Redwood City senior housing plan gets an update after concern over height

On just over 1 acre of land, the new plan shortens the tall building from 30 stories and 350 feet tall down to 21 stories and 258 feet tall, and reduces the units from 313 to 222. Instead of two towers, only one is proposed.

The market-rate units will be split between independent living, assisted living and memory care designations. The development will also include approximately 1,200 square feet of retail space and 95 assisted parking spaces.

The need for senior housing is only growing, Stephen Reller, a partner at R&M Properties, said in a press release. Reller felt it was necessary to revise the proposal in response to community concerns over the initial height but still provide “badly needed” senior housing supply.

“Absent projects like ours, our seniors will face a housing crisis more dire than this population has ever experienced and potentially need to leave the region to find the kind of care and services that they will need,” Reller said.

The senior housing development is near the city’s pedestrian mall on Broadway between Jefferson Avenue and Main Street, and Caltrain is within walking distance.

“Our local seniors who have called the Peninsula home for decades deserve to remain connected to the community,” Reller said. “Our strategic location means that they will be able to enjoy the benefits of enjoying Redwood City’s thriving downtown while still getting the in-home care they need.”

Although the proposal is shorter than initially desired, the development will still become the tallest building in Redwood City if approved. The tallest apartment complex currently on the market is about 10 stories tall.

The previously proposed height was tall enough to require an aeronautical study from the Federal Aviation Administration, due to the development site’s proximity to the San Francisco International Airport. R&M Properties “ran into challenges” with the FAA, Reller said previously. The San Francisco Business Times reported in February that the FAA determined the towers would not be a hazard to air navigation.

R&M Properties is a Palo-Alto based firm that owns the Palo Alto Commons, a luxury retirement community with similar assisted living and memory care services as were proposed for the Redwood City site.

The development is still submitted as a state density bonus project, allowing developers to waive height and density limits outlined in the city’s Downtown Precise Plan — which limits heights to eight stories or 92 feet. The state density bonus allows for mixed-use housing projects that include senior housing flexibility from development standards to streamlining housing production.

The preliminary application must be considered and accepted before developers will submit a formal application, which will then kick off the approval process. Community engagement is underway to discuss ongoing feedback, according to the developer’s press release.

“We want to be good neighbors to Redwood City,” Reller said. “We want to seek out programs and opportunities for our residents to engage with and give back to the community.”