Now What?
By Matt Artz
Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 8:39 am in A's, Artz.
So the A’s aren’t coming to that mostly untapped expense of land that hugs Warm Springs and Weibel. And NUMMI is no guarantee to stay.
What should go there? If NUMMI’s in the picture, it won’t be homes, but I can name two elected officials who have told me they see NUMMI taking a hike and that chunk of land as Fremont’s future downtown.
You don’t get a BART station these days without planning for some type of intensive development. What should it be? Something like Sabercat with six story buildings? A sprawling R&D campus? Twenty-four-story towers that they want to build next to Union City’s BART station?????????
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
February 27th, 2009 at 8:58 am
In keeping with your story “Fremont has a stimulus package of its own”, which is great news to hear, any exit by NUMMI would be the time to attract clean tech, green tech, and genetic research/medical science business to a business campus. Job generation should be the number one priority for our city government and I’m delighted to see they are moving in the right direction with their own stimulus package. Let’s give ‘em some credit where credit is due.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Could someone please explain to me this obsession that Fremont city management seems to have that we must have a “downtown”?
Aside from facilitating the entry and operation of more businesses in town, what benefits would a defined downtown provide to residents?
It seems to me to speak to a need for organization, for a centralized place for commerce, as opposed to the decentralized, neighborhood system that has developed over the years. How would a downtown differ from a mall like Newpark?
I’m not saying don’t have a downtown, I’ve just never seen or heard a delineation of what it’s advantages would be to residents.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
When I think of a “downtown” I think of the downtown areas of Los Gatos, Danville, Pleasanton, San Luis Obispo, etc… They have farmers markets, fine restaurants composed of outside seating, unique shops, interesting architecture. Personally, I like downtowns, but believe Fremont has missed the boat and doesn’t have the perfect spot for one. It’s all about good wine, good food and atmosphere. We used to have the Weibel Winery Vineyards with a Mexican restaurant overlooking a stream. Now, that could have been built into a downtown. But,they developed homes there. You’re right there seems to be an obsession to have one. Fremont should just forget about it. It’s too widespread and nothing seems to flow in this city.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
“You don’t get a BART station these days without planning for some type of intensive development.”
Actually, you can LOL.
See this (sorry about the link size):
http://www.abag.ca.gov/jointpolicy/Resolution%203434%20and%20%20industrial%20conflicts%207-21-06.pdf
February 27th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Annie said: [I like downtowns, but believe Fremont has missed the boat and doesn’t have the perfect spot for one.]
Actually, we have several good spots, starting with the five original districts. But they’ve been largely neglected, perhaps because there’s more than one.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
What’s sad about this discussion is that you all are not being “truly” included – right now – in YOUR General Plan update taking place at great cost over a long period of staff time (it’s being compiled “in-house” with outside consultants assisting with various studies).
February 27th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
You can’t just buy up 100 acres (or an old auto assembly plant) and “create” a downtown. Usually a city grows up AROUND the downtown.
I don’t think redevelopment money should be spent in building on land that was previously open or at the edge of town. The redevelopment money needs to be spent in the center of town, where there IS nothing new and/or nice.
I don’t think you have make Centerville Fremont’s “downtown”, but something that isn’t random 1/2 vacant strip malls would be nice.
They are letting the center of the city fade away and concentrate their efforts on the shiny new developments at the edge of town.
February 27th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
La Boca, there have been a sizeable group of citizens who have been involved with the General Plan Update. They responded to the invitation that went out to all Fremont residents to participate. I attended several of the meetings dealing with Fremont Blvd. Another in the series is coming up shortly dealing with housing.
You make it sound like it is only city staff and consultants working on the GP behind closed doors. That is not the case. The city has made a major effort to involve residents, to take their input, and incorporate their ideas into the GP.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Your right Doug, they have made an effort; However, I would say to a limited extent. I’m sorry if I made it sound as if there was no effort. There is, and I would say also that the further down the staff ladder you go – the greater the effort under way to do so!
Having said that, I was disappointed that the only major “physical planning” workshop was on Fremont Boulevard; rather than on Fremont as a whole. Particularly focusing on the old five townships, etc.
Likewise, it seemed odd that the same issues about the so-called Central Business District keep getting swept under the carpet – so to speak. And, more germane to my frustration above – the planning effort on the Specific Plan for Warm Springs seems to be taking place in a vacuum unrelated to the GP up-date. The same could be said for the project that just folded.
I commend you on your involvement in the process and encourage others to attend to what is planned. For a City the size of Fremont these events should be several thousand people at a time. How many where there for your events?
February 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Correction: several hundred…
February 27th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
La Boca, firstly you know typically what percentage of people get involved in anything. Getting them to come to something like this is even more difficult. Who has the time? Retired folk mostly. Secondly, if thousands did get involved where the heck would you hold the meeting? How would you conduct such a meeting and channel the chaos?
February 27th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Again, I would say several “hundred” not thousands. It is difficult to get people involved, but controversial issues are an opportunity to get people out – if your not shy. I personally have seen projects the size of the A’s with several hundred showing up; and often those that do are up on issues.
Look at the turn out in WS to protest! Pretty amazing turnout! In a way, that turnout was an opportunity to harness local interest. If the “leaders” had been looking out for what concerned those already hear in that area, they would have been using the protests as a reason that the project does not make sense – not why it does.
Ultimately, your right Doug, it is difficult in these times to get people involved. What I look for, as someone who is usually directing these efforts professionally, is – do the people in charge want a truly open and involved process by the residents?
In this case, that’s why I’m jaded; I know that they don’t! If you new what really has transpired during the process that you sight involvement in – you would know that staff had to fight to get the right to hold the meetings that they did!
February 27th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
P.S. The General Plan update will chart the Furture of Fremont between now and 2030. Forty thousand more people are projected to be living hear by then. Where are they going to go?
February 27th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Corretion; here not hear. Now everyone knows that I am a “phonetic” speller.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Annie -
If what you’re talking about is what the City means when they say “downtown”, I could live with that.
What always tightens my gut when I hear “downtown” is that I start seeing mental visions of skylines like they have in SF, Oakland and now San Jose. If that’s what we’re going to end up with, it may indeed be time to turn the house over to the kids and get a place out in the country. It’s always been my intention to stay, but that would just be too much.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Fremont lifer: It’s interesting, even the City of Berkeley has been fighting for a long time over the height issue.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
P.S. Fremont Lifer: good luck in the country, but remember as time goes by that the best health care is probably right here in Fremont!
February 27th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
How San jose city council handles the public’s concerns
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/pdf/Public Outreach Policy.pdf
March 1st, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Fremont can never have a viable los gatos like downtown. I am sorry to say majority of Fremont residents are asians and they will have no interest in a downtown like Los Gatos. Ