Community Workshop #1: Understanding Site Constraints and Opportunities

Hundreds of Redwood City residents discuss the Saltworks planning goals at the DMB Redwood City Saltworks Community Workshop #1. These goals include: fostering diverse uses on the Saltworks site, integrating sustainability and ecological restoration there, reconnecting Redwood City residents with the bay, and creating walkable environments.

After discussing the Saltworks planning goals, Redwood City residents had the opportunity to work together to sketch potential uses on an outline map of the Saltworks site. Their discussions of potential uses for the site varied greatly, from community centers, a bay boardwalk, restoration, housing and more.

More than 200 local residents participated in the first citizen planning workshop on November 15 at the Veterans Senior Memorial Center. We gained valuable feedback that will help our team create a plan that meets local needs and provides the most public benefit.

Following a series of brief presentations on the physical features and opportunities the site provides, attendees broke into groups to discuss how they'd approach designing the new community. Each table had the chance to sketch potential uses on an outline map of the site, a process that produced a diverse array of opinions. From the discussions, however, it was clear the overwhelming priority of attendees was to create a balance of uses.

More specifically, 16 of the 19 table maps advocated a balance of significant wetlands restoration with community uses. Workshop participants said that some of these community uses should include:

• A variety of housing, including affordable and senior units
• Civic institutions, including police and fire stations, churches and community centers
• New schools
• Access to the Bay
• Alternative methods of transportation
• Neighborhood-serving retail stores
• More sports fields
• Transit solutions to connect Downtown to the site