The concern about office construction

There are many factors and one could probably begin a dayslong argument over which ones were the biggest — Proposition 13 and the fiscalization of land use, zoning rules, the post-war fixation on automobile-oriented development, the suburban mindset, the preservation of open space, the dissolution of redevelopment agencies, the reduction in federal housing money, the mass influx of new jobs, etc.

Yet here we are. The zeitgeist seems to be that housing is needed now, offices not so much. After all, this area did not absorb the recent influx of new workers very well. We are at a saturation point. Tech companies previously concerned simply with whatever it was they were trying to do now have some interest in helping to solve the housing crisis they helped create. This shows some progress, or at least some realization that any new offices should have commensurate housing to ensure we don’t move past the tipping point. If there were to be a bumper sticker, it would read: Housing good; offices bad.

So it is with much interest that we follow the Harbor View proposal in Redwood City. The proposal, which recently received a look-see by the City Council this week, includes 1.2 million square feet of office space within four seven-story buildings at 320-350 Blomquist St. — formerly the space of the beloved Malibu Grand Prix.

The general sense is that the developer, Jay Paul, has done his homework and is looking to provide a large amount of sweeteners in the form of $50 million in community benefits‚ including a $12.4 million donation to the St. Francis Center for affordable housing and money for traffic improvements including at the problematic Woodside Road/Highway 101 intersection. That’s real money for real needs.

However, this proposal seems to be a blast from the past, when cities were desperately looking for office buildings and corporate tenants to help dig out of the economic downturn. While there is always a need for economic development, and office construction is part of that, there is a more pronounced need for housing in the area. As a small aside, there is also need for community recreation facilities, similar perhaps to what Malibu provided, but that ship has sailed.

It also seems that there is some concern about contamination and proximity to the highway and that could preclude housing. Yet, there are housing developments nearby and contamination has not been a concern in other areas such as the Brisbane Baylands proposal. Some amount of soil remediation could be in order. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds it odd that contaminated soil is OK for people to spend time nearby working, but not living.

There is also concern about encroachment into the light industrial area, where the port operates and where a variety of jobs can be found. The Peninsula has an interesting relationship with light industrial areas. On one hand, they could be perceived as unsightly and a poor land use where there are other needs. On the other hand, they provide a nice counterbalance to the recent emphasis on tech and serve to diversify not only revenue streams but employment opportunities. Additionally, light industrial areas provide a place for locally owned auto repair shops, home improvement providers and a variety of non-office startups, among others. From my perspective, light industrial areas allow for a diverse business environment while also providing for local service industries — which, believe it or not, help with traffic. However, at times, I wonder how much of the pronounced love of light industrial areas is actually rooted in fear of more traffic if it changes.

With Harbor View, it was interesting to see the council look upon it with such concern over the impact so many offices will bring and whether those impacts could be mitigated.

However, I suspect something will get built there. There has been too much investment and there is too much opportunity. What it will be is still unknown, but I’m guessing housing will find a way to make it in despite the current wariness of it. If it does, suddenly this becomes a more palatable project. Just remember the bumper sticker.

Jon Mays is the editor in chief of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jon@smdailyjournal.com.