5-story Redwood Shores office development OK’d

“It looks like a great project,” said Planning Commission Chair Nancy Radcliffe. “I think it will fit nicely on Twin Dolphin and it’s a nice upgraded building. It’s going to be amazing.”

Six existing office buildings on the property would be demolished to make way for the new development. Radcliffe noted the new building would be a much better use of land than the existing structures and would add to the area’s character.

The new development also proposes a five-story parking garage containing 655 stalls. Its exterior would be made of glass walls, metal panel cladding and a mesh screen with painted graphics. Acting as a large art installation, the parking structure would also feature a kinetic wall that will move with the wind.

“It’ll be very pretty and will probably reflect some of the lagoon and natural environment whereas what is there now is very low and, I’m sorry to say, boring,” said Radcliffe.

Plans also include 60 bike parking spaces, more than 20,000 square feet of public space, improvements to the Belmont Creek Trail and a pedestrian crossing connecting the trail with a walking path around the Redwood Shores Lagoon.

Project developers would also be required to pay affordable housing fees, transportation impact fees, school impact fees, and a public art fee.

The proposal won quick approval from commissioners with a 5-0 vote. Commissioners Ernie Schmidt and Kevin Bondonno both recused themselves from the discussion due to conflicts of interests.

Making the vote easy was the approval from the Shores Business Center Association, said Radcliffe. The proposal was extensively reviewed by the association as required of all new commercial developments in the area, according to staff.

“The SBCA welcomes these upgrades to the 200 Twin Dolphin frontage and adjacent trails. We look forward to working with Sand Hill on the design and placement of the features affecting the SBCA owned land,” said a letter to city planners from Krista Dixon, the association board chair.

Initially developers proposed building two detached four-story buildings amassing 100,000 square feet each. Responding to requests from the SBCA, staff said the developers redesigned and ultimately settled on the recently approved proposal.

Following city approval, the proposal will go through the final two of five review stages required by the SBCA.