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residential development in the area, especially projects that are in the pipeline. It will be difficult to sell luxury housing and lease Class A office space immediately next to a jail. A new jail will have a negative influence on development decisions. Whether or not property values are affected, the perception of prospective tenants and homeowners will be that a jail will have a negative effect on future value and thus make the decision not to invest. Such decisions will severely undermine Redwood City's extensive efforts to date to revitalize the Downtown. City staff is specifically aware of the concerns expressed by developers who are interested in pursuing new projects near the Maguire Facility as it is now. In fact, just a few years ago, Redwood City staff strongly encouraged the developers of the new office building at 500 Arguello to include a residential component. As an experienced development team that had successfully produced mixed-use and residential products in other Bay Area downtowns, the developer decided not to risk investing in residential uses at the Arguello location due to its close proximity to the Maguire Facility. The developer specifically cited concerns about image and that the clearly audible sound of inmates exercising on the rooftop would greatly reduce return on investment for a market-rate rental or ownership residential product. The full-time security presence associated with any jail, which could be considered favorable in an industrial area, is found to be threatening and discomforting in the context of an urbanizing downtown neighborhood. With regard to the Maguire Facility, the adjacent bail bonds businesses detract from potential neighborhood vitality. Parking and its effects are also impacts. Jail visitor parking extends away from the facility into the adjacent neighborhood, and visitors to the jail wait in their cars for long periods of time. Even County staff vehicles can be seen parked inappropriately on the jail property in areas that were formerly landscaped, further establishing that the existing Maguire facility has degraded its Downtown neighborhood. The 500 Arguello site should have been viewed as an exceptional location for mixed-use development, given its easy access to transit and services. The City finds it unfortunate that the previous siting of a large jail in Downtown has diminished the City's ability to realize the full potential of properties near the jail. The Sheriff's Office includes on its website a report prepared by the u.S. Department of Justice: Issues in Siting Correctional Facilities. As noted in this report: "It is important to remember that location is a key element in determining land value. The relative locational value-that is, the proximity of a land parcel to other parcels and the linkage between them-is the primary factor that determines the land's overall value. Proximity to desirable features generally increases a parcel's value, whereas proximity to undesirable features generally decreases its value." While the report finds that jails have limited impacts on property values, it does note that the effect may be greater in affluent areas, as "persistent public opposition to the facility may have depressed the residential property values" .13 In the future, Redwood City's Downtown will be a premier destination for entertainment, work, and living. However, it will be difficult to market luxury and other uses directly adjacent to a jail. A new jail would counteract Redwood City's significant efforts to revitalize the Downtown by having the potential to decrease property values in the immediate area. 13 "Issues in Siting Correctional Facilities." U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, Prisons Division. Site I nformation for Alternative Locations for the Proposed Replacement Jail September 2, 2009 23