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<br />Advantages of Site Based on the Sheriff's Jail Siting Criteria <br /> <br />The Sheriff's Office has indicated that the Motor Pool Site is the preferred location for a replacement jail, <br />given the following advantages it offers: <br /> <br />· The Motor Pool Site is owned by San Mateo County. <br />· The Motor Pool Site is in close proximity to the San Mateo County Superior Courthouse Hall of <br />Justice and Records facility and the Brendan P. Maguire Correctional Facility. <br />· The proximity to the above facilities could allow for shared services such as food facilities, laundry <br />facilities, maintenance, and other similar services. <br /> <br />Why the County Motor Pool Site Represents a Poor Choice for the <br />Replacement Jail <br /> <br />The City of Redwood City offers the following arguments as to why the County Motor Pool site represents a <br />poor choice for the replacement jail. <br /> <br />1. Additional jail facilities are incompatible with the New General Plan and Downtown Precise Plan <br />vision. <br /> <br />Redwood City's Downtown traditionally has been the center of commerce and government for San Mateo <br />County, but its role as a commercial center has declined over the years due to numerous retail and office <br />vacancies. Since early 2000, Redwood City and the City's Redevelopment Agency have focused on <br />revitalization of Downtown by investing in public improvements to attract private investments. <br />Additionally, through the Downtown Precise Plan, the City has provided incentives to encourage a mix of <br />residential development in Downtown. <br /> <br />The General Plan and Precise Plan vision for Downtown is centered on establishing a memorable urban <br />district, building upon revitalization efforts to attract new housing and businesses, creating a network of <br />great public places that encourage walking and lingering, developing the entertainment center of the Mid- <br />Peninsula, and establishing a modern workplace district. Another San Mateo County jail facility located in <br />the heart of Downtown is incompatible with the long-term vision of the New General Plan and the <br />Downtown Precise Plan. <br /> <br />2. The Motor Pool Site is immediately adjacent to two high-density housing sites identified in the <br />General Plan Housing Element. <br /> <br />The Downtown Precise Plan, adopted in 2007, encourages compact, transit-accessible, pedestrian-oriented <br />housing and mixed-use development Downtown. To encourage innovation in development, the Precise <br />Plan does not include a parcel-specific maximum density requirement. Rather, the Downtown Precise Plan <br />places a limit on the number of new housing units allowed to be constructed (2,500 units) within the <br />Precise Plan area. Upon adoption of the Downtown Precise Plan, six development applications were <br />received, indicating a substantial increase in development interest due to the City's new plan. One of these <br />applications involves a site that is directly across the street from the County Motor Pool Site. <br /> <br />Site I nformation for Alternative Locations for the Proposed Replacement Jail <br />September 2, 2009 <br /> <br />21 <br />