New hotel approved in Redwood City

The new project will also bring street improvements including new sidewalks, corner bulb-outs, 10 street trees and landscaping for stormwater treatment. The city is also expected to receive 12% of total revenue from the hotel annually through its hotel tax. 

The commission supported the project with Commissioner Isabella Chu lauding the low number of parking spots proposed. Chu regularly advocates for reduced parking, which she said encourages people to use alternative transportation. She also encouraged the developer to consider charging employees for parking by noting each spot costs about $400-$500 a month, which she said is far more expensive than a transit pass. 

“We’re entering into a new era. Nationally we’re seeing apocalyptic climate change. I personally didn’t think I’d see it in my lifetime and a third of emissions are automobiles. Anything we can do to reduce automobile use is a good thing and there’s nobody in a better position to reduce automobile use than wealthy coastal metros. We’re in the strongest position to make those changes so reducing parking spaces drives car use,” Chu said, noting the project is within a 12-minute walk of downtown and public transit.

Vice Chair Filip Crnogorac agreed with Chu’s emphasis around reducing vehicle trips and suggested Patel could incentivize employees to use public transit with other benefits. He also shared hope the additional hotel rooms could help alleviate housing issues by adding more spaces for people to turn to when in need rather than “more informal” housing situations. 

Meanwhile, Commissioner Rudy Espinoza Murray shared his support for the project, which he said will support the local economy and also encouraged the developer to connect with local labor groups and employ union construction workers. 

“It’s a great project. It brings business to the city of Redwood City that also supports our small businesses,” Espinoza Murray said. “I do think it’s really, really important that y’all communicate to our local labor unions. They’re integral to our community.” 

The project had previously received city approval but those entitlements lapsed in March of 2022 after the applicant did not pull building permits. In addition to a global shift in economic conditions during the pandemic, Patel said one of his contractors was unbondable and he was unable to secure financing from a bank, which led him to put off the project. 

The commission also approved an application from Haylong Shue to modify a historic building at 1100 El Camino Real from a former dry cleaner to a dine-in restaurant. The project will include adding a second floor to the existing 2,754-square-foot building. 

Roy’s Drive-in Cleaners has occupied the space since it was built in 1941, leading the city to designate the site as a historic resource in 2010. While the use of the site will change from a dry cleaners to a hot pot restaurant, Shue plans to retain the business’s historic sign.