Redwood City Council Hearing on Harbor View Project - July 24, 7 pm, Council Chambers

The Redwood City City Council will be hearing a request by Jay Paul Company to initiate a General Plan amendment for the Harbor View Project on:
Monday, July 24, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall
1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City

The public will have an opportunity to provide comments at the meeting. Meeting materials can be found here (click on item 8B).

Jay Paul Company has been seeking permission to build a massive technology office complex on the former Malibu Grand Prix and Lyngso properties, just across Seaport Blvd. from the Cargill salt ponds. The project will consist of four 7-story office towers, totaling nearly 1.2 million square feet (more than double the office capacity allocated for downtown Redwood City), an amenities building, and two parking structures with capacity for more than 3800 vehicles. If the Council decides to let the project move forward, a project review process will begin, which will include preparation of an Environmental Impact Report with public review and comment, and future consideration by the Planning Commission and City Council. If the Council decides not to approve Jay Paul's request, the project cannot be built, because the proposal is inconsistent with the General Plan's Light Industrial land use and associated zoning for the site.

We strongly believe that this is the wrong project in the wrong place. There are many reasons to oppose amending the General Plan for this project, but most significantly, this huge project will become the hub of a major jobs center on the bayfront, that will also include the existing Pacific Shores and Seaport Center campuses. This change will negatively impact Port and associated industrial operations, further clog traffic around the Woodside Road/101 interchange, and produce many of the same negative impacts to our community that Saltworks presented. Even more concerning, with the huge housing demand this project will generate, it will be easier for Cargill to "sell" a major local housing project on the salt ponds to a community that is desperate for housing.

RCNU has joined with Committee for Green Foothills and several individuals to draft a letter to the City Council detailing the many reasons why a General Plan Amendment should not be granted; we are asking that the Council keep the existing land use in place. You can view the letter here. Because of the huge public relations campaign that Jay Paul is mounting, it is essential that the Council hear from concerned residents who can see past the developer spin.

What you can do:
Attend and speak at the July 24 City Council Meeting, or send comments to the Council (council@redwoodcity.org) and tell the Council Members not to grant Jay Paul's request.  If you agree with our letter, please feel free to use any of our “talking points”, or simply let Council know in your email that you support RCNU's stand that the current land use for the site should remain in place. All Redwood City residents have a real opportunity right now to make a stand for the industrial heart of Redwood City and the health of our Bay.