Special Joint Meeting: Planning Commission & HRAC - February 18, 2025
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Special Joint Meeting of the Redwood City Planning Commission and Historic Resources Advisory Committee – February 18, 2025
This was a special joint meeting held from 6:00 PM to 6:58 PM on February 18, 2025. The agenda included a presentation on the HEART of San Mateo County affordable housing preservation program and an update on the Mills Act Contracts program. No public comments were made on either item. Both bodies provided feedback and discussion, but no formal actions were taken.
Presentation: HEART of San Mateo County (Item 3.A)
- Audrey Washington (Don Horsley Housing Fellow) and Mac Hart (Program Manager) presented HEART (Housing Endowment and Regional Trust) – a nonprofit and joint powers authority celebrating its 20th anniversary. Every city in San Mateo County, including Redwood City, is a dues-paying member.
- HEART’s housing preservation program buys pre-existing occupied properties, adds deed restrictions, and contracts with property managers experienced in low-income housing. The first acquisition was an 8-unit property in the Stambaugh-Heller neighborhood in July 2024.
- Financing for that project: ~1/3 state funds, ~1/3 conventional multifamily debt, and ~1/3 from Redwood City’s housing preservation loan program. Total project costs per unit (~$1 million) are comparable to ground-up affordable developments, but preservation avoids displacement and long construction timelines.
- Income levels are set per unit (AMI limits). Existing tenants do not have to move; as units turn over, new tenants must meet income qualifications. Tenants who already qualify can stay; if income increases above the limit, they may no longer qualify but could move to a higher-income unit if available.
- Discussion: Questions about membership obligations (annual dues ~$260K countywide, proportional per city), the potential impact of federal administration changes on funding (uncertain, but county funds like Measure K appear stable), and the high cost of new construction.
- No votes were taken; this was an informational presentation.
Presentation & Discussion: Mills Act Contracts Update (Item 3.B)
- Senior Planner Ryan Kuchenig presented an update on the Mills Act program, which provides property tax relief to owners of qualified historic properties who commit to their preservation. Redwood City adopted the program in 1990.
- Since 1990, 37 contracts have been granted: ~80% single-family (28 properties), 7 multi-family, and 2 commercial. One contract (127 Finger Ave.) was canceled in 2021 due to a fire. Contracts are recorded against the property and transfer with sale.
- Annual self-reporting forms are due each January; in 2025, 23 of 35 active contracts (excluding the two most recent) submitted forms. Staff is following up with the remaining owners. Five-year inspections are underway and expected to be completed by end of 2025; inspections so far show compliance with planned improvements, but some exterior maintenance issues (overgrown vegetation, deteriorated paint) need follow-up.
- Potential next steps discussed: incorporating the program into the historic preservation ordinance, formalizing review procedures, establishing clear yearly reporting and inspection protocols, and defining a revocation process for non-compliance.
- Discussion: Commissioners and committee members emphasized the need for better outreach to property owners (many are unaware of the program), clearer enforcement mechanisms (including possible fines for non-compliance), and broader eligibility criteria (e.g., moving from a “pre-1940” threshold to “over 50 years old”). Concerns were raised about the lack of awareness even among property managers; one committee member noted they managed a Mills Act property for years without knowing. Staff noted that state law provides significant penalties (up to 12% of assessed value) for contract breach, but enforcement requires council action. Input will be incorporated into a presentation to the City Council on March 10, 2025, and into the pending ordinance update.
- No votes were taken.
Key Outcomes
- No formal actions or votes were taken during this meeting.
- Staff received feedback from both bodies to guide the upcoming City Council presentation (March 10, 2025) and the update to the historic preservation ordinance.
- The Chair requested that staff update the joint bodies on council action regarding the Mills Act program and suggested revisiting the topic in a future joint meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Right. Are we okay with it? Yes. Okay. All right. Good evening, and thank you for joining our February eighteenth, twenty twenty-five special joint meeting with the planning commission and the Historic Resources Advisory Committee. Items will be taken in the order that listed on the agenda. Comments on the agenda items will be taken only when that item is called. We're continuing to offer in-person and remote options for planning commission meetings. However, due to the continued recent disruptions during public comment, at open meetings throughout our region and state, we've modified our public comment procedures. The city welcomes public comments and topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction, and this can be provided in person during the meeting or by email ahead of the meeting. At this time, we're temporarily suspending public comment provided by Zoom. We want to ensure that the city can continue to conduct city business in a manner that allows all residents to participate, and we will continue to evaluate public comment procedures. Our public comment procedures are as follows. Public comment will be taken in person during the meeting or in advance. We are emailed to PC at Redwood City.org. In-person speakers might must turn in their speaker card to our admin or staff liaison at a 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 which the speaker cards are turned in. A lot of text. Comments that were emailed to PC at RubberCity.org 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. Both in-person and email comments are subject to three-minute time limit. I will now turn it over to staff to call the role. Good evening, everyone. Commissioner Cornejo. Here. Commissioner Finch. Here. Commissioner Hunter? Here. Commissioner Koch? Here. And Chair Sunogaretz. Present. And now for the HRAC roll call. Committee member Figuera. Here. Committee member Weber. Here. Vice Chair Babbitt. Here. And Chair Goldman. Here. Absent this evening is committee member Clebe. So for the purposes of this meeting, I'll state that I'm Sue Xine. I'm the assistant community development director. And liaison to the planning commission. Other staff attending this evening are Jen Byers, Assistant City Attorney. Ryan Kuchenick, senior planner and liaison to the HRAC.
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