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Councilwoman La Berge said she was very interested in exploring two of the proposals. She said the "R-l MD" medium density zoning amendment had been proposed for the 2150 Roosevelt project, but was rejected by a majority vote of the Council. Councilwornan La Berge said, "at some point in the near future we need to look at other appropriate sites to establish that kind of zoning." She said she was also interested in rezoning underutilized industrial sites which offered good possibilities for housing. Councilman Ruskin said he was leery of the proposal to allow triplexes on narrower lots. He said he was concemed about what that would do to neighborhoods, traffic, architecture, and what it would end up looking like, and the overall value of homes in that neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. He said the "R-l MD" zoning should be site and project specific. Associate Planner Riordan explained that "spot zoning" was illegal and could not be done on a project by project basis. She said more research had to be done for this proposal including where and how often this new zoning could be utilized. Councilwoman Buchan said she did not oppose staff researching all of the proposed options, but she was not supporting any of them until she had lots more detailed analyses. In response to Council questions regarding the process of responding to the State's letter, Associate Planner Riordan said the City needed to show the State that the City's policies were aimed at eventually meeting the State's goals, in a meaningful and realistic way. In response to Council questions, City Attorney Schricker said, "the task of the City is to facilitate the development of the number of affordable housing units that is set as a goal. The City can't produce or construct them, it is not a City nor Redevelopment Agency project, itself. Through the Housing Element you have to make it demonstrably possible." City Attorney Schricker said in other cities that have struggled with this issue, "the bar hasn't been set so high... the numbers have been designated for many of the cities on the peninsula and in this locale are simply not as high as Redwood City's... there are cities that have gone to Sacramento that have negotiated with the Housing Division in an attempt to achieve a more reasonable goal. I know that... Ms. Riordan has endeavored to do that with ABAG and there has been some sympathetic reaction. But nothing definitive yet, apparently." Associate Planner Riordan said that Council will make the final decision of what proposals to include in the response to the State. In response to Council questions she said that 10 of the 21 cities in the County have State approved Housing Elements. Councilman Leipzig asked staff to apply stronger pressure on Sacramento to change the numbers of affordable housing units the State has required. He said, "we have done a yeoman's job in the last few years creating housing in Redwood City at all levels, including subsidized and affordable housing, whatever the definition of that is. We need REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 OCTOBER 27,1997 MINUTES Page No. 624 PAGE 8