inFOCUS

(Dan Honda/Contra Costa Times)

An early push by public officials in the region opposing the Saltworks development on Bay land that could be restored as wetlands, and the extensive water rights from Kern County that could support it, put the Saltworks project and DMB Associates back in the headlines.

Environmentalists fight Redwood City project – San Francisco Chronicle.

Redwood City Saltworks developer poised to become major Bay Area water baron – ContraCostaTimes.com.

Update: New article in the Examiner: Land war heating up over Cargill salt ponds | San Francisco Examiner .

Earlier posts here and here.

Previously, we reported on Peter Calthorpe’s editorial in favor of the development proposal for the Redwood City Saltworks.

Stephen Knight at Save The Bay provided the counter case for wetland restoration of the Saltworks site, with an editorial by Executive Director David Lewis that ran the same day as the Calthorpe piece, and the Chronicle’s editorial that ran a month later. Both for the ecological health of the Bay, and the risks development on filled wetlands would face due to flooding and sea level rise, they argue against the Saltworks development proposal.

Thanks for filling in the picture on this issue!

The Saltworks site in Redwood City

What is sustainable development? Recently the San Francisco Chronicle presented two opinions on a proposed project that would have a significant impact on the Bay Area, the Saltworks site in Redwood City.

First, Peter Calthorpe’s editorial tells the Chronicle that the choice between 1,400 acres of salt production and a brand-new transit-oriented development in Redwood City is a no-brainer.  The plan would convert half of the 2.2 square mile area into a walkable, transit-linked community and restore the other half to open space.

‘Saltworks’ plan – that’s smart growth.

Read more about the Redwood City Saltworks 50/50 Balanced Plan.

The environmental case against the development is discussed here.

This entry was updated on 9/3/09 to present the editorial in the context of the larger debate over the development proposal.