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During the final City Council meeting of the year, officials discussed adopting an updated list of projects funded by park and transportation impact fees, approving a community engagement plan, and receiving an update on the State Route 84/U.S. 101 Interchange Reimagined project.
The council unanimously approved the revised lists of impact fee-funded projects.
Park impact fee projects include updating school turf fields, building and planning a downtown park, and other land acquisition and development.
Impact fee project lists approved
Several council members questioned the turf field funding.
Lucas Wilder, from the Parks and Recreation Department, told them the updates would allow the fields to be used year-round.
Sports complexes are also on the list.
According to a city report, park impact fees could generate over $1.4 billion if applied to all listed projects.
For transportation impact fees, the list includes bike lanes on El Camino Real and improvements at two Broadway intersections, which Community Development Director Jeff Schwob noted are known for collisions.
The transportation impact fees would need to generate $105 million to fund 63 projects.
“This is showing the city’s needs,” City Attorney Veronica Ramirez said.
The council will prioritize allocations next year to discuss the capital improvement plan.
“I’m very happy with what we have on both lists,” said Mayor Elmer Martinez Saballos, emphasizing the importance of improvements to the road leading to the YMCA.
Community engagement plan approved
Poonam Narkar, a member of the consultation group hired to create the city’s community engagement plan, said the strategy will help the city better understand its “on-the-ground conditions.”
The plan will gather feedback on the Downtown and Central Redwood City initiative, which aims to shape the area with “sustainable growth, cultural preservation, and community equality.”
The engagement strategy includes pop-up events, focus groups, and online surveys.
“We recognize there may be some engagement fatigue,” Narkar said, recommending the survey feature new questions.
The council approved the plan, which will begin in January 2025 and be completed by February 2026.
Interchange Reimagined
Council member Diane Howard said input from large employers, such as Google and the county, is essential because they are major partners and users in the area.
The council held a study session on the State Route 84/U.S. 101 Interchange Reimagined project.
The project is estimated to cost $369.8 million, but a $14.3 million funding gap remains.
If funding is secured by mid-2025, construction could begin in 2026 or 2027.
The project includes an elevated section of Veterans Boulevard and 4.2 miles of new bicycle and pedestrian lanes.
“We need to get started sooner to avoid cost increases,” Council member Jeff Gee said. “Time is money.”
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