STOP REDWOOD LIFE STATEMENT OF POSITION

The new Longfellow Redwood LIFE plan must conform to Redwood City General Plan 2010 Built Environment Policies “BE” 1.1, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.8 (below). These policies govern the design and aesthetics for a new development in relation to its surroundings.  The 3.3 million square feet Redwood LIFE development proposed by Longfellow violated all these policies.

When the Redwood City Council approved the Westport Plan in 1995, the Council was aware of the surrounding residential developments, all of which were completed in the 1980’s. The Westport Specific Plan mitigated the Westport development’s impact on its neighbors by limiting building heights to 2 stories in zones near Marine Parkway and 3 stories in the zone near Belmont Slough (below).  The Westport Specific Plan also required “dense landscaping” around the periphery of the campus and required a landscape buffer along the southerly boundary (Marine Parkway) of the property.

The implementation of similar landscaping and reasonable building heights is necessary to bring the new Longfellow Redwood LIFE development into conformity with the current Redwood City General Plan, and to protect the aesthetics and quality of life in Redwood Shores.  Stop Redwood Life will support a new Longfellow Redwood LIFE plan limiting building heights to 3 stories in the zones facing Marine Parkway and 4 stories in the zone facing Belmont Slough (see Westport Plan map).  The new plan must also conform to the Built Environment policies in the current Redwood City General Plan.

Stop Redwood Life is aware that many residents of Redwood Shores are concerned about non-work hour traffic and noise associated with the hotel proposed by Longfellow Redwood LIFE.  A hotel does not belong in a residential area and additional hotel rooms are not needed in Redwood Shores.  Therefore, Stop Redwood Life opposes a plan for a new hotel.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT POLICIES, REDWOOD CITY GENERAL PLAN 2010

Policy BE‐1.1: Maintain and enhance the beneficial and unique character of the different neighborhoods, corridors and centers, and open spaces that define Redwood City. 

Policy BE‐1.4: Require that buildings and properties be designed to ensure compatibility within and provide interfaces between neighborhoods, corridors, and centers.

Policy BE‐1.5:   Require that new and renovated buildings be designed to avoid styles, colors, and materials that negatively impact the environment or the design character of the neighborhood, corridor, and center in which they are located.

Policy BE‐1.8:   Require that new projects are integrated as seamlessly as possible into surrounding development, creating extensions of the urban fabric. 

WESTPORT BUILDING HEIGHT ZONES