The Redwood City Planning Commission recently backed two developments, including an affordable housing project and a mixed-use commercial complex, which will go before the City Council for review at its April 28 meeting.
“As a life-long resident of Redwood City, I am proud to support projects that allow us the opportunity to provide affordable housing while also further cementing our stake as a critical part of the Silicon Valley economy,” Planning Commissioner Maggie Cornejo said in a statement to The Pulse.
At its April 15 meeting, the Planning Commission praised both projects and unanimously approved the developments to be recommended to the City Council.
One project is a 100-unit affordable housing development at 920 Shasta St. and 122 Buckeye St. As per the Commission’s report, the proposed development would include 99 apartments reserved for low- and very low-income households, along with one unit for an on-site property manager. The five-story building would reach a height of 59 feet and include a mix of 11 studios, 38 one-bedroom units, 35 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units. The current plan designates 48 units for very low-income residents and 51 for low-income residents.
The report further mentions that the project is tied to a larger mixed-use development at El Camino Real. If the City Council approves that development, the property owner, El Camino Real Holdings JV, will donate the land at 920 Shasta and 122 Buckeye to Abode Communities, the affordable housing developer. This land donation would fulfill the developer’s affordable housing requirement for the El Camino Real project.
The mixed-use development proposed at 901, 947 and 999 El Camino Real would include more than 305,000 square feet of office and potential lab space, a 6,450-square-foot teen center, and more than 14,000 square feet of public and creekside open space in downtown Redwood City, a staff report says. The six-story building would include a rooftop terrace, 513 parking spaces and 164 bike slots.
The report adds that in order to assemble the 70,568-square-foot project site, the applicant negotiated a land exchange with Caltrain’s Joint Powers Board and is requesting the vacation of a portion of California Street. In exchange, the city would receive land for a new Franklin Street extension. The site currently contains one-story retail and restaurant buildings and surface parking.
During public comment, Nadine Fogarty, director of real estate and transit-oriented development for Caltrain, spoke in support of the El Camino Real project on behalf of the agency. She said the land exchange between Caltrain, the city and the developer would improve the street grid, enable more efficient transit-oriented development and support future Caltrain station improvements. According to a letter submitted by Caltrain’s board to the city’s planning commission, the board approved the exchange and supports moving the project forward.
According to John Fong, an office space applicant, the teen center is designed for shared use, which would be available to office tenants during the day and reserved for teens in the afternoons, evenings, weekends and summers to support activities like movie nights and workshops. Another feature of the project is an area called Chrysanthemum Plaza, a 3,900-square-foot public space at James Avenue and a new segment of Franklin Street.
“This is no longer just a development project, it’s a statement about what we value as a city,” Fong said.
Thomas Gomez, vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 617, said he supported both projects. Representing 300 construction workers, he said the projects would be “really significant for all the families that live in Redwood City,” creating good-paying jobs and supporting the local economy.
Another union representative, Max Schaumkel, urged the developer to sign an agreement that would guarantee the hiring of local construction workers at fair wages, creating job opportunities for Redwood City’s youth.
“$1 earned in Redwood City should be $1 reinvested here in Redwood City,” said Schaumkel.
The developer is seeking multiple approvals, including permits for lab space and a development agreement that includes the land donation for affordable housing.
