Salt pond plan stirs interest

By Dana Yates
Thursday, July 19, 2007

Dana Yates / Daily Journal At least 25 people attended Wednesday’s tour of the Industrial Saltworks in Redwood City. The company is planning to stop operations in a few years and is looking to develop the property.

The site is roughly the size of San Francisco’s Presidio, is located off Seaport Boulevard and encompasses a large amount of natural Bay land. The property is currently zoned for minimal development and any large plans will be subject to a zoning change and council review. The debate is already brewing about whether to restore the property to its natural condition or build a mix of housing, retail and commercial.

A formal plan is expected to be filed with Redwood City early next year. Rather than come to the city and its residents with a development plan, property owner Redwood City Industrial Saltworks and DMB Associates are taking the pulse of the community with a series of five public meetings. The last of which, about economic development, will occur this evening at the Little Fox Theatre.

“I think there’s an opportunity to do a whole number of things. We’ve got a blank slate,” said John Bruno of DMB Associates, which partnered with Industrial Saltworks about a year ago to help draft a proposal for the site.

Most people are filled with questions rather than answers at this point. Each Wednesday, a tour bus or two leaves from the Industrial Saltworks offices on Seaport Boulevard and takes at least two dozen visitors on a tour of the salt ponds. This week, residents questioned how salt is made, where the water comes from how long it takes to harvest. Few questioned potential development.

But everyone is thinking about it.

“I’d like to see [development] if it’s needed — then they should use it. But, if it’s because some business wants to build some pristine development then it’s not worth it. There are already so many empty buildings and complexes around here,” said Carol Leonard of Redwood Shores, who attended Wednesday’s tour.

Housing advocates and other cities are watching closely what happens to the property, but few are willing to comment this early in the process.

With no formal proposal, it’s hard to take a stance, said Chris Mohr of the San Mateo County Housing Leadership Council.

Meanwhile, there is a strong group of residents working to prevent any development and restore the salt ponds to their natural state as wetlands. They are watching the Cargill property with a close eye and have high hopes the property will be returned to wetlands, said Ralph Nobles, a key figure in a 2004 referendum to block a major housing development at Marina Shores just north of the Cargill site.

Nobles said Cargill floated several ideas in the past, including a development comparable to Foster City.

Industrial Salt Works and DMB are holding the last of five community meetings 6 p.m. today at the Little Fox Theatre, 2219 Broadway. Other meetings have attracted approximately 150 people to discuss topics such as housing, sustainability, open space and recreation. The company will continue to hold tours every Wednesday through August.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.