Redwood City Saltworks: Two Final Choices for the Community

The citizens of Redwood City should have received a mailing last week to cast their vote on the fate of the old Leslie Saltworks (now owned by Cargill). This 1,400+ acre property, located on the east side of Highway 101, currently houses commercial and industrial businesses, but is primarily undeveloped, having been used for over 100 years in the mining of salt.

After several years of community input the decision has come down to the continued industrial use of the land or what has been so persuasively named the 50/50 Balanced Approach. I have been impressed by the amount of outreach that has been done to inform the public about possible uses and the repeated invitations of feedback that have taken place. I have been of the opinion that the development of this land would be beneficial to our community. Getting rid of unsightly (albeit necessary) industrial buildings and salt ponds, and providing open space, hiking and biking trails, and most importantly housing is a step in improving overall quality of life.

Up until now I have not felt the weight of propaganda. That changed with the recent mailing. I almost feel like they are trying to beat me over the head with a sledgehammer to persuade me to vote for the 50/50 Balanced Approach. Now don’t get me wrong, I still plan to vote that way. I just wish they didn’t make it out to be so black and white, so rosy and so dreary.

The brochure has a side-by-side comparison of the two choices. On the left is the delicately worded 50/50 Balanced Approach with Public Access and on the other side is Continued Industrial Use and Salt Making with no Public Access. That, in and of itself, makes the industrial side seem unfriendly and unappealing. Then you add in the bulleted items:

50/50
Public Access
Bayside Biking/hiking Trails
700 acres of New Open Space
Housing for Working Families
New Spots/Recreation Parks
Road/Transit/Flood Improvements

Industrial
No Public Access
No Bayside Access
No New open Space
No Housing
No Parks
No Improvements

Wow, seems like you’d be stupid to turn down the development, huh? And that may be true, I just wish they weren’t trying quite so hard to persuade me. Makes me a bit nervous. Nonetheless, it’s your community, so just make sure you do your homework, make a decision and cast a vote. For more info: www.rcsaltworks.com/