| What:
The City of Fremont is currently reviewing
a development proposal to construct 800 to 840 housing
units, 2 churches, an elementary school, and an active
sports park on the undeveloped lands of Patterson Ranch.
What's
At Stake:
- Buffer for Coyote Hills Regional Park and its
natural and aesthetic resources: Did you
know there is a place in Fremont where you can hike
amongst the marshes and in the stillness of the early
morning hear nothing but the whistling of ducks wings
of the scolding chatter of a marsh wren? Coyote
Hills Regional Park is that place. It is still
a place where you can walk through the marsh and loose
yourself in the sounds of nature. Part of the
reason for this sense of isolation is the buffer of
undeveloped open space surrounding the park.
- Rare willow grove habitat and raptor foraging
habitat: The Patterson Ranch lands to the
west of Ardenwood Blvd. not only act as an important
shield for the park against the relentless march of
development, these lands have tremendous restoration
value. Patterson Slough seen above as the upside-down
"S" shape now represents the eastern edge
of what was once a significant willow grove.
The historic willow grove stretched from the portion
that now exists within the park, east to Patterson
Slough and southeast almost all the way to the present
day Ardenwood Historic Farm. The fragments of
willow grove that exist within the park and on Patterson
Ranch are the only remnants of this important habitat
in the south and central bay. The undeveloped
open space also provides important foraging and nesting
habitat for raptors.
- Rarest
of Mosaics: The area pictured on the aerial
photograph above supports a tremendous diversity of
habitats within a compact geographic area and it's
been called the "rarest of mosaics."
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- This diversity of habitats is relected in the tremendous
diversity of plants, animals, and migratory and resident
birds that can be found there.
Development
proposals have been submitted several times since the
early 1990's. Each time the community has risen
up in protest.
As of this
date the current proposal contains 800 (or possibly
840) housing units and 50,000 square feet of retail
to the east of Ardenwood Blvd. and an elementary school,
two churches, and an active sports park with ballfields,
etc. with "possible" night lighting to the
west of Ardenwood Blvd. Click
here to the City Council November 13, 2007 Work
Session site and scroll down to see pdf's of the work
session materials.
CCCR's
position for the past seven years has been no
development (at all) to the west of Ardenwood Blvd.
and development to the east only in a density
that would not degrade the surrounding neighborhoods.
(This area of Fremont has for many years had the highest
housing density in Fremont.)
What
You Can Do:
- Consultants for the City of Fremont are in the process
of preparing a draft environmental impact report (DEIR).
The tentative release date has slid several times
and is now estimated to be the end of August or the
beginning of September 2008 with a mandatory 45-day
public comment period.
- If you wish to be notified when the DEIR is released
please contact planner Scott Ruhland at sruhland@ci.fremont.ca.gov
- CCCR submitted comments
during the public scoping period that can be viewed
here.
- Check our website for updates and notification about
upcoming meetings or comment periods.
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