|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Redwood City Council on Monday unanimously approved moving forward with two development projects, including a 100-unit affordable housing complex and a mixed-use development featuring a teen center.
“You (the developer) have offered a lot of things that we as a city could have never offered without your help,” Council member Diane Howard said.
The council praised both proposals for addressing affordable housing needs and an inclusive space for the city’s youth.
At its April 15 meeting, the city’s planning commission backed the affordable housing project at 920 Shasta and 122 Buckeye Street. The five-story building will include 99 units for low and very-low-income residents and one unit for an on-site manager. The units will range from studios to three bedrooms.
“To see this is family housing, is particularly exciting,” Council member Isabella Chu said.
The housing project is tied to a larger mixed-use development proposed by El Camino Real Holdings JV at 901 El Camino Real. If approved, the developer will donate the Shasta/Buckeye property to affordable housing builder Abode Communities to meet its housing requirement. The El Camino project includes office and lab spaces, a teen center, and parking.
According to a staff report, the developer plans to build a teen center and multi-purpose space about 6,450 square feet along Franklin Street. The facility would be open to youth and teens from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on weekends and from 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. during summer hours for activities like movie nights and workshops. The city would also exclusively use the space for special events Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. During off-hours, the space could be used by office tenants.
“There aren’t that many public spaces anymore where our youth can go and spend free time with other people their age, without spending money or without having to pay for the ticket to get inside,” Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos said.
During public comment, the city clerk received messages from middle and high school students, which many council members noted was unusual but applauded them for their civic engagement.
Suhani Bansal, a ninth grader at Design Tech High School in Redwood City, wrote that the city currently lacks spaces to support teens outside school hours.
“We need a safe, inclusive environment where young people can study, collaborate, explore their interests and build connections,” Bansal said. “A dedicated teen center would promote academic growth, leadership skills, mental health and a stronger case of community among youth.”
Caden Morey, a senior at Woodside High School, wrote that a teen center would not only give teens a safe and fun place to gather, but also help them learn from each other and grow into adulthood.
At the planning commission meeting, members of a labor union raised concerns about the developer’s lack of commitment to hiring local construction workers, which they said could affect job opportunities for Redwood City youth.
At Monday’s meeting, Max Schaumkel, a representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 617, said the developer has now agreed to employ local construction workers but is still finalizing the workforce agreement.
The projects will return to the council for final approval at a future meeting before construction begins.
