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Redwood City E-News
Building a Great Community Together
Issue #41 ~ January, 2007
 Happy New Year
from Redwood City E-News!
(Back to index of all issues)
IN THIS ISSUE:
New Redwood City Police Chief Appointed
Former San Jose chief starts January 16
Louis Cobarruviaz, former San Jose police chief, has been appointed  Redwood City's new police chief, after a thorough, exhaustive search and evaluation process. He will take the reins of the Redwood City Police Department as of January 16,
2007.
Mr. Cobarruviaz’ extensive professional experience and commitment to community policing, his focus on partnerships with other agencies and organizations, and his reputation for mentoring and training were all key in the hiring decision. His reputation as police chief in San Jose from 1991 – 1998 is characterized by a clear focus on prevention and intervention, connecting with the community at many levels, and collaboration with a variety of governmental and non-profit agencies toward the shared goal of community safety.
Well-known as an expert in police training, Mr. Cobarruviaz spent six years in El Salvador after his tenure as San Jose Police Chief. In that country, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, he introduced modern policing methods and management, helping it to become the model democratic law enforcement agency in Central America. Subsequently, Mr. Cobarruviaz was in Iraq for one year where he commanded the International Police Liaison Officers who provide training to Iraqi police.
The Redwood City police chief position became available when Carlos Bolanos, Redwood City’s chief since 1994, accepted the position of undersheriff for San Mateo County, a job he’ll start in early January.
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Workshop/Public Hearing on Redwood Shores Development Proposal
As the first step in the process of considering a Redwood Shores development
proposal, the Redwood City Planning Commission has scheduled a Community
Information Workshop/Public Hearing. The meeting will be on Tuesday, January 9, 2007, at the Sandpiper Community Center, 797 Redwood Shores Parkway. Dessert and viewing of displays starts at 6:30 pm, and the meeting commences at 7:00 pm.
The focus of this workshop is to gather the community’s perspectives on what environmental impacts, concerns, and issues should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which will be prepared. In addition to documenting that crucial input at this meeting, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider making a recommendation to the City Council on initiating a Precise Plan for this proposal.
 This workshop has a specific focus on identifying items to be addressed in the EIR; there will be other opportunities in the future to discuss the specific elements of the project, its positives and negatives, and how it may or may not fit with the needs of the community.
The site of the proposed project, commonly known as “Area H,” is a 109-acre privately-held parcel located in northeastern Redwood Shores. Also proposed for development is an adjacent five-acre site known as Indian Creek. The owner has submitted a conceptual design plan and applications for General Plan and Zoning Map amendments, and has requested initiation of a Precise Plan for these sites. Together, the proposals include 144 town homes, a 450-student elementary school, a three-acre neighborhood park, and restoration of 94 acres of wetlands. Initial information concerning this project is available online.
The EIR and a Precise Plan are elements which are necessary before decisions are made on the actual project proposal. The EIR is the planning document which describes the environmental impacts associated with the project, while the Precise Plan is a planning tool which outlines the acceptable uses, site layout, and design criteria for possible development on the parcel.
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Community Workshop on Revisions to Sign Ordinance
In order to provide clear and consistent guidelines for business  signage and help support our City’s positive business image, Redwood City is revising the City’s Sign Ordinance. The business community and other interested people are invited to join the discussion of the City’s draft Sign Ordinance and proposed revisions.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
6:30 pm in the City Council Chambers
City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road
At this workshop, key elements of the Draft Sign Ordinance will be discussed, and participants will have the opportunity to contribute their views, opinions, and suggestions prior to the public hearing before the City Council (anticipated in February of 2007).
A brief staff presentation will highlight the modifications proposed in the new draft, and will identify the various types of signs involved and their proposed regulation. The Draft Sign Ordinance addresses both permanent and temporary signage, with regulations affecting two distinct sign categories: signs located on private property as well as signs located on public property.
The Draft Sign Ordinance can be viewed online or requested by calling 780-7234.
