Redwood City 480-unit development approved

SyRes Properties LLC, the developer behind the project at 557 E. Bayshore Road, plans to build two five-story residential buildings and a 95,000-square-foot fitness center with a 15,000-square-foot child care center for members and an additional 54,000 square feet of outdoor fitness space on a 14.36-acre lot.

While the VallSports site will include two pools, the residential portion of the project will also feature a pool and another 15,000-square-foot fitness center for tenants. A 60-foot-wide pedestrian promenade will connect the residential and commercial spaces and could be used for farmers’ markets and other community events.

In bracing for sea-level rise in the area, the developer has proposed raising the site 3 feet and a new walkway located further up from the shoreline that will connect to the Bay Trail, creating a new path in case water takes over the existing trail along the property line.

The site, dubbed an “eyesore” by commission Chair Rick Hunter, was once home to a 12-screen movie theater and, in more recent years, has served as a car dealership inventory lot.

In drafting the project designs, Glen Ceridono, senior vice president of SyREN Properties, said the objective was to create a project with spacious units for its tenants and a welcoming presence to the broader community outside.

Disbursed across both residential buildings will be 114 studios, 232 one-bedroom and 134 two-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 510 for studios up to 1,201 square feet for the two-bedroom units. Of those units, 80 will be listed below market rate and also evenly disbursed across both buildings and each floor.

“These are not small units where we’re trying to pack people into sardine cans. We’re really trying to make this something that will be lasting and beneficial to us as an owner but also the city,” Ryan said. “The whole idea here is we wanted to build a very welcoming project.”

But the proposal received mixed reviews from community members during Tuesday’s meeting. Many participants implored the commission to deny the project, citing concerns the project would exacerbate traffic issues to Bair Island, which currently has one road in, would negatively impact the environment and would place new residents in a part of town with few amenities.

Meanwhile, supporters of the proposal noted the project would bring in much-needed housing to the city, particularly affordable housing. The units would help the city achieve residential development goals set by the state through its housing element process. City staff is currently planning for nearly 6,900 new homes to be built or proposed in the coming decade.

Commissioners agreed with both groups but ultimately decided to approve the project after noting it largely complies with city development standards and regulations that, thanks to the state’s Housing Accountability Act, requires them to approve the project as a whole.

“There has been the sentiment that we’re not listening and we’re not hearing you. I will say I have been listening and heard you. At the same time, we have certain rules, guidelines, parameters in which we may even make decisions and operate,” Commissioner Kevin Bondonno said, noting he’s seen the project evolve since first being prosed in 2015. “We don’t get to do this in any fashion that we like.”

Before granting approval, commissioners did note some thoughts and concerns. Chu, an advocate for doing away with parking minimums and improving pedestrian and bike mobility, encouraged the developer to make its new trail as visible and pleasant to pass through as possible.

She also acknowledged the state is moving away from parking requirements and shared hope that surface parking included in the project would transform over time. Similarly, she suggested market forces would determine whether VallSports is a viable business in the area.

Vice Chair Filip Crnogorac, acknowledging concerns residents raised about building multiple pools in the project during a drought, argued the amenities will actually use much less water compared to the thousands of gallons of water that will be used by the new residents. Instead, he suggested the pools and fitness center balanced out a need for recreational activities in the area.

Hunter, noting his own support and concerns with the project, encouraged the developer to continue exploring “areas of opportunity,” such as building a bridge over a drainage area owned by Pacific Gas and Electric to create a more direct bike path downtown and expanding child care access to gym members to all-day service rather than just while the member is exercising.

But most importantly, Hunter noted the urgent need for the city and its partners, especially as more development comes to Bair Island, is to begin and complete its Blomquist Extension project, which would create another entry and exit point for Bair Island.

“There are significant problems many of which are beyond the developer’s control. The main issue is traffic as there are an ever-increasing number of residents out at the Bair Island neighborhoods and it’s still only served by one road,” Hunter said. “Every new neighborhood like this one and maybe the one that’s going to be at Allen Steel makes it even more urgent that the Blomquist extension is built as soon as possible and I strongly urge, I hope as much as I can, that that happens.”