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Redwood City Salt Ponds

Redwood City has been revitalizing its downtown, attracting attention for its innovative high-tech parking meters and redesigned Little Fox Theatre that hosts the Redwood City Blues Jam. Add to that wide sidewalks, homes people can afford minutes away from a Caltrain Baby Bullet stop, and an enviable selection of restaurants, shops, a library and movie theater, and Redwood City is setting the tone for quality urban infill. They even host The Forum, a continuing conversation on community design.

Downtown Redwood City is an ideal place for smart infill.

Wetlands Restoration

Just east of Highway 101 along Seaport Boulevard lies the Redwood City salt ponds. The 1,433 acre site owned by Cargill is near the Port of Redwood City. In 2003, Cargill sold and donated 16,500 acres of former salt ponds to state and federal agencies, leading to the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the largest tidal wetland restoration project on the West Coast.

Cargill did not sell the Seaport Boulevard site and instead has partnered with DMB, an Arizona-based development company. Over the last year, DMB has been asking residents what they would like to see in a new community that would include a mix of homes, shops, parks and restored wetlands. Greenbelt Alliance is reserving judgment on this proposal until plans are presented.

The San Francisco Bay has shrunk by one-third since the California gold rush. The bay estuary contains 90% of California’s remaining coastal wetlands and supports a variety of natural habitats as well as a diverse wildlife population. More than 50 species of plants and wildlife in this region are on the threatened and endangered species list primarily due to habitat loss.

Also, acre for acre, tidal wetlands absorb more carbon than forests. Promoting compact housing near public transportation, shops and jobs is one way to reduce our need to drive, lessening greenhouse gas emissions. Greenbelt Alliance supports development in downtown Redwood City.

What You Can Do

• If you are a Redwood City resident, participate in the City’s update of its General Plan and encourage smart growth.

• Contact the City Council and encourage them to pursue development in downtown Redwood City.