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City Preparing Draft EIR for New Use at Century 12 Site
Redwood City has begun the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for what is now known as the “East Bayshore Auto Dealership Project” on the 14-acre Century 12 site. This is part of the City's process of investigating the possibility of leasing the Century 12 site for use by auto dealerships.
The City is seeking community comments on the impacts and issues that should be discussed in the Draft EIR. The “Notice of Preparation” of the EIR for this project includes the project description, location, and potential environmental effects. Copies of the Notice of Preparation can be obtained by contacting Pat Webb, Economic Development Coordinator, at 780-7234, or by going online.
Comments should be directed to Pat Webb, City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA 94063. The closing date for receiving comments on the Notice of Preparation is January 22, 2007. The Draft EIR will be released for public review and comment in spring, 2007.
The Draft EIR will describe the environmental impacts associated with the project, which may include traffic, air quality, noise, city services, and land use, among others. The EIR discusses these potential impacts and determines which ones are significant. It also describes mitigation measures to reduce the impacts to an appropriate or acceptable level.
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Apply Now to Serve on a Board, Commission, or Committee!
The City of Redwood City is seeking applicants for appointment to several of its advisory boards, commissions, and committees. This is a wonderful opportunity for interested City residents to become involved in participating in City government and serving the community. Members of the public are invited to bring their interest, experience, and enthusiasm to one of these boards for the benefit of everyone who lives and works in Redwood City.
The deadline for submitting applications is 5 pm, Friday, March 16, 2007.
The City is currently seeking applicants for the following boards, commissions, and committees (click here for the application details):
Further information and applications are available by calling the City Clerk’s office at 650-780-7220, on the City’s website, or by visiting the City Clerk’s office at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City.
Basic requirements are that applicants have an interest in civic and community improvement, are 18 years of age or older, are a United States citizen, and are a resident of in corporated Redwood City (some board or commission positions may have additional requirements or preferred areas of expertise).
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CERT Training Scheduled
Emergency preparedness is everyone's responsibility - and the City's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is a great way for neighbors to join together and prepare for potential disaster such as earthquake, major fire, or flood.
There’s a set of CERT training courses scheduled for March, so the time is now to sign up! To learn more, interested community members are encouraged to visit Redwood City's CERT web pages. Or, call 780-7400 for more information, to reserve a slot in the upcoming CERT course, or to get on the list to be notified of the next series of classes.
The 20-hour CERT program educates community members about how to best prepare their household, family, and neighborhood for a potential disaster, and how to respond during the aftermath of an emergency that impacts their street, block, or neighborhood. It provides community members with training in basic disaster response skills including fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, disaster medical operations, and more.
Redwood City’s CERT web pages contain a great deal of valuable emergency preparedness information for every resident, including a number of disaster planning checklists, links to other valuable safety informational websites, a sampling of the CERT coursework, and other key preparedness elements.
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10 Things You Can Do At Home to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Whether you subscribe to the premise of global warming or not, the fact is that the average American generates about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year from personal transportation, home energy use and from the energy used to produce all of the products and services we consume.
Reducing that output is a good thing, for today and for the generations of tomorrow. Here are 10 easy things you and your family can do:
1. Change a Light
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
2. Drive Less
Walk, bike, carpool, or take mass transit more often. You'll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don't drive.
3. Recycle More
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
4. Check Your Tires
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
5. Use Less Hot Water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead (reducing carbon dioxide output by 350 pounds per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (reducing carbon dioxide output by 500 pounds per year). Go to our water conservation web page for many water-saving ideas!
6. Avoid Products With a Lot of Packaging
You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%
7. Adjust Your Thermostat
Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer saves about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
8. Plant a Tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
9. Turn off electronic devices
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
10. Tell Others How to Reduce Energy Use and Carbon Dioxide Emissions!
 
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Apply for a Community Improvement Grant
Are you doing something to bring your neighbors together and improve the community? Distributing a contact list, holding a neighborhood meeting or potluck, organizing people around an issue, or...?
