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Redwood Life - Empower Yourself To Meaningfully Engage

At RSCA’s recent Annual Meeting in February, numerous Shores neighbors, deeply troubled by the Redwood LIFE redevelopment plan, approached our table of Sierra Club’s Bay Alive advocates to urgently ask: ”What can we DO?” 

It's understandable in today’s current climate to feel powerless. Particularly discouraging is when, instead of respecting the will of concerned Shores constituents, the City seems eager to woo shrewd real estate investment partnerships promising questionable multi-million-dollar benefits among using other tools to circumvent procedural planning protocols to fastrack project approval. Yet, despite the City’s indifference to its slogan that all voices matter–given its myriad devices to drown, dismiss or outright exclude certain voices while privileging others appearing more developer favorable–what remains foremost among residents’ duty is the need to reclaim power by emphasizing to City leaders the fundamental community features we entrust them to safeguard so our neighborhoods may continue to thrive. As voters and taxpayers, we must therefore remind those whom we entrust as our government representatives to execute our will. Moreover, as Redwood Shores taxpayers, we must also remind our representatives of the fact that we fund a disproportionately large share of property tax for Redwood City. 

This article is a brief primer about the development process, what you can do, and who to communicate with.

The Large-Scale Commercial Development Process

Each phase of development has specific goals and requirements: Pre-Development (verify project viability) → Application (submit plans, begin community engagement) → Environmental Review/CEQA (assess environmental impacts) → Public Review (Planning Commission and City Council hearings) → Approval (establish conditions and mitigation) → Post-Approval (permits and construction).

What You Can Do

GET EDUCATED 

We’ve found that the best teachers are activists and advocacy groups. Environmental advocacy and conservation groups like the Sierra Club have decades of experience fighting the good fight. 

• Sierra Club Loma Prieta is our local chapter. Here’s their information page about Redwood Life: https://www.sierraclub.org/loma-prieta/redwood-life-development

• They have many great and relevant videos. Here’s a 15 minute talk by Sierra Club staffer Dashiel Leeds about “The nuts and bolts of advocacy” https://tinyurl.com/yfksued5 

• Joe Simitian, State Senator 2004-2012 and Santa Clara Supervisor 2012-2024, gave an excellent talk about being an effective advocate, well worth the watch: https://tinyurl.com/5etj2dfb 

• His “13 Tips for Successful Advocacy”: https://tinyurl.com/mw9rdx6n   

• Organizing for Power: (organizingforpower.org) Offers resources and training on community organizing, including how to build a base, develop leadership, and run effective campaigns: Resources https://www.organizingforpower.org/resources-3/

• The locally administered site www.RedwoodlifePlan.com has an EZ-Letter Generator that takes your concerns, generates an effective and targeted letter about Redwood Life as an email, and addresses it to the correct people (There’s also more in-depth information about strategic and effective advocacy on that same page.)  www.redwoodlifeplan.com/links/take-action 

Lennie Roberts, Bay Area conservationist legend, says, “Educate yourself. Find out who’s making the decisions, get in touch with your local organizations, and engage in various aspects of land use planning.”

FIND YOUR PEOPLE

While it may seem challenging, finding like-minded individuals is crucial for maintaining motivation. Engaging in conversations on social media, attending town halls, and initiating discussions can reveal unexpected support.

If you possess organizational skills, you can actively unite these individuals. However, it's important to recognize that not everyone will share your level of time or passion for a cause. Don't be discouraged if others don't immediately join your efforts. Building coalitions and finding your core group requires time and dedication. 

PARTICIPATE EFFECTIVELY

Two common ways to participate are by writing letters and giving public comment, both of which end up in the permanent public record and technically must be considered. 

Letter Writing

Sierra Club Bay Alive program provides advocate training such as:

Writing a letter to the editor: https://tinyurl.com/3t438mp8 

RedwoodLifePlan has a targeted EZ Letter Generator: www.redwoodlifeplan.com/links/take-action 

Public Comments

Public meetings are crucial opportunities for input. To make the most of them: 1. Review agenda packets beforehand. 2. Prepare concise comments (usually 2-3 minutes). 3. Bring written copies of your remarks. 4. Stay professional and solution-oriented. 5. Coordinate with others to avoid repetition

The Public Comment Project provides excellent templates at: https://publiccommentproject.org/comment-templates 

BEST PRACTICE is to submit both written comments (for detailed arguments) and speak at hearings (for emphasis and visibility).

City Representatives

Development decisions flow from Planning Department → Planning Commission → City Council, with public input required at each stage. Contact information:

Planning Department: tinyurl.com/5dn69wyu

Planning Commission: tinyurl.com/5n7wett7

City Council: www.redwoodcity.org/city-hall/city-council

URGENT: March 4, 2024 Joint Meeting

Critical joint study session on Redwood Life with Planning Commission and City Council. Submit comments to PublicComment@RedwoodCity.org by 5pm or attend in person. Check www.RedwoodLifePlan.com for updates or rescheduling.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS - ACT NOW

The Redwood Life project represents a critical moment for our community. As residents of Redwood Shores, we have both the right and responsibility to ensure development decisions reflect our community's best interests.

Take action today:

• Mark March 4th joint meeting on your calendar

• Send your first letter via RedwoodLifePlan.com

• Share this information with neighbors

• Sign up for updates to stay informed

Remember: Development decisions made today will impact our community for generations. Our collective voice is our power - let's use it.