Redwood City withdraws plans for large developments

Previously submitted plans included two towers — one 30 stories and 350 feet tall, the other eight stories and 100 feet — located at 1800 Broadway and 910 Marshall St., and would include 313 market-rate units and a memory care facility. The plans also included 2,000 square feet of supporting retail space and 151 private parking spaces for residents with valet and shuttle services.

The goal for developers is to return with an updated proposal that is “more palatable to the local community,” Reller said in a statement.

“We do intend to return to the City with a revised proposal that will be reduced in scale but that will still represent a substantial contribution to badly needed senior housing supply,” Reller said. “This will allow us to still meet our project goals while meeting certain parameters for project viability.”

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, but did not elaborate. The San Francisco Business Times reported Feb. 7 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 would have been the tallest building in Redwood City and could pose concerns for residents or city officials worried about it towering over the downtown.

Submitted as a state density bonus project, developers were planning to waive height and density limits as outlined in the city’s Downtown Precise Plan — which limit 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 streamline the production of needed housing.

Proposals were originally submitted by R&M Properties in March 2024.