Really know the facts

Editor,

The glossy four-page "Know The Facts" brochure mailed to Redwood City residents by the Peninsula Coalition Political Action Committee (based in South San Francisco) suggests the proposed Marina Shores Village Project will provide housing for our firefighters, police officers, nurses and teachers.

Unfortunately, entry level workers in these positions may not be able to afford the designated "moderate-income units" built at Marina Shores Village. According to the Planning Commission report on Marina Shores Village, moderate-income households currently earn $109,800 per year with maximum monthly mortgage payments of $2,768. Based on published starting salaries for these professionals, we question whether they will actually be able to purchase this "affordable" housing. Of particular concern are Redwood City elementary school teachers, whose salary ranges from $37,762 to $73,491 per year.

This brochure also omits very serious information about the traffic and other significant impacts associated with the extreme density and the towering building heights (the brochure does not illustrate the top eight to 12 stories on the high-rise structures). Clearly, city officials have failed to provide Redwood City residents with important information about this project, since people we approach to sign the referendum petition have no idea about the size of the project or the impacts on their community.

We encourage everyone to visit the city's Web site at www.redwoodcity.org to review the Marina Shores Village Precise Plan and other project documents. See for yourself what this project will actually entail and why a development of this magnitude warrants a ballot decision by the residents of Redwood City.

Matthew Leddy
People for Housing not High-rises
Redwood City