Increased parks and open space, more bike and pedestrian facilities and affordable housing are the top three priorities of Redwood City residents offering their opinions online about a possible community benefits program.
That Redwood City Forum survey input, along with that culled at past and upcoming workshops, will help city officials narrow down if residents even want a community benefits program and, if so, what it should look like.
Such programs require developers to balance out the impact of their construction with more public amenities like green space or buildings, capital improvements like art and parks, affordable housing and prevailing wages. While becoming more common — especially since the dissolution of redevelopment agencies — there ere is no universal guidelines for such a benefits program because each community has its own unique needs, according to a report by Principal Planner Diana O’Dell to the Planning Commission.
As such, Redwood City officials and other stake holders are holding another public hearing Tuesday night to shape exactly what one could look like there. Using the feedback from the public and the Planning Commission, a Jan. 14 workshop will further establish target areas and priorities benefits. The council is expected to weigh in on a possible ordinance establishing the program early next year.
At an October community workshop with more than 60 participants, some voiced worry about the traffic and parking impacts of the downtown construction boom, according to O’Dell’s report.
Like their online counterparts, participants also mentioned affordable and senior housing and traffic/transportation mitigation among the priorities for a benefits program.
Currently, Redwood City’s economic consultants are also looking at the city’s market conditions and developments costs because benefits ideally are proportionate to a project’s impact.
The Planning Commission meets 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. Comments can also be shared at www.redwoodcity.org/rwcForum.
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