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Page 15 of 23 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />operations or make improvements to the property would be limited. The transition away from <br />light industrial uses will take some time (depending on market conditions) but is likely inevitable <br />and irrevocable since residential and office uses have historically commanded a higher market <br />value than industrial uses. Businesses in the area will eventually close or relocate elsewhere in <br />the region or beyond. The viability and success of light industrial districts are based partially on <br />the fact that they generally host older buildings with large floorplates that light industrial <br />businesses can afford on a square footage basis. Newly constructed light industrial space, <br />particularly in high value real estate markets in the Bay Area, tend not to be affordable to the <br />types of businesses that are located within the potential GDAP expansion area today. <br />Consistency with Existing and Developing City Land Use Policies – As noted in the Background <br />section above, the Redwood City General Plan includes policies specifically related to the <br />preservation and promotion of land dedicated to light industrial uses. Other existing land use <br />policies and policies currently under development would need to be evaluated in the context of <br />a change to the land use designation of properties within the potential GDAP expansion area. In <br />general, these City policies are aligned around a strategy that focuses significant new <br />development (especially housing) in and adjacent to Downtown and within a half mile of the <br />Caltrain Station/SamTrans Bus Depot. Opening up a significant new area for potential <br />development beyond the Greater Downtown area may be misaligned with these policies, <br />including the following: <br />o Transit District/Compliance with Housing Law – In December 2022, the <br />City established the Transit District within the Downtown Precise Plan (DTPP) in order <br />to focus growth near the Caltrain station. At the same time, and as required by the State <br />housing law, the City eliminated maximum residential capacity limits within the DTPP to <br />allow for continued residential growth. <br />o Housing Element – Housing creation is a strategic priority of the City Council as reflected <br />in the many Housing Element policies and programs intended to support new residential <br />development. While these policies and programs support infill housing development <br />citywide,3 the large majority of potential development sites identified in the Housing <br />Element to meet the City’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) obligation are <br />located within the current GDAP boundary.4 Additionally, in order to help meet its goal of <br />achieving 150% of its RHNA obligation, the City implemented Zoning Code updates in <br />2023 to increase zoned housing capacity; nearly all of the new capacity is located within <br />the current GDAP boundary. <br />3 City staff continue to implement Housing Element policies and programs through Zoning Code updates and other <br />means to ensure infill housing typologies, such as Missing Middle Housing, are permitted throughout Redwood City <br />where residential is a permitted use. For example, the Zoning Code amendments before City Council on July 13, <br />2026, include changes to development standards consistent with Housing Element Program H1-8 (related to housing <br />development on small lots) that are intended to improve the feasibility of infill housing development. Staff <br />anticipates bringing additional Zoning Code updates of this type to City Council for consideration in 2027. <br />4 See Redwood City Housing Element Figure 1, page H-11 at <br />https://www.redwoodcity.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28334/638484500539830000 <br />9.A. - Page 15 of 27 <br />542