If so, you can get a grant from Redwood City to help with your project!
On one street, a group of neighbors got together and created a community garden. On another, three families planned a pot luck dinner to welcome their new neighbors. Elsewhere, one group of neighbors took it upon themselves to publish a neighborhood newsletter, and even organized monthly movie nights. These are just a few of the types of community-building projects that are eligible for a Redwood City Community Improvement Grant.
Small grants are available for community engagement projects, beautification, neighborhood participation activities, or other projects that bring people together and build community. The purpose of this grant program is to help people to implement their own creative ideas for making their street, block, neighborhood, or community a better place to live and work. Eligible projects will have a positive impact and will offer an opportunity for neighbors to get to know one another and work together toward a common goal of community improvement and engagement.
More information and applications are available online, at the Office of the City Manager at 1017 Middlefield Road , or by emailing or calling the City Manager's office at 650-780-7300. Applications will be reviewed once a month and applicants can expect to hear from the City within 45 days of receipt of the application.
This grant program is for small projects - but many small projects together can offer big, positive changes for our community. Anyone with an idea for a community-building neighborhood project is urged to apply for a Redwood City Community Improvement Grant.
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Developer to Hold Community "Open Houses" to Gain Input on Future Possibilities for Cargill Property
Many of you know that Redwood City Industrial Saltworks, a partnership between Cargill Salt and residential development firm DMB Associates, is looking at the future of Cargill's 1,400 acre property on Seaport Boulevard. With salt harvesting winding down on that property, it's future potential is of course of great interest to the entire community.
It's important to stress that the City has not received any development application from Industrial Saltworks, and so the City is not involved in the community outreach or other planning efforts currently undertaken by that partnership. We are not aware of any plans or specific proposals for the property. Various senior City staff have communicated with representatives of Industrial Saltworks, primarily to facilitate introductions and to ensure they know our roles and responsibilities.
As a courtesy and to ensure that our community is fully informed, we are including in this newsletter mention of two upcoming community Open House events that Industrial Saltworks is hosting. The purpose of the meetings is to gain public input and opinion as they begin the process of outlining what kind of use or uses may ultimately be suitable for the Cargill property.
The Open Houses are designed for people to stop by anytime during the noted hours, and presentations will take place every 30 minutes.
- Saturday, January 20, 2007
10 am to 3 pm
Veteran’s Memorial Senior Center
1455 Madison Ave
- Tuesday, January 23, 2007
6 pm to 9 pm
Pacific Athletic Club
200 Redwood Shores Pkwy
Again, the City is in no way involved with the coordination or content of either of these meetings, but we felt it was important to make sure you are informed
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The Redwood City Industrial Saltworks website is located at www.RCSaltworks.com; they can be reached at 650-366-0500 or info@RCSaltworks.com.
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January Events at the Senior Center
Join the fun at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Avenue, for these great activities:
Toast to the Town Afternoon Dance - Saturday, January 6, 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Redwood Room. Start 2007 off with an afternoon of music, compliments of the Bob Saul Orchestra. Chocolate and champagne will be served. Cost is $10 per person. For tickets, leave a message at (650) 780-7264 by Wednesday, January 3.
Senior Affairs Commission Meeting - Thursday, January 11, 1:00 p.m. The City of Redwood City Senior Affairs Commission is holding its January 11th meeting at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave, Redwood City. The objectives of the Senior Affairs Commission are to encourage, foster, facilitate, establish, and maintain programs for the enhancement of all matters relating to the social, economic, and personal well being of the City’s senior population. The public is invited to attend.
Older Driver Safety Seminar - Thursday, January 18, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Sunset Room. Join us for this popular seminar on older driver safety. Topics will include a confidential self-analysis of driving skills, the importance of nutrition and exercise, age-related changes and how to adjust to be a safer and more alert driver. This class is ponsored by volunteers from the California Highway Patrol. To register, call 780-7270. Class size is limited. There is no charge.
To learn more about the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, call 780-7270.
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