Dear Neighbors,

I have good news to report about our levees.  As you may recall, at this time last year we were dealing with the news that Redwood Shores would very likely be declared a flood zone since our levees (including those around the San Carlos Airport) were not certified by FEMA as being adequate in the face of dangerous (but rare) high-tides.  To be certified in time, the levees would have to be upgraded by spring 2010, and none of the different entities (Redwood City, San Mateo County, and the San Carlos Airport) responsible for the levees could agree on a plan to do that.  Failing to fix the levees by Spring 2010 would be disastrous to our property values and to our wallets, since Shores residents would be required to carry additional flood insurance.
 
In the face of this serious news, RSCA invited city leaders to our 2009 annual meeting to explain the situation and to answer questions from Shores residents.  We also expected to hear some details as to how Redwood City planned to address the problem, but few details were offered.  We were concerned about the city’s apparent lack of a firm plan and the fast-approaching deadline for certification, so we scheduled a follow-up meeting with city officials to reinforce our concerns and explore levee repair options.  RSCA hosted a community meeting in spring 2009 where, at our urging, city staff presented much better-developed plans & timelines for fixing the levees, including the challenging portion at the end of the airport runway.  This included securing the cooperation of the other government entities and the necessary permits and approvals.

Since then, RSCA has stayed on top of the situation, and the city has executed their plan well.  In fact, if the weather cooperates, it looks as if most if not all of the levee work will be completed by the end of February.  As a result, we are cautiously optimistic that the upgraded levees will be certified by the spring deadline.  This is great news, and we want to thank Chu Chang, Peter Vorametsanti and Grace Le, the city managers and engineers who worked hard and effectively to plan and complete the levee upgrades.  This is also a good example of how RSCA effectively advocates for the needs of Redwood Shores.

Annual Meeting
RSCA is holding our Annual Meeting on February 10 at 7:30 pm at the Redwood Shores Branch Library.  Please attend to hear the latest news from Redwood City and School District representatives.

Correction
In my January letter I praised the outstanding Christmas lights on Davit between Cringle and Marlin.  Of course, the outstanding seasonal light display was on Dory Lane.  Be sure not to miss it next year! 

— Doug Crisman