More rain is forecasted for Redwood City this weekend. Every year, property owners along East Bayshore (and sometimes on the other side of US 101) are impacted by chronic and persistent flooding. You might remember the most recent storm a week or so ago where the flooding backed up into mobile homes and across US 101 near Stanford. See the picture below.
Here’s a little background about why this flooding occurs.
The flooding results from storm water originating from areas west of US 101, including Atherton, Menlo Park, Woodside and parts of unincorporated San Mateo County. That storm water flows downhill on roads and through pipes and canals to eventually end up in the Bayfront Canal, which lies at the southern end of the Saltworks site, just outside the property boundary.
During heavy rains and high tides, the Bayfront Canal does not have enough capacity to transport that storm water to the Bay, and the result is that the water in those pipes and canals backs up and floods property owners and streets.
The 50/50 Balanced Plan brings critical infrastructure improvements that would serve a wide variety of City and regional stakeholders, including to help solve a long existing capacity shortage of the Bayfront Canal by dedicating land to manage upstream, off-site storm water flows, thus improving existing flood conditions by regulating the discharge of these flows at levels the Bayfront canal can adequately accommodate.
Recent flooding in Redwood City was so severe that storm water backed up all the way to the Stanford Medical Campus in Redwood City
The only thing wrong with this project is that it has been delayed for 3 years. Would that it was already underway creating jobs and giving our local economy a much needed boost. DMB, you deserve a gold medal for your carefully considered plan. I for one hope the value you are going to bring to this community is realized soon so that those of us in desperate need of jobs will be able to find them. Thank you.
Comment by Marion McEwen — February 8, 2010 @ 7:28 pm
I agree with Marion. DMB has done the right thing in getting the community involved and it is a shame that the opposition is fighting and not trying to work with the project.
Comment by Sam — February 10, 2010 @ 10:49 am
Your photo caption is misleading: 450 Broadway is in Redwood City, not on “Stanford Campus” as most people know it. But you already knew that, didn’t you…
Comment by John Black — February 11, 2010 @ 1:08 am
Dear John,
Please step up into the 21st century. Campus means a multi-building site as in the Oracle campus or in this case Stanford Medicine as clearly stated in the sign. No one reads it as Stanford University. If you have an argument against job creation and new schools please make it logically. Marion McEwen
Comment by Marion McEwen — February 12, 2010 @ 10:25 am
The project would help the flooding issue for many and it can’t be seen as a negative in that aspect.
Comment by Steve — February 16, 2010 @ 12:15 pm