FREMONT GATEWAY (PLN2012-00243): 34044 Fremont Blvd, 3800 & 3858 Beard Rd
Application's City Staff Project Planner: Clifford Nguyen cnguyen@fremont.govCity Council approved TERRA BELLA revisions on 4/7/15
Standard Pacific Homes has submitted TERRA BELLA PRP (PLN2014-00213) asking the City to review the project refinements for Phase I of Fremont Gateway.
The public may arrange to view the revised plans by contacting the Application's City Staff Project Planner: Wayland Li wli@fremont.gov
"The first phase of the development (without the Church parcel) will be moving forward with construction of 45 homes. My understanding is that Standard Pacific Homes has purchased the land from Tim Lewis Communities. Standard Pacific Homes will be constructing the first phase of the approved development. It does not appear that the Church is going anywhere for now, which their land was included in the second phase of development."
Latest revisions were presented at a Community Meeting on July 10th. [See items in red below]
Initial revisions were presented at Community Meetings in April.
City Council sent the application back to developer for redesign 2/19/13
The Fremont Gateway Planned District proposed by Tim Lewis Communities is located on three parcels of land near the corner of Fremont Boulevard and Beard Road. It is in the North Fremont Community Plan Area.
Until recently, it was the site of a 1950's fruit & vegetable market, a home, a barn, and a church -- all of which will be removed. The surrounding area consists of single-family homes and multi-family apartments.
City Council Says Try Again:
In a surprise move, the City Council halted discussion of the Fremont Gateway project and asked the developer to make significant changes to the tightly packed group of three-story homes proposed for the corner of Fremont Boulevard and Beard Road in the Northgate area.
The move came after three council members responded to a long list of concerns from local residents and indicated they would not vote in favor of the project. Hearing this, Mayor Harrison offered the developer the option of making changes and continuing proceedings at a future meeting before the council made a final vote. The developer accepted.
Many of the concerns involved the mass of three-story homes that would have dominated the corner lot in contrast to the surrounding neighborhoods. Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan described the project as "relentlessly three-story" and noted the homes were too large for such small lots. Councilmember Vinnie Bacon said "two-story homes would be more appropriate" for the site, and councilmember Suzanne Chan said she felt "the proposed project needed more work."
Other complaints involved concerns about traffic, parking, crime, and schools. Dealing with traffic at the intersection of Beard and Fremont was a special problem because a portion of the roadway is under the control of CalTRANS. Currently, there is no way to turn south on Fremont at that point, nor is there a traffic light or pedestrian crosswalk. Neither the state nor the city would recommend modifications to the intersection to allow such features.
Over 100 people attended the meeting, which went past 11 p.m. Thirty people spoke against the project, with only one who favored it. Unfavorable comments included "looks like hell", "out of character to the neighborhood", "ill-fitted design", and a "force-fit development that was a continuation of mediocrity."