning with over 70% approval in San Mateo County — Redwood City voters believe in the importance of Caltrain and its importance to Redwood City's development strategy. And yesterday's first panel discussion at the Virtual Progress Seminar on the future of office concluded that "Office is not dead; it's just going to change". View it here. The demand for new office space is driven by employers and the need for additional employees. Peninsula employers will hire people to meet their demand and they cannot require people to live in a certain location. Redwood City's best tool to address the jobs/housing imbalance is to approve housing at all income levels and mixed-use projects close to transit. Redwood City's policy is sophisticated in its approach to incentivize office to create community benefits like affordable housing and childcare near transit and our downtown. If Redwood City is not building new office to absorb the new jobs, then it will be built to the north or the south and we get all the impacts with no community benefits. When you look at the Gatekeeper projects side-by-side, you see that 100% residential projects propose on average 15% to 20% affordable based on inclusionary zoning requirements, but the mixed-use projects propose 100% affordable housing components because Redwood City's affordable housing impact fees on new office create the funding needed to build the most affordable housing across AMI levels. Building affordable housing is not magic, it requires expensive land and upwards of $600,000 to $800,000 per unit paid for through a very complex formula of funding sources. Redwood City's short- and long-term economic recovery and the resurgence of our downtown and survival of small businesses across the city depend on a vaccine, construction activity, and projects like South Main opening three to four years from now. Greystar has given Redwood City everything we have asked for and more, this is the right project, for a blighted area, that will add to and expand the vibrancy of Central Redwood City. Please approve it and let's get people back to work. Sincerely, Amy N. Buckmaster President and CEO Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce 1450 Veterans Boulevard • Suite 125 • Redwood City, California 94063 • 650.364.1722 • Fax 650.364.1729 www. redwood citychamber.com • amy(a)redwoodcitychamber.com