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6.1.A. - Page 32 spoke positively about being welcomed by the community and other merchants, the improvements and rejuvenations in downtown and expressed concerns regarding her financial investment here. Sylvia Maher of Mahrz Salon questioned the zoning and asked if there was not enough office space for lease off the core areas. She spoke in favor of the plan with people enjoying downtown to go to her salon, eat, and shop, and asked is there not office space for lease off core areas. She opined that there are other areas in Bay Area that have retail at the ground level mostly and it works with more people lingering and perusing shops downtown. Stephanie Kolkka, a resident and partner of Kolkka Furniture and Brick Monkey, said they consciously picked this City for its vision and plans. She opined it is possible to create successful retail downtown, their sales figures prove it - they are not an anomaly, and they are a healthy and sustainable draw from nearby communities. She noted that the Precise Plan is an asset and they are ready and willing to create a downtown retail task force. Mike Kastrop, a resident, president of the Downtown Business Group with over 100 members, and an architect, cautioned against unintended consequences from the proposed changes and questioned if there was any information of any other similarly sized cities that have successfully allowed such temporary changes. He spoke against losing any retail, asked that the proposal be carefully researched, alternatives studied, and he also volunteered to participate in any taskforce. Michael Tucker, president of Books Inc. and an independent book seller, expressed his thankfulness for the vision of City leaders and how he sees the beginning of a vibrant community. He spoke in favor of the current process, the Precise Plan, and he opined that having five years of office space replacing retail space could kill it (the plan) Zeke Mead, owner of SkateWorks, read an email letter he sent to City Council about his experiences as a former 16-year Redwood City business owner. He spoke against the proposed plan as making things harder for existing and new retailers to succeed and spoke in favor looking at new ways to solve the problem. He said they moved to Los Altos for reasons that had nothing to do with this city. Carolyn Jones said she has lived in San Mateo County for the last 40-years, she is amazed at Redwood City's transformation into vibrant destination within the last 20 years, and she wishes this to continue. She expressed concerns about the proposed amendment and questioned if it may have serious unintended consequences, such as increasing parking demand. David Marino, a real estate broker and 30-year resident, spoke against the plan and expressed concerns about real estate home prices and how it could hurt the community with less foot traffic. He opined more people would go elsewhere and suggested leaving retail alone and giving the economy a chance to improve. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL May 21, 2012 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 12