Redwood City land swap considered for navigation center

“To me, a land swap is a testament of partnership between city and county to address a very important challenge and it’s an opportunity for our society,” Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre said during the virtual meeting. 

Councilmembers largely voiced support for the second of three land swap options developed by city and county staff and the City Owned Property Ad Hoc Committee, on which Mayor Diane Howard, Vice Mayor Shelly Masur and Councilman Ian Bain sit. Option 2 would give the county ownership of 2.2 acres of 1402 Maple St., retaining nearly 10 acres of land for a public green space and waterfront access. 

Option 3 gained some council support as well and would provide the county with 2.4 acres of land for a navigation center, leaving the city with 9.5 acres. The first option consisted of the original county proposal which would have traded all of 1580 Maple St. for county ownership of 3.29 acres of 1402 Maple St. In each option, the county would assist in developing the Blomquist extension, which would benefit both city and county facilities, said Councilwoman Janet Borgens. 

When the item was first brought forward in July, four councilmembers did not support moving forward with the proposal because councilmembers felt a robust public discussion was neglected. Cuncilwomen Diana Reddy, Shelly Masur and Giselle Hale said they would vote to approve the deal, citing urgency to use a CARES Act funding opportunity being offered to the county that was set to expire within weeks of the discussion. 

County Manager Mike Callagy informed the council Monday that all CARES Act funds must be spent by Dec. 31, requiring the county to have the site completely developed and occupied by the end of the year. He noted housing needs are also urgent and growing, particularly in Redwood City which is home to the highest number of unsheltered residents. 

“Redwood City has just over twice as many homeless than any other city [in the county] and with the exception of those living in cars, Redwood City leads really in all categories with twice as many people residing on the street than any other city,” said Callagy, comparing Redwood City to the next five jurisdictions with the highest population of unsheltered residents, including Pacifica, East Palo Alto, San Mateo, Daly City and coastal unincorporated areas.  

Addressing community and council concerns for the site location, Callagy said officials have searched all over the county for a suitable place for a navigation center, ultimately deciding either 1580 Maple St. or 1402 Maple St. would be the best options. Noting concerns for the Granite Rock raw materials processing plant nearby, Callagy said he’s been in conversation with the facility owner and is confident “we can make this work.”  

If the city was unwilling to agree to a deal, the county would develop a navigation center at the 1580 Maple St. location, though at higher density than desired. Following council direction to pursue Option 2, staff will return to the council at a later date with a formal land swap proposal. 

In other business, the county voted to continue the discussion around approval for an 8.3-acre development proposed by Greystar Real Estate Partners. Following Bain’s suggestion, the council agreed the proposal deserved a robust conversation that could not be held at midnight, the time the council adjourned. 

The item will be taken up during the next council meeting on Nov. 16, in which public comment will not be held, having been concluded during this Monday’s meeting. Some public speakers, including those in the housing nonprofit sector, shared support for the development while many others also raised concerns the proposal lacked sufficient public green space and the additional office units would exacerbate the city’s housing shortage. 

“I think between the living wage jobs that will build this project and the housing and child care it creates, I think that this is a good project as we move towards a recovery,” said Hale, the only councilmember to speak on the item before it was continued. 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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Note to readers: This story has been changed to reflect inaccurate information from a staff report. The council did not take a vote on the land swap proposal during its July meeting and Councilwoman Diana Reddy supported the original proposal.