Community Corner

Polling Firm Calls Residents about Saltworks Development

A resident supplied Patch with the survey questions.

Got an opinion? A polling firm wants to hear it.

Resident Judy Kirk told Redwood City Patch that a polling firm has called her home several times asking questions about the proposed Cargill Saltworks development.

Though she personally declined to participate, she said neighbors shared with her the questions that were asked.

Find out what's happening in Redwood City-Woodsidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jay Reed, a spokesperson from DMB, said that the company has conducted polls over the past six to seven years to make sure that the "proposals are consistent with what the public wants," but could not comment on the timing or details of the polls, including the current one.

On the Occupy Saltworks Facebook page, resident Karen Zamel also confirmed that she received a call from survey company, FMA, at 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

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“The questions and implications [were] quite disconcerting,” she wrote.  “Given how the questions were worded, the survey seemed to be funded by Cargill/DMB or the subsidiary company handling the development... We found questions to be purposefully vague and misleading -- like they were trying to trick us into saying we approve of this development when we don't.”

Questions from the polling firm:

How do you feel things are going in Redwood City?

  • right direction or wrong track

 

I’m going to read you a list of possible priorities for Redwood City ‐ which is the most important

  • Expand park and recreation facilities
  • Provide affordable housing
  • Reduce crime and gang‐related violence
  • Improve public schools
  • Reduce traffic congestion
  • Control growth and development
  • Attract new jobs and businesses

What would be your first priority and what would be your second choice?

Names of elected officials and groups. Please tell me if you believe each one is doing an excellent job, a good job, a fair job or a poor job.

  • The RWC Council
  • U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
  • RWC Councilmember Rosanne Foust
  • Jeff Ira
  • San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
  • Jackie Speier
  • Ian Bain
  • Barbara Pierce
  • Jeff Gee
  • John Seybert
  • Mayor Alicia Aguirre

 

Local taxes and fees in RWC taxes ‐ too high, too low or just right?

 

Do you support or oppose more growth and development in the city?

Names of organizations active in RWC: favorable or unfavorable ‐

  • Redwood City Industrial Saltworks
  • Save the Bay
  • Google
  • RWC Chamber of Commerce
  • Cargill Salt Company
  • Redwood City Neighbors United
  • Oracle
  • Sustainable Redwood City
  • Facebook
  • Occupy RWC
  • Silicon Valley Leadership Group

 

Facebook recently moved its headquarters to Menlo Park, planning to expand to 9000 employees. Is this a great idea, good idea, only a fair idea or a poor idea? How concerned are you about the traffic impact?

 

I’m going to read to you some different types of housing that are being discussed for RWC. Tell me whether you support or oppose.

  • Affordable housing for seniors on fixed incomes
  • Housing for working families
  • High density housing with connections to transit trains, busses and commuter ferries
  • Townhomes and condominiums
  • Housing for current and future employees of local technology companies
  • Affordable housing for teachers, nurses, police and firefighters

 

Have you seen or heard any information about the public outreach and planning effort to determine future uses for the RWC Industrial Saltworks? Where did you see or hear the information?

 

Would you say that you generally support or oppose it? Strongly, somewhat, etc.

 

RWC has conducted two years of meetings and studies on the 50/50 Balanced Plan for the 1,400 acre Industrial Saltworks site. The developer of the Saltworks site is revising that plan – a new plan will soon be filed. The new plan would preserve more than 60% of the site as open space. The remaining 40% of the site will be a mixed‐use of

  • housing for seniors, families and technology employees.
  • 2 million square feet of commercial
  • a new hotel
  • 23 acre sports park
  • 53 acre water park
  • bayside park hiking and biking trails
  • land and funds to build new schools
  • funds to improve local streets and highways

 

The plan will pay for itself and generate surplus funds each year for RWC and local schools.

Does this plan sound like something you would support or oppose. Why?

 

Now I’m going to read you some more information about this potential new plan for the RWC Industrial Saltworks site. Does this additional information make you more likely to support or oppose.

  • pays for itself and generates millions each year for RWC schools.
  • includes 1800 homes for seniors and 3600 homes affordable to working families.
  • provides $100 million to meet affordable housing needs of local working families and seniors
  • creates hundreds of new local jobs and generate $100 million in new business spending
  • includes several miles of trails along the SF bay.
  • allows technology companies such as Facebook, Oracle to expand in RWC
  • provides funds to expand and improve the Woodside Road interchange 101.
  • includes a 23 acre sports park
  • permanently preserves 860 acres or more than 60% of the site.
  • provides land that RWC can use to reduce or eliminate storm water flooding

 

Now that you’ve heard more, does this sound like something you would support or oppose?

 

Please tell me if the following makes you more likely to support the plan or more likely to oppose it.

  • reduces the amount of housing proposed for this site by more than half
  • preserves an additional 360 acres
  • may include $500 million in additional private funds to meet other local needs.

 

Project planners are considering how to use these private funds and investment dollars. I’m going to read you some potential uses for the funds and after you hear each one please tell me if you would support or oppose it.

  • To provide affordable housing for working families, seniors
  • To pay for transit
  • To reduce flooding
  • To construct or expand levies

 

Next, which of the following statements comes closest to your opinion:

  • Saltworks development should be rejected because this was once part of the SF Bay and should be fully restored
  • Saltworks should be approved because it preserves 60% of the site, while providing a huge boost in local jobs and consumer spending, affordable housing, parks and trails, and private investment.

 

Which of the three following options do you prefer:

  • Restore the site back to the way it looked 100 years ago
  • Approve the new plan with smaller development that has been proposed
  • Continue salt harvesting operations at the site and keep it off limits to the public

 

Would you support or oppose a new homeowner tax of $150 per year for 20 years to purchase and restore the site?

 

Which of the following options would you prefer?

  • The new plan which creates jobs / housing, new parks and bayside trails, room for technology companies to expand and preservation of 60% of the site.
  • Or, full restoration of the site paid for by a new tax of $150 per year for 20 years on all RWC homes.

 

A list of who supports / opposes development of Saltworks ‐ which do you find more credible on the issue.

  • A coalition of environmental groups, led by Save the Bay, the Committee for Green Foothills, and the Loma Prieta chapter of the Sierra Club.
  • A coalition of business and labor leaders who support development, including downtown businesses, senior citizen and affordable housing leaders

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