Tag Archives: City Council

City Council to Discuss Redwood Life – July 24th @ 6PM

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At the July 24th City Council of Redwood City meeting, the Council will include a Public Hearing for matters pertaining to the Redwood LIFE office project at 800-3400 Bridge Parkway. The council will be initiating a review to consider the repeal of the Westport Specific Plan in favor of a different Precise Plan Study, which would allow redevelopment of the area. 

Those who have taken interest in this matter or would like more information are encourage to attend or remotely stream this hearing.

REDWOOD CITY COUNCIL MEETING
July 24, 6:00 p.m. 
https://redwoodcity.zoom.us/j/99481825639
Meeting ID: 994 8182 5639
Dial-in audio: (669) 900-6833

More information about the Redwood LIFE proposal can be found on the Redwood City website:

https://www.redwoodcity.org/city-hall/current-projects/development-projects?id=113

Many in Redwood Shores have expressed concern with RSCA about this project, given that land developer Longfellow does not, at this time, have an approved plan for these changes to be considered.

Some may ask, what is a “Specific Plan,” and why is this topic important to Redwood Shores residents?

A Specific Plan acts as a detailed zoning and design code that regulates land use and development within that area. This Westport Specific Plan defines codes for the area known as Redwood LIFE, which is on Marine Parkway and connects to the Belmont Slough here in Redwood Shores. Originally drafted in 1995, the Westport Specific Plan included safety protocols restricting building and construction methods on this property, since the area includes 45acres of capped old landfill. Toxic materials are known to be sealed inside the barrier over this landfill. This material has been safely sealed with a clay cap, and the Westport Specific Plan regulates building designs and construction to make sure any developments on this property meet building standards to keep this cap intact. Changes to the Specific Plan would change how this carefully-regulated property is used.

There is concern about whether the City should approve moving forward with change consideration of the Westport Specific Plan without a concrete proposal plan to consider. The Council needs to understand the severity of problems which would occur if the Specific Plan were changed.

If you share these concerns over changing the Westport Specific Plan, please plan to attend the meeting on July 24th and voice your concerns.

Redwood City Planning Commission Hearing

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The following information was shared by the City of Redwood City regarding a Planning Commission Hearing to be held on June 20, 2023 at 6PM. Chief among topics relevant to Redwood Shores residents will be discussion of the Redwood LIFE office project at 800-3400 Bridge Parkway. The council will discuss proposals to replace the existing Westport Specific Plan in favor of a new Precise Plan Study. which would allow redevelopment of the area.

More information about this proposal can be found on the Redwood City website:

https://www.redwoodcity.org/city-hall/current-projects/development-projects?id=113

Those who have taken interest in this City Planning project or would like more information are encourage to attend or remotely stream this hearing. Continue reading →

City Council Meeting: Save the Date and Raise Your Voice for Redwood Shores!

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT MONDAY’S IMPORTANT CITY COUNCIL SESSION

Redwood Shores needs you to urge the Redwood City Council to keep the Shores a beautiful place to live and enjoy — stay with the Westport Specific Plan!

Monday, April 24, 6:00pm
City Hall, Redwood City
Attend the City Council meeting in person at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City,
or Online through RedwoodCity.org

On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 6PM, City Council has scheduled a Study Session where they will consider whether to approve the numerous entitlements that speculative developer Longfellow Real Estate Partners (LFREP) seeks for its massive Redwood LIFE bayfront biolabs redevelopment plan in Redwood Shores.

The existing 980,000 square‐foot Redwood LIFE office park borders the Belmont Slough at its northern boundary, and is adjacent at its southern boundary to high density, multi‐family residences and nearby schools. It also sits on a seismically vulnerable, geotechnically problematic, flood‐prone, 45‐acre, unlined former toxic landfill.

Speculative developer LFREP plans to demolish the existing 2‐to‐3 story buildings and redevelop the campus to a massive 3.3 million square‐ foot Life Science center. The plans include 15 buildings, including 130‐foot towering high‐rises of high‐level biocontainment labs up to BSL3, a 104‐room hotel, amenity center, plus 2 parking garages—all proposed throughout 20‐25 years of noisy, dust and debris‐filled, disruptive demolition and construction that will permanently impact residents, wildlife and sensitive wetland ecosystems.

