The housing that would have accompanied a new seven-story mixed-use building with 256,200 square feet of offices and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail at Broadway and Main Street is now planned to be off site — with 85 units planned at 847 Woodside Road in Redwood City.
Initially, the 1900 Broadway proposal was to include less office and retail space, along with 71 moderate-rate residential units on site when plans were submitted in 2021. The office and mixed-use development at 1900 Broadway will also include a community plaza and community room. While it was approved by the Architectural Advisory Committee, the separate new affordable housing development at Woodside Road was rejected for its shadows on nearby properties, density and parking.
Despite the denial for recommendation of the affordable housing development, Community Development Director Jeff Schwob said it is likely the overall proposal will progress along and anticipates it will be considered for approval by City Council in September.
“Laws are very favorable to housing, and particularly to affordable housing, making it very hard for cities to say ‘No, this is not acceptable,’” Schwob said.
The proposal is part of the gatekeeper process, which evaluates pending requests for General Plan and Downtown Precise Plan amendments and prioritizes projects that will meet the city’s needs. The included community amenities and partnered affordable housing development has helped move the project along after years in the pipeline.
Both development sites have received notable community criticism. The concern over the amount of office space proposed at 1900 Broadway was that it was unnecessary considering the increase in hybrid work or working from home after the pandemic.
At the Architectural Advisory Committee public hearing last week, many public comments raised concern over the density of the affordable housing site and limited parking options, especially considering how busy and congested Woodside Road can be.
The affordable housing units are 29 studios and 12 one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom dwellings. The plan includes 50 on-site parking spaces and 90 bike parking spaces.
“Even though this is a suburban setting, we are transitioning into more dense projects as we grow and as people come in,” Committee Member Niles Tanakatsubo said. “It’s part of what happens.”
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However, the AAC members maintained their purview did not necessarily cover density and numbers, but more rather the physical aspect of the buildings.
A major architectural concern raised by potential neighbors to 847 Woodside Road was the tall buildings’ cast shadow on residences located behind the development. The advisory committee also raised concern over the lack of open space for residents such as private patios and the limited parking options.
Ultimately, the advisory committee voted unanimously to approve recommendation to the Planning Commission of the 1900 Broadway development, but deny recommendation of the 847 Woodside Road development.
Due to density bonus laws and others that promote affordable housing development in the area, there is minimal back-and-forth between project applicants and the advisory committee in an effort to speed along any effort for more housing.
Spotorno said he has not seen as much public concern over a project such as this during his 20- year tenure on the advisory committee. He ultimately agreed with residents’ concerns over the limited parking provided considering the limited public transportation nearby.
“I know they’re working on improving that, but in the meantime, it’s not bicycle friendly and it’s not pedestrian friendly. It was never intended to be pedestrian friendly and it’s going to take a lot of work to make it that,” Spotorno said. “I find this idea that this is a sustainable transit-oriented development to be completely misguided.”
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