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The consultant's TOD recommendation in the Study is inappropriate for the ferry terminal <br />location in Redwood City. Since Council determines land use and zoning for our city, Council should <br />assure residents that the ferry terminal is not going to be a driver for irresponsible growth that would <br />compromise the viability of the Port and allow for the placement of homes in an isolated location <br />vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise. <br />We contacted MTC to obtain more information on the TOD Policy, and were told that the Commission <br />can approve an exception to the policy for specific transit terminal locations where TOD would be <br />infeasible or inappropriate, providing it has been shown that strong ridership will make the proposed <br />terminal financially feasible. <br />For all of the reasons outlined above, we respectfully request that the council Motion to accept the <br />Study also include direction for staff to send correspondence to WETA, informing the agency that: <br />1) TOD is incompatible with the City's current land use and zoning put in place to protect the adjacent <br />Port and heavy industries, and the City has no intention of changing current land use and zoning to allow <br />housing near the terminal; <br />2) TOD in the vicinity of the ferry terminal is not necessary for the economic viability of the ferry, <br />because the Ferry Financial Feasibility Study determined that ridership will be strong based on workers <br />commuting to the area's large employers and to businesses in Downtown Redwood City, and Redwood <br />City's commitment to an efficient "last mile" shuttle system; and <br />3) The City will work with WETA to secure MTC approval of an exemption to the TOD Policy to <br />ensure that the Redwood City Terminal can be considered for regional and other transit expansion <br />funding. <br />By accepting the findings of the feasibility study, Council will be advancing the ferry project on to the <br />next step in the planning process - the required Business Plan. The City must ensure that the Business <br />Plan does not include any projected fare box revenues or funding sources for capital expenditures that <br />are associated with having TOD in the terminal area, or any requirement that Redwood City change <br />General Plan Land Use and Zoning. <br />Thank you for your attention to our concerns. <br />Best regards, <br />Gail Raabe <br />Board Member, Redwood City Neighbors United <br />Co -Chair, Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge <br />Susan Lessin, Environmental Legislative Action Committee <br />Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter <br />Alice Kaufman, Legislative Advocacy Director <br />Green Foothills <br />