Tuesday, November 24, 2015

San Carlos Grows Weary of Chain Stores, Seeks to Protect Laurel Street

San Carlos City Council is looking to make it more difficult for chain stores to find a home on Laurel Street.
Councilman Cameron Johnson has proposed that chain stores be required to obtain a conditional use permit until the City can update zoning codes that put them under a greater level of scrutiny before being allowed to open.  The proposal, if passed, would go into effect for 45 days while city staff works on putting together permanent zoning codes.
The conditional use permit would require a public hearing to decide whether the chain store is appropriate for downtown SC or not.
This proposal comes amid concerns among some San Carlos residents that the Peninsula's booming economy, and the increased development interest that has come along with it, could lead to the displacement of the mom-and-pop style shops that give downtown San Carlos its character.
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The concerns aren't entirely unfounded - Plantation Coffee Roastery, First Impressions Salon and Mi Ranchita Restaurant have all been given a 90-day notice to vacate so the new owner of 652 Laurel Street, JMS Development, can carry out renovations.  JMS owns several other buildings on Laurel Street and leases to chains like Peet's Coffee and Paxti Pizza.
The San Carlos Chamber of Commerce has yet to take a formal stance on the issue.  Currently, chain stores do not trigger any greater review than independently owned businesses in downtown San Carlos.

UPDATE:  The city has unanimously approved the urgency ordinance requiring conditional use permits for 45 days as permanent zoning codes are hammered out.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Development Proposal Unveiled for Aging RWC Shopping Center

Back in June, Cupertino-based Sobrato Organization closed on the purchase of an 11.2-acre shopping center in Redwood City - between Broadway and Bay, off Woodside Road.  The  aging plaza is currently home to a CVS, Big Lots, Foods Co. and few other shops.
Screenshot 2015-11-11 15.39.01
Last Friday, Sobrato unveiled their proposal for the land.  The mixed-use development - which they have dubbed the Broadway Plaza - would call for the construction of 400 apartment units, 420,000 S/F of office, and 19,000 S/F of retail.  As a part of the deal negotiated between Sobrato and the previous ownership group (which included CVS), CVS will acquire a new store at the corner of Woodside and Bay.
The residential component would be closest to Chestnut Street, with the buildings rising up to 6 stories.  Ground floor apartments will feature stoops to give the project a "softer edge".  This will also help it mesh with the residential neighborhood that will face the development from the other side of Chestnut.
The office component would consist of two large buildings - one at 200,000 S/F, and the other at 220,000 S/F.  In between the office buildings and the apartments, there would be a 40,000 S/F landscaped space open to the public.
The proposal includes 1,860 parking stalls, only 40 of which are above ground, and all of which are shared - meaning residents and guests can park in the office spots during nights and weekends, and workers can park in unassigned residential spots during the day.
Screenshot 2015-11-11 16.13.21
In a phone interview with the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Rob Hollister, the President of Real Estate for Sobrato, said the mixed use development approach is a way of addressing the concerns about traffic and lack of housing in Redwood City.  It reduces traffic because it "give[s] people the chance to live where they work and shop where they live”.    And it addresses the shortage of housing simply by virtue of the fact that there will be 400 more housing units than there would have been were the shopping center left as-is.
Traffic concerns aside (of which there will surely be plenty), this development could also lead to resident opposition stemming from concern for a loss in affordable shopping.  Both Big Lots and Foods Co. are "bargain" grocery/department chains.  Either way, this project is still a ways out as some of the plaza's current tenants are locked in for a couple of years.  Don'y expect to see this project move forward until '17-'18.
What's Next: Redwood City will review the proposal to verify that it complies with their General Plan, at which point they will initiate an environmental impact report.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Habitat for Humanity to Begin RWC Affordable Condo Development Mid-2016

Back in February, Redwood City announced plans to distribute $4.5 million to four separate affordable housing projects.  One of these projects was a condominium development at 612 Jefferson which would be primarily funded by Habitat for Humanity.

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A rough timeline for this development has been posted to Habitat for Humanity's website, indicating that construction would begin mid-2016, with homes for sale sometime in 2017.  The development will consist of 20 condominium homes (a mix of 1, 2, & 3 bedrooms), and will be offered to families earning up to 80% of the area's median income.

The location of the development couldn't be any more ideal (for those who enjoy city-living).  612 Jefferson is just three blocks away from the courthouse square, and walking distance from all that downtown RWC has to offer.

Fun fact: per a tweet sent out earlier today by outgoing RWC Vice-Mayor Rosanne Foust, "with the Jefferson Ave project Redwood City will have 71 Habitat homes, the most of any City in San Mateo County".

Empty lot at 612 Jefferson - click to enlarge

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

RWC Gains Voter Approval of $193 Million School Bond

San Mateo County's first all-mail election resulted in a 62.5% in favor vote on Measure T, the $193 million bond that will be used to upgrade and repair Redwood City schools.  See below for info on how the RCSD plans to use the bond:Measure T