Housing plan at Docktown resubmitted: Developer wants to build 157 townhomes east of Highway 101 in Redwood City

That future blueprint, though, has yet to be approved by the City Council, meaning the townhome project submitted by Watt Communities falls under the city’s current general plan zoning rules.

The general plan rules do allow for some mixed-use residential in the area but the Inner Harbor Specific Plan, upon approval, could allow for much denser uses and taller buildings in the area.

Watt has two choices, either wait for the council to vet and approve the specific plan or seek a zoning amendment now under the general plan to proceed forward, said Community Development Director Aaron Aknin.

A zoning amendment request would require public hearings, Planning Commission approval and finally City Council approval.

It will likely be another six months before the Inner Harbor Specific Plan is approved, Aknin said.

The project submitted with the city lists the address as 1548 Maple St., which is technically the current address for the houseboat community that calls the Docktown Marina home.

The houseboat community, however, is in violation of the public trust and, without a legislative solution, will likely cease to exist in 2018 due to a settlement the city made with a local attorney based on a complaint the marina was illegal.

Renderings of Watt’s proposal submitted to the city show 31 proposed three-story buildings, with eight of them lining up alongside Redwood Creek, facing Marina One, where most of the liveaboards at Docktown currently float on the water.

Watt’s renderings, however, do not show any of Docktown’s current features such as the yacht club.

The developer has had its eye on building on the site, owned by Jay Franklin Salaman, for years, said Watt’s Max Frank.

And the project has been designed, he said, with Docktown in mind.

“The design provides land-side access for Docktown residents to still access their liveaboards during any transition,” Frank said.

With a high demand for housing in the area, he said, the Maple Street project, with 157 townhomes for sale, would be a valuable asset to the city.

“It’s a great piece of property but it’s underutilized,” Frank said.

The draft Inner Harbor Specific Plan calls for adding 1.2 million square feet of offices and 4,880 new jobs at Harbor View Place.

The plan also calls for adding 1,211 residents in 550 new housing units.

The Jay Paul Company proposes to build four nine-story buildings and three parking structures with more than 4,000 parking spaces.

Building heights in the area could reach up to 131 feet.

Within the plan area, there are three private property parcels where new construction could take place including the Docktown property and east of the new county jail where Malibu Grand Prix previously existed.

The third site is the Ferrari property near the Graniterock facility, which is considered the best spot for a floating home community in the future.

The plan also includes improved connections in and out of the harbor area.

bill@smdailyjournal.com

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