October 20, 2025

An email from the City Manager, Jennifer Ott:

I appreciate your email about the preliminary application submitted for the redevelopment of the Harbor Bay Landing shopping center and understand your concern.  The City is reviewing the preliminary application carefully and met with the developer last week to discuss the project and reinforce that the City’s current zoning requires a grocery store.  The meeting with the developer was productive, and the developer expressed openness to retaining a grocery store consistent with the City’s vision for the site.  As next steps, the developer will meet with Safeway to explore scenarios to keep the grocery store on site.

For additional background, this is an initial submittal and does not constitute a formal project application or approval process.  The Preliminary Application process under SB 330 serves to help developers “lock in” applicable zoning, development standards, fees, and policies in effect at the time of submittal.  This ensures the project will be reviewed under the regulations in place as of the date of the preliminary application, provided a formal development application is submitted within 180 days.  There’s no City action on a development project until a formal development application is submitted.  In accordance with State law and to meet the State’s mandated housing allotment, the project site was re-zoned in 2023 to allow housing, while also retaining a grocery store use. Like you, the City feels strongly that any redevelopment of the site should include a grocery store consistent with the zoning.

We will keep the community informed as we move through the development review process.

Sincerely,
Jen

The City has further indicated they are developing a webpage for people to view what is happening with the preliminary application as it goes forward. Once the webpage is developed, community members will be able to sign up for any updates on the development of Harbor Bay Landing.  We will post that webpage on the Community’s webpage when it is available.