Inner Harbor Vision Takes Direction

After Monday night’s discussion of the Inner Harbor’s future, city staff will begin working on a Precise Plan that delineates the land’s development parameters while considering the key stakeholders’ and residents’ concerns.

Inner Harbor—informally known as Docktown—has been a part of Redwood City that has often been neglected, said Councilmember Barbara Pierce. But all councilmembers said at Monday’s council meeting that this 30-acre land contains incredible opportunity for development.

“This land is a gem,” Mayor Alicia Aguirre said. “And with this opportunity comes great responsibility.”

Lee Callister, a resident of Docktown and the Redwood Creek Floating Community Association, said he appreciated the inclusion of himself and other residents “instead of developing [the land] willy-nilly.”

“We have a wonderful opportunity to develop something that will satisfy landowners and the city to create a gateway to the water for the citizens of Redwood City,” Callister said.

However, rather than place entire development responsibility on the city, the city should be responsible for “setting the table” for development, said Councilmember John Seybert.

Acknowledging the numerous stakeholders whose interests would have to be considered is equally important, said Councilmember Rosanne Foust. There are also existing property owners who cannot be ignored, she added.

“There are a lot of interested parties: landowners, the city, environmentalists, the business community,” she said. “Having a precise plan allows folks to engage in dialogue for a collective opinion, not favoring one over the other.”

In June 2011, the city decided all of the Inner Harbor property, citing a commitment to developing the downtown property first.

City Manager Bob Bell emphasized that a definition of key and primary stakeholders does not mean an exclusion or emphasis of one group over another.

The Precise Plan also needs to define the exact boundaries of the land, Foust said, to identify the landowners.

Seybert emphasized that the Precise Plan is not a “land takeover” of the existing land, but a clarification so landowners can voice what they wish to see on their land. 

There are also fixed uses, such as the Police Department and the new county jail whose locations are non-negotiable, Councilmember Ian Bain noted.

Planning Commissioner Nancy Radcliffe suggested an Inner Harbor task force to help guide staff in the ultimate Precise Plan. She noted the Downtown Precise Plan, whose development process will be a model for the Inner Harbor Precise Plan, was created largely based on the input of a 15-member task force.

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