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May 11,2009 CITY Of H!:'(YfliOOD qlTY PLANNING SERVICES -.- 80 Page 9 .~ .c. i~--i;~;~"-'-""'-"---''T'--'-::.!!'--\~: ~ \6) li-- "', I I :0' n .ml' \'~~~\! ... ,. 7.uU9 lU To: Redwood City Community Development -- Planning Services Department Dear Planning Services Staff: This document constitutes a letter of appeal regarding the Notice of Official Action issued on May 4, 2009, for Project No. UP 2009-03 at property address 515 Woodside Road in Redwood City. It is written on behalf of a group of community members in the Redwood Oaks neighborhood, who reside in the vicinity of the property in question, and it reflects the collaboration of a significant number of interested and concerned citizens. First of aU, we wish to commend the Planning Department staff for their efforts to address some of the issues previously raised by Redwood Oaks community members at . the public hearing held on March 18,2009. Specifically, the NOA reduces the number of . rooms approved and the staff size, attempts to address parking issues, reduces the proposed hours of operation by one hour in the evening, and requires a degree of openness in the design of the storefront on Woodside Road. These changes are understood as an authentic effort by city planners to acknowledge some of the neighborhood concerns, and are appreciated. The community nonetheless is filing this letter of appeal for several reasons, which are enumerated, with reference to the NO~ as follows: TRAFFIC FLOW: Traffic on Woodside Road chronically travels above the speed limit, hampering the ability of vehicles to safely slow down and turn into Murray Court, or out of Murray Court onto Woodside. Placing a business with relatively high traffic volume at that location with its ingress/egress challenges appears unwise to us. Further, Murray Court is a narrow, substandard residential street - it has no sidewalks, the lighting is inadequate, and there is a lack of storm drains. It is also home to many families with children; the inevitability of a significant increase in vehicles circling rapidly in search of parking, anxious to be on time for their massage is alarming to contemplate. In addition, it appears likely that Murray Court and surrounding residential streets will be unable to absorb overflow traffic generated specifically by a massage parlor, as opposed to other types of businesses more suitable to this specific location. Finally, pedestrian traffic on the section of Woodside Road under consideration, generated by the Woodside Terrace Senior Living Center and the multiple-unit apartment building immediately adjacent to the site will likely be at higher risk for safety, in the event of an increase in traffic flow, as described.