RDA Min 2001-01-29 Jnt - Laserfiche WebLink

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-- final plans. The traffic concerns can be dealt with now by exploring other routes and that because there are concerns does not mean it is not an appropriate project. Council Member Howard stated she supports the retail/cinema project and that it is the best available solution in the revitalization of the downtown. Concerns ftom the public have been heard regarding safety, esthetics, parking and best use of the property, and she promised the Council would be diligent in following up on the concerns. Monitoring and mitigation will continue throughout and beyond the planning and building process. She stated the vision is for this project to be the heart of downtown. Council Member Jordan clarified that her opposition to the interim urgency ordinance concerned private property owners. She further stated that she believes if the project goes through that there are enough people watching it to ensure that architecturally it will look good. Mayor Ruskin stated that after such an extraordinary economy the downtown is still sleepy. He further stated his conclusion that a project with enough impact must be brought in to fully revitalize the downtown. The cinema has the potential to bring thousands of people to the downtown resulting in the retail stores on the ground floor having foot traffic. Much has been said about the cinema industry and he is convinced that the Syufy cinema company is very strong. The second major reason for the project is that this will involve no public funds. The third key reason is traffic. The traffic coming to the attraction will be moving in the opposite direction of commute traffic. He stated he tested the traffic flow from Veterans Boulevard down every route possible toward the proposed site and discovered both plentiful routes and emptiness of roads. He also tested the proposed parking areas and found plentiful parking available not to mention public transportation. He stated there are concerns that downtown Redwood City may have a "cookie cutter" project. He stated that we must ensure that the project has exemplary architecture, design and signage; and the Architecture Review Committee is committed to this and Council has final approval. Although safety is a concern, he stated the critical issue to be the mix of retail. He stated his concern for seniors and transportation may be addressed by use of shuttles. The Police Department states there is not an issue ensuring safety in the area. He stated that for all the above reasons he would be supporting the resolution. MIS Hartnett/Claire to approve the following amendments to the DDA: 1. In the first paragraph of Section 501, sixth line, the word "substantially" shall be inserted between the words "excellence" and "consistent". 2. In the last line of the second paragraph of Section 501, the word "reasonable" shall be deleted. 3. The following new paragraphs shall be added at the end of Section 50 I; REGULAR COUNCIL AND REDEVELOPMENT MEETINGS JANUARY 29, 2001 MINUTES PAGE 10 MINUTES Book No.58 Page NO. 339