Redwood City Planning Commission Meeting: February 20, 2024
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Redwood City Planning Commission Meeting: February 20, 2024
The Planning Commission met on February 20, 2024, at 6:00 PM to conduct a public hearing on the 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR), a state-mandated report on the city's progress toward housing production goals. The commission voted unanimously to accept the APR and recommend that the City Council submit it to the California Department of Housing and Community Development by the April 1, 2024 deadline. The meeting adjourned at 6:53 PM.
Consent Calendar
- No items were on the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No in-person or emailed public comments were received for the public hearing or other agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Minutes (December 5, 2023): The minutes were approved unanimously (5-0) as submitted.
- Public Hearing: 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report: Staff presented an overview of the APR, which reports on housing entitlements, building permits, and progress toward the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 2023-2031 cycle. Key data points include:
- 586 housing units received building permits in the first year of the cycle, including 398 market-rate units at 1501 Broadway and 73 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
- RHNA allocations by income level: The city has exceeded its total RHNA allocation to date but has not yet met its pro-rata share in lower-income categories (very low, low, moderate).
- Completed projects include 353 Main Street (63 affordable units), 1305 El Camino Real (39 affordable units), and the County Navigation Center (240 beds).
- Upcoming projects include 1330 El Camino Real (130 rental units), 1201 Main Street (28 rental units), and 505 East Bay Shore (56 ownership units).
- Program achievements: Zoning updates for SB9, density increases, affordable housing streamlining, launch of an over-the-counter affordable housing preservation program with $6 million, and a $8 million NOFA for affordable housing production.
- Commission Discussion: Commissioners expressed pride in the progress but raised concerns about the pace of rezoning in high-opportunity areas (Program H1-4, study completion by December 2026). Commissioner Lazarus urged accelerating community engagement and mapping to ensure 2031 goals are met. Vice Chair Crnogorac noted that major zoning obstacles have already been removed. Commissioner Koch inquired about affordability covenant expirations at Franklin Street Apartments (31 affordable units, owner not interested in extending affordability). Staff clarified that the city is exploring options and that state law requires replacement of lost units under the no-net-loss program.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Accept the 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report: Moved by Vice Chair Crnogorac, seconded by Commissioner Koch. The motion passed 5-0 (Commissioner Chu absent). The commission recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to submit the APR to the State of California in compliance with Government Code Section 65400.
- Upcoming Meetings: Staff noted a City Council meeting on February 26, 2024, for a fee burden analysis, and a March 11, 2024, City Council meeting for the economic forecast and the APR presentation. The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for March 12, 2024.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Welcome everyone to our first meeting back from a long break. And what this is our planning commission meeting of February twentieth, twenty twenty-four. And it's good to see everyone here. We want to ensure that the city can continue to conduct the city's business in a matter that allows all residents to participate. And we will continue to evaluate our public comment procedures. Our public comment procedures are as follows. Public comment will be taken in person during the meeting or in advance via email to PC at redwoodcity.org. In-person speakers must turn in the speaker card to our admin or staff liaison of the diet dais to be recognized to speak. Please be sure to indicate the agenda item number you wish to speak on. In-person speakers will be called in the order in which speaker cards were turned in. Comments that were emailed to the uh address that I mentioned by 5 p.m. today may be read into the record by the staff liaison and will be made part of the final meeting record. And finally, both in-person and emailed comments are subject to the three-minute time limit. I will now turn it over to staff to call the roll. Thank you, Chair Hunter. Commissioner Alvarez. Here. Commissioner Chu is absent. Commissioner Koch. Here. Commissioner Lazarus. Here. Vice Chair Senna Garetz. Here. And Chair Hunter. Here. And so we have four commissioners in attendance this evening. Five. Five commissioners in attendance. For the purpose of this meeting, I would also state that I'm Sue X Line, Assistant Community Development and Transportation Director, and staff liaison to the Commission. Joining me online are John Francis, Principal Planner. Rick Jarvis, our consultant attorney, Chris and Elain Lancaster, our housing leadership manager. Here in person with us today, Christina Mateo, our administrative secretary, and Cynthia Martinez, our administrative clerk and meeting host. All right. Thank you. Item number two is public comments on the approval of minutes, consent items, matters of commission interest, and items not on the agenda. At this time, we will take public comment from those joining us in person only as we are temporarily suspending public comments provided by Zoom. I see no uh no hands raised. Um are there any comments received by email? All right, thank you. Um if there's no objection, I will now close the public comment. The next item in the agenda is the approval of the minutes. And I'd like to ask if there is a motion to approve the meeting minutes of December 5th, 2023. Still moved. Okay. Do we have a second? Okay. Commissioner Lazarus was the second. Can we have a roll call, please?
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