Parents won approval for Rocketship Redwood City Prep’s permanent facility in packed city chambers on Tuesday. The Redwood City Planning Commission voted 4-3 to approve the school’s use of a permanent site at 860 Charter Street.
Rocketship Redwood City Prep opened in fall 2015 with plans to use their own facility at 860 Charter Street, but have been working to secure approval of its use from the city for more than a year. The Planning Commission first heard the issue in November of 2016, and again in April of 2017, delaying their vote both times to allow Planning Staff time to address concerns about traffic, parking and safety.
A small group of business owners in the neighborhood have voiced consistent opposition to the project, claiming they are concerned about traffic and parking in the area, and more recently the safety of Rocketship students. Hours before the Planning Commission’s April hearing, one business owner submitted a list of criticisms of the project prepared by engineering and architectural consulting firms thereby forcing the commission to delay their vote and address the concerns. Before the April hearing and again before this week’s vote, the Redwood City Planning Staff nevertheless recommended the commission approve the Rocketship site.
More than 85 parents and students attended Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting to demand approval. Many shared emotional testimonies, explaining how Rocketship has already became a vital part of the community. Ericka Zamora, a parent of a student with special needs, told the commission how Rocketship Redwood City Prep has helped her daughter Sofia grow academically and emotionally in only two years.
“I invite you to make a fair decision, to reflect on everything we do to educate a child, on the benefit our entire society enjoys from their education, enlarging our environment through leadership which you can be a part of by voting yes this evening,” she said to the commission.
The Redwood City School District, too, has asked the city to approve Rocketship’s permanent site.
“It locates Rocketship closer to the North Fair Oaks Community that the school seeks to serve and simultaneously frees up needed space in District facilities,” wrote Superintendent John Baker in a letter of support.
Several parents also expressed frustration that the school faced opposition from a few persistent business owners .
“The Stanford development is 31 times larger than Rocketship’s proposed site and faced no substantial opposition,” said Innovate parent leader, Rocsana Enriquez.
Parents celebrated after their 4-3 victory, walking out of the chambers shouting “Si se puede,” and declaring their political power as Redwood City families. They pledged to defend the Planning Commission’s vote should their opposition appeal to the Redwood City Council, and to fight for final approval of the project from San Mateo County.