A brief recap of the proposed redevelopment plan:

  • Existing 980,000 square foot office park will increase substantially, adding over 2.5 million square feet.
  • Existing 2‐3 story, 53 ft maximum height buildings, which the Westport Specific Plan intentionally limited to “minimize the visual impact,” replaced with massive, looming labs up to 130 feet tall.
  • Existing building setbacks reduced dramatically so the new towering buildings would not only be huge, they would be much closer.
  • 20‐25 years of demolition, noise, dust, debris, hauling, deep foundational pile‐driving and construction, projected along the Belmont Slough and sensitive wetlands, permanently impacting the Shores residents and vital natural habitats.
  • High‐level Biocontainment 3 Laboratories (potentially lethal airborne pathogens include Risk Group 3 Pathogens such as Anthrax, SARS, Influenza, Tuberculosis and Hantavirus).
  • Vivariums where animals are bred, genetically engineered and contained for biomedical research.
  • Bayfront trail segmented to protect what LFREP considers its “community” of prospective lab tenants, resulting in a fragmented trail system that will force resident nature lovers, bikers and joggers to cross traffic up to 4 times.

Redwood City Planning department has rejected the proposed Longfellow plan as incomplete ‐ TWICE! Yet, the incomplete application is allowed to proceed to a City Council Study Session.

TELL CITY COUNCIL: Stay with the Westport Specific Plan!

The 1994 Westport Specific Plan established guidelines, including building setbacks and height limits “no higher than 3 stories (53ft.), as long as they are set back 260 feet from the southwesterly property line in order to minimize the visual impact of these taller buildings. Two story buildings shall be set back at least 175ft. from the southeasterly property line.”

Therefore, the Westport Specific Plan, clearly and repeatedly emphasized its legislative intent “to minimize the visual impact of the R and D development on the existing residential developments.” The surrounding multi‐family residential neighborhoods have become denser and more established, with the additions of the Redwood Shores Branch Library, Redwood Shores Elementary School, and housing developments along Marine Parkway and Shearwater. The Westport Specific Plan should still be the guiding principle for any site development plan. In other words, the guidelines previously established are even more relevant today. Why then, should the city permit the Redwood LIFE site to expand to over three times as large, thereby shrinking the residential and bay ecosystem setbacks?

Join the overwhelming number of community members who firmly believe that the Westport Specific Plan should stand!

The Redwood City Planning Department will present speculative developer LFREP’s Redwood LIFE project and entitlements requests to the Redwood City Council, including to Swinerton Vice President and the Shores’ District 1 Representative, Mayor Jeff Gee.

The City Council Study Session meeting will be help in person and on Zoom. Volunteers will be on hand passing out signs in support of the Westport Plan. The RSCA will email more details, including the Zoom meeting link, as they become available. 

Redwood Shores needs you now more than ever to show up and strongly urge the City Council to keep The Shores a beautiful place to live and enjoy – PRIORITIZE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OVER HIGH RISK, SPECULATIVE PROFITEERING! PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND STAY WITH THE WESTPORT SPECIFIC PLAN!

Meet the Candidates for City Council of Redwood City

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Wednesday, September 30th, 7:00 – 8:30pm
(Virtual Event)

 

(*Video of this event is now available to stream in its entirety. Thank you to all those who participated in this forum, as well as everybody who has watched this event online. Election Day is November 3, so be sure to read up on local issues and candidates before you go out and vote!)

Please join us on Wednesday, September 30th at 7:00pm to meet the candidates for the City Council of Redwood City.  The 2020 election is the first where voters will select a district representative.  So Shores residents will vote for a council member for District 1: Redwood Shores.  All council candidates are invited to introduce themselves and listen in as we discuss issues facing the City and of concern to our Redwood Shores community. Continue reading →

Redwood City Council Special Meeting

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At 7:30PM, March 12, 2020, A City Council Special Meeting will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers so that the Council may declare a local state of emergency. This action is being taken to allow the City to become eligible for federal and or state funding. Furthermore, it allows the City more flexibility to operate under the heightened demands of this event. As an alternative to attending in person, the Council meetings are televised live to Redwood City residents on Astound Broadband cable Channel 26 and Comcast cable Channel 27, AT&T U-verse Channel 99, and are streamed live on the City’s website at www.redwoodcity.org/councilmeetings. As always, public comments may be emailed to .

More information specific to Redwood City citizens can be found at www.redwoodcity.org/coronavirus

Meet the Candidates for City Council of Redwood City

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Thursday, October 4th, 6:30 – 8:00pm
at the Sandpiper School

Please join us on Thursday, October 4th at 6:30pm in the multi-use room at the Sandpiper School to meet the candidates for your City Council of Redwood City. Come out to talk about issues facing the City and of concern to our Redwood Shores community.

There are seven (7) candidates vying for the three (3) open city council seats. In alphabetical order, they are:

  • Jason Galisatus
  • Giselle Hale
  • Diane Howard (Incumbent)
  • Rick Hunter
  • Diana Reddy
  • Ernie Schmidt
  • Christina Umhofer

Candidate Information can be found here: https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/city-clerk/voter-and-election-information/2018-municipal-election-information/candidate-information

This candidate event is intended to provide time for you to meet and greet the candidates one-on-one. And don’t forget:

REGISTER, then VOTE

If you’re not already a registered voter, simply go to the
San Mateo County Assessor Clerk Recorder of Elections’ website at https://www.smcacre.org where you can register AND get information about this November’s election, candidates, ballot measures, and how to vote.

Meet the Candidates for your Redwood City Council

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Wednesday, September 9, 7:00pm,
at the Redwood Shores Library

Join us to meet the candidates for your Redwood City Council. The six (6) candidates for four (4) open seats are:

  • Rosanne Foust, City Council Member
  • Ian Bain, City Council Member
  • Alicia Aguirre, City Council Member
  • Shelly Masur, RWC School District Trustee
  • Janet Borgens, Small Business Owner
  • Tania Solé, Blogger, RWC Patch & ChinaDaily.com

Hear directly from the City Council candidates about issues facing the City and of concern to the Redwood Shores community. Organizers plan to adjourn the formal session about 8:15pm to allow time for you to meet and question the candidates one-on-one.

And don’t forget:
REGISTER, then VOTE by MAIL!
by November 3!

It’s easy to register. Go to https://www.shapethefuture.org where you can register AND get information about November elections, candidates, and ballot measures.

Redwood City Accepting Applications for Seven Open Positions on Its Boards, Commissions and Committees

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The following message from The City of Redwood City is shared for the interests of residents of Redwood Shores:

Want to help make a difference in your city? The City of Redwood City is currently seeking applications for upcoming available seats on the Planning Commission, Board of Building Review and Complete Streets Committee (pilot program). Deadline to submit applications is Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 5pm. Interested applicants can go online to access an application.

“We’re looking for committed people who are willing to work hard, represent our City, and who want to make a difference in the City of Redwood City,” said Mayor Jeffrey Gee, City of Redwood City. “We’re dedicated to innovation and improving the quality of life for those who live and work here. The best way to do that is give people an active voice in the process.”

Continue reading →

Redwood City Considering Ban on Polystyrene Food Service Containers

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The City of Redwood City is considering a ban on polystyrene food service containers, to correspond with a similar prohibition implemented by San Mateo County last summer. On the City Council’s April 9th agenda is the introduction of an ordinance which would prohibit the use of polystyrene-based food containers. If approved by the Council, the item would then be subject to a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for May 7th. The City’s action would adopt the County’s ordinance, by reference.

The proposed ban would not be implemented until January 1, 2013, allowing plenty of time for businesses to learn about their options, and transition to non-polystyrene containers. However, businesses will be encouraged to voluntarily implement the ban prior to 2013, and those that do so would be recognized by the City Council as “early adopters” and leaders in helping to reduce the volume of this pollutant in our environment. Adopting an ordinance banning the use of polystyrene will also help the City meet certain conditions of its Municipal Regional (storm water) Permit, related to reductions in trash loading in the City’s storm drain system.

Banned items are single-use disposable products used in restaurants and the food service industry for serving and transporting prepared, ready-to-consume food and beverages including plates, bowls, trays, and hinged or lidded containers (“clamshells”), but excluding disposable packaging for unprepared food.

Polystyrene is often referred to by its Dow Chemical trademark “Styrofoam.” It is a petroleum-based, lightweight plastic material commonly used by retail food vendors for disposable take-out purposes. Polystyrene has been identified as an environmental pollutant in part because it is non-biodegradable and generally non-recyclable and non-reusable. Various state and federal agencies indicate that polystyrene persists in the environment indefinitely without breaking down and consequently is showing up on roads, waterways, and the ocean. In addition to San Mateo County, a number of other cities on the peninsula, including Burlingame, Half Moon Bay, Foster City, San Bruno, Pacifica, South San Francisco, and Millbrae, have implanted similar ordinances.

If approved by the City Council, San Mateo County would work with Redwood City to publicize the impending implementation, and assist in outreach and education to the affected businesses. While every opportunity will be provided for businesses to comply, San Mateo County’s Environmental Health Division would enforce the ordinance and may issue fines for violations, which would be earmarked for use to supplement outreach and education around polystyrene.