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Apr 28, 2025 <br />City of Redwood City <br />1017 Middlefield Road <br />Redwood City, CA 94063 <br />Re: Proposed Aordable Housing at 920 Shasta Street <br />By email: publiccomment@redwoodcity.org; council@redwoodcity.org; <br />emartinezsaballos@redwoodcity.org; keakin@redwoodcity.org; <br />ichu@redwoodcity.org; jgee@redwoodcity.org; dhoward@redwoodcity.org; <br />mpadilla@redwoodcity.org; csturken@redwoodcity.org <br />Cc: cityatty@redwoodcity.org; planning@redwoodcity.org; <br />ycastro@redwoodcity.org; mail@redwoodcity.org; wchui@redwoodcity.org <br />Dear Redwood City City Council, <br />The California Housing Defense Fund (“CalHDF”) submits this letter to remind the City of its <br />obligation to abide by all relevant state laws when evaluating the proposed 100-unit, 100% <br />aordable housing development project at 920 Shasta Street. These laws include the <br />Housing Accountability Act (“HAA”), the Density Bonus Law (“DBL”), and California <br />Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) guidelines. <br />The HAA provides the project legal protections. It requires approval of zoning and general <br />plan compliant housing development projects unless indings can be made regarding <br />speciic, objective, written health and safety hazards. (Gov. Code, § 65589.5, subds. (d), (j).) The <br />HAA also bars cities from imposing conditions on the approval of such projects that would <br />render the project infeasible or reduce the project’s density unless, again, such written <br />indings are made. (Id. at subd. (d).) As a development with at least two-thirds of its area <br />devoted to residential uses, the project falls within the HAA’s ambit, and it complies with <br />local zoning code and the City’s general plan. The City must therefore approve the project <br />unless it makes written indings regarding health and safety as mentioned above – which it <br />cannot do since the preponderance of the evidence in the record does not support such <br />indings. (Ibid.) Increased density, concessions, and waivers that a project is entitled to under <br />the DBL (Gov. Code, § 65915) do not render the project noncompliant with the zoning code or <br />general plan, for purposes of the HAA. (Gov. Code, § 65589.5, subd. (j)(3).) <br />360 Grand Ave #323, Oakland 94610 <br />www.calhdf.org