Redwood City forms new Transit District

Spanning more than 16 acres in the heart of downtown Redwood City, the new Transit District will become the site of more than a million square feet of office space, another million square feet of housing, improved bicycle and pedestrian access and better connectivity between the city’s existing downtown and shopping along El Camino that’s largely separated by Caltrain’s current Sequoia Station.

To bring the plan to fruition, the council had to amend its General Plan and Downtown Precise Plan to allow for more residential and commercial projects to be built given that development caps built into the 2011 document have recently been met.

Lowe, the developer behind the office, housing and retail additions, formally submitted plans to the city to build 1.23 million square feet of office space, 166,600 square feet of retail space and up to 631 housing units across six blocks, four office buildings and two blocks of residential.

Project Planner Lindy Chan said the developer would adhere to existing zoning height requirements, meaning structures couldn’t be taller than 12 stories tall. Interested in still preserving an open feeling in the area, staff proposed the structures be set back at 25 feet rather than the current 35 foot requirement.

“We’re focused on making sure it’s a positive addition to the downtown and not detracting from it,” Transportation Manager Jessica Manzi said.

The area is the only part of town that allows building heights of 10 to 12 stories, however, Vice Mayor Diana Reddy said developers previously assured her structures would be built at lower heights. Staff noted more specifics on the project proposal would be discussed in future meetings.

Similarly, more details on Caltrain’s plans to upgrade Sequoia Station will be laid out in future discussions. The formation of the Transit District, however, sets the stage for the station to be shifted toward the Perry Street parking lot. The transit agency has plans to upgrade and expand its service in the coming years, which will include separating tracks from roads, moving its station slightly north and adding two additional tracks to the downtown station.

Dahlia Chazan, deputy chief of planning for Caltrain, told councilmembers the agency fully supports the Transit District vision and looks forward to being a partner in the district’s formation. Additional positive comments were shared during the meeting, with many lauding the new transit-oriented housing that will be built.

But some also shared concerns the proposed housing would do little to offset the massive amount of office space being proposed. Reddy shared similar concerns, noting experts estimate that about four low-income employees are needed in a building for every tech worker employed.

She and Councilmember Diane Howard both noted the developer and staff have made substantial changes to the Transit District and project proposal by reducing office numbers while increasing housing square footage.

“I do believe they have listened to the community and your outreach has brought a lot of interesting changes that I think will make the project even better, much better than the project was originally proposed,” Howard said.

Still, councilmembers said they’d like to continue to discuss portions of the project in the future including speaking more with mom-and-pop businesses that may be impacted by the new development and the potential to turn Franklin Street into a pedestrian and bicycle boulevard.

Manzi has raised concerns about closing off Franklin to vehicles, suggesting the move could cause congestion and access issues on other streets. Meanwhile, Chan said staff envisions Hamilton Street serving a similar purpose.

Acknowledging existing concerns, councilmembers still voted 6-0 to approve the formation of the Transit District with Councilmember Jeff Gee recused, arguing the benefits outweigh the potential impacts.

“This is very much a holistic approach,” Espinoza-Garnica said. “It’s not perfect and it’s not going to save our housing crisis and it will have impacts but I think it’s going to have great benefits.”