AgdaPkt 2009-11-09 - Laserfiche WebLink

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::::\ THRESHOLD2009 '...' ....... tile ..... \lMa s.n Mateo County '.- Summary Report to Redwood City Council, November 9, 2009 58 Page 7 Conclusion The final report will analyze the participant responses in more detail, evaluate the relative success of various forms of outreach and recruitment, and discuss ways that the City can use the project's dialogue methods as part of the public process around housing decisions in the future. At a summary level, the project revealed: . Substantial common ground among participants regarding the kinds of housing solutions that are most likely to enjoy public support; . Overwhelming enthusiasm among participants for meaningful engagement of the public in housing decisions; . The real challenge in bringing community members to the table, particularly those who do not ordinarily participate in public planning processes; . The importance of bringing together dedicated staff resources and community networks to meet this challenge on a meeting-by-meeting basis, but particularly for a city committed to creating a culture of civic engagement around important decisions. For policymakers who routinely face public opposition to new housing, the project offers some suggestions about how dialogue can help to address community concerns: . To the degree that neighbors within a planning area or adjacent to a proposed development are inclined to oppose plans for new housing, a carefully designed process that brings balanced information to the table, presents a range of choices, and uses facilitated dialogue may have the best chance of expanding common ground prior to divisive public hearings; . Given real interests that often cause neighbors to oppose new housing, a consistent effort to engage the broader public in dialogue about Redwood City's housing needs is likely to present policymakers with a more representative range of voices upon which to base decisions about particular sites; . The fact that people appear most motivated to oppose new housing when there is a particular project involved suggests that early engagement and dialogue around land use planning (apart from specific project proposals) might be most effective in revealing the cumulative and long-term tradeoffs involved in decisions about particular sites. Threshold is very appreciative of the opportunity to work with Redwood City officials, staff and community members on this project. We look forward to releasing our final report and hope it,supports the City's commitment to meaningful public engagement in the decisions that shape the community. 7