170 likes | 297 Views
What is Measure Q?. Measure Q is a vote on whether to change current zoning to create a Planned Community District that: Increases building heights from the current maximum of 75 feet to 240 feet - triple the height
E N D
What is Measure Q? • Measure Q is a vote on whether to change current zoning to create a Planned Community District that: • Increases building heights from the current maximum of 75 feet to 240 feet - triple the height • Increases density from the current maximum of 43 units per acre to 61 units per acre - 47% increase in density • Allows over 10 acres of navigable water and wetland bay to be filled. • Enables construction of up to 17 towers between 20-23 stories tall. Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Big and Isolated • Extreme height on a small land footprint • Triples General Plan height limits • Taller than the tallest Oracle building • More skyscrapers of this height than Sacramento or San Jose • Limited access • Currently only one small access road • No relief • Proposed Blomquist extension expected to be overburdened when it opens • Inaccessible to transit • Dense • 1,930 luxury condos • More than 4,000 people • More than 14,000 new car trips PER DAY on already burdened roads • Within 100 yards of Bair Island Wildlife Refuge Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Inappropriate Development • Contrary to City’s strategic plan for housing • General Plan: Encourage housing downtown • Emphasize proximity to transit • Emphasize proximity to services • Downtown Plan • Invest in an active and vital city center • Courthouse Square • Library • Theater district • Redwood City’s General Plan • Residential development should be located only where services and facilities can be provided. (Land Use Policy L-1, page 6-5) • Higher residential densities should be promoted at locations near or within commercial and financial centers, and transportation terminals. (Land Use Policy L-3, page 6-5) Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Views From Bair Island Future view? Irrevocably changed skyline Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Effects of Measure Q • Environmental Impact Report (EIR) list 88 negative impacts. • Traffic • Water • Environment • Privatize Marinas • 27 are Significant and Unmitigatable Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Traffic Impacts • Limited access • Whipple is only freeway on/off ramp • Congestion on 101, Whipple, Woodside, Veterans, Broadway • Difficult transit access • Required shuttle and buses will be inadequate; half cost paid by SamTrans, not expected to work. Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Water Impact • Redwood City is currently using approx. 1000 a.f. of water more than its SFPUC allocation (12,000 a.f.). • RC cannot guarantee the water supply for this project • Marina Shores Village would use an additional 482 a.f. of water (4% of allocation) • 458 a.f for residential use (95% of usage, 3.8% of allocation) • 24 a.f. for landscape irrigation (5% of usage, 0.2% of allocation) • Marina Shores $10M is standard ‘tap fee’ for connecting to City services for a development of this size. This is a required payment, not an “investment.” Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Water Supply • Nothing will increase the City’s drinking water. • All water is from Hetch Hetchy through the SF PUC • RC has attempted to purchase additional supply, to no avail. • We are under pressure to get back within the allocation. • Drought or shortage would require immediate 12% cutback without Marina Shores, 15% with Marina Shores. The pro-rata share of cutback would be in addition to this. • EIR Section 10 Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Emergency Water Supply • The height of the towers, density of the development and distance from other emergency supplies result in the requirement for on-site emergency water supplies to meet minimum fire safety standards. • Emergency supplies would be dedicated for use of Marina Shores and the 2 small existing developments. • There would be no excess capacity for other Redwood City residents. (EIR Section 10) Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Recycled Water • Recycled water facility • Being built to address existing overuse • Goal to recycle 1,600 AF/Yr, slightly more than our current over-use of Hetch Hetchy water. • Cost will be greater than $50M • Primary users are industrial sites east of Hwy 101 • All new construction east of 101 required to include recycled component • Is not planned to serve RC west of 101 • Only 5% of Marina Shores water usage is applicable for recycled water Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Parks and Open Space? • City Requirements for parkland • General Plan: 1.75 acres per thousand residents • General Plan: expected to be increased to 2.25 a/1000 • Precise Plan: 6.8 acres of parks and open space (1.7 a/1000) • Parks and Open Space Inclusions at MSV (p27-29 of Precise Plan) • 3.5 acres that is UNDERWATER - the marinas • 1.3 acres under the existing power transmission towers • 1.5 acres for required hardscape walkways at edges of development • 0.5 acres at Point Park Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Parks and Open Space? • EIR: this open space “would not provide any of the typical neighborhood or community park amenities provided at other parks in the city.” Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Redwood City/Marina Shores • Redwood City median income: • City-wide annual: $66,748 • City-wide Monthly: $5,562 • Redwood Shores annual: $100,683 • Redwood Shores monthly: $8,390 • Requirements at Marina Shores: • Low income • Annual income: $56,550 • Monthly payment: $1,550 • Moderate Income • Annual income: $109,800 • Monthly payment: $2,768 Redwood City Planning Dept., Sept 2003 Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Housing Affordability • Starting Salary Ranges • Firefighter: $65,016 • Librarian: $40,104 • Police: $71,184 • Nurse (County General): $69,216 • Teacher: $37,762 Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Intentional Deception • None of developers images show the skyscrapers: the primary characteristic of the development • There is no description of the size of the project • Literature, web site talk about the • “creation of parks and open space” • “increased water supply” • “traffic improvements will reduce traffic” • “affordable housing” • None of it is true. Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
Conclusion: Measure Q is a Bad Deal. • It is not a village. The height, density and cumulative impact are inappropriate and intolerable. • It creates traffic congestion, environmental degradation and visual degradation for all area residents. • It will significantly strain the City’s already over-taxed water supply. • It does not provide amenities to Redwood City residents. • It does not offer appropriately priced low and affordable housing. Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises
NO on Measure Q • Developer is asking Redwood City residents to accept a completely out-of-scale development with horrific environmental, traffic and other impacts • Majority of residents recoil from height and density Vote NO on Measure Q Committee Against Measure Q/ People for Housing Not High-rises