Water

Redwood City “does not currently have sufficient water supply to meet the projected water demands [for Marina Shores] together with those of its existing customers and the demands of other planned development”. (EIR 10-5, SR pg. 17)

Marina Shores will NOT increase Redwood City's drinking water supply.  That's simply not possible.  Marina Shores will use, not produce, water.  The City gets a set, predetermined amount of water from Hetch Hetchy.  That amount is divided up among the residents.  More residents means less water for each household.  It's that simple.  We are currently using 10% more than our allocation, and there is no source for additional drinking water.  Other Peninsula cities have refused to sell Redwood City more water, and there is every expectation that our allotment from Hetch Hetchy will not keep pace with our needs. 

Recycled water is used only for landscaping.  Since Marina Shores has virtually no landscaping, using recycled water on the project will not reduce the amount of water used by Marina Shores by any appreciable amount.  Meanwhile, other neighborhoods will have to implement rather drastic conservation measures, such as artificial turf on playing fields at parks and schools.

Marina Shores is not "investing" $10 million in the City's water delivery system.  They are paying the same fee that any homeowner pays to hook up to the City's water and sewer system.  With 1,930 homes, the fee is $10 million. 

The emergency backup water storage system at Marina Shores is required to meet minimum fire safety standards for the development.  It is for use at Marina Shores only.  There is no excess capacity for other Redwood City residents, and will be of no use to the rest of the City in the event of an earthquake. 

Parks & Open Space

Of the 6.8 acres that the developer says will be provided:

• More than half (3.5 acres) is underwater (marinas).  These private boat slips are not available to the public.  (PP pg. 29)
• 1.3 acres is under power transmission lines and cannot be built on (there are legitimate questions regarding safety of play areas under such lines).  Moreover, the park is designated primarily for project residents' use only, not the rest of Redwood City. (PP pg. 29)
• 0.5 acres is a "Point Park."  The 0.5 acres includes the walkway along the edge.  (PP, pg. 29) To get an idea about how small this really is, consider that Wellesley Crescent Park (the "lion" park in the center of the roundabout at Arlington & Edgewood) is 0.75 acres.  (EIR 10-6)  Though small, Wellesley Crescent is still 50% bigger than this "Point Park" at Marina Shores. 

Marinas

Before Marina Shores there were 690 boat slips on the sites, all of which were available to the public for liveaboards or recreational boating.  After Marina Shores there will only be 227-247 boat slips, and none of them will be available to the public for any purpose. (EIR 4-2, 4-25)

“New” Bay wetlands

The developer's claim of creating "new" Bay wetlands is required by law because the developer is filling approximately 11.54 acres of navigable waters in order to build the skyscrapers.  Since they are destroying 11.54 acres of wetlands to build the project, restoring 11.54 acres doesn't result in any net gain of wetlands.  Plus, there's no guarantee that the "new" wetlands will even be in the Bay Area.  (EIR pg. 2-54)

Housing

The "moderate income" homes would require a family of 3 to earn $109,800 per year in order to purchase.  (SR pg. 20)  The median income in Redwood City is $66,748.

Teachers, firefighters, police officers and nurses are unlikely to be able to afford to live there, even in the "moderate income" units.  Consider the following starting yearly salaries:

Firefighter: $65,016                       Teachers: $37,762
Police officer: $71, 184                  Nurses: $69,216

Building Marina Shores destroys 295 affordable homes.  Prior to Marina Shores, there were 295 liveaboard houseboats at the Peninsula Marina and Pete's Harbor sites.  205 of these residents were moved out by the developer in 2001.  The rest will be evicted when the project is built.  (EIR 4-2, 4-25)

Traffic

[Marina Shores] isolation and lack of transportation linkages to the rest of Redwood City (across Highway 101) may not be consistent with the City's recent transit-oriented and smart growth directives.  (SR pg. 3)

Some of the traffic impacts for this project, even after implementation of the required improvements by the developer, include:

• 14.108 additional car trips on Hwy 101 per day
• Gridlock on Hwy 101 from Hwy 92 to Marsh Road
• MORE

Annual tax revenue

Who knows where this number comes from?  In July, the developer's literature said $3 million in annual revenue.  Then they put out a flyer saying $10 million.  Their ballot argument (which is submitted under oath) says $2 million.  Now they're saying it is $14 million.  Who knows what the truth is?

Financial contributions

$10 million for traffic improvements.  This is a fraction of the true cost for the planned "improvements." For example, the City estimates that the Blomquist extension will cost $10 million.  The developer is paying only $4 to $4.5 million of that amount.  The rest will be paid for from City funds.  Plus, all developers pay a required Traffic Impact Mitigation Fee, and a portion of this $10 million is simply the same fee that any developer would have to pay.  (SR, pg. 13)

$10 million for water.  This is the standard fee for hooking up to the City's water and sewer system, required so that the City has money for implementation and maintenance of the City's water system.  Everyone who builds a home in Redwood City pays this fee, because every house costs the City money to support.  When the developer builds 1,930 units, the fee for that hookup is $10 million. 

$6 million for schools.  Everyone building or expanding a house in Redwood City pays a fee for the schools.  Marina’s Shores’ $6 million is nothing more than the fee that any developer building 1,930 units would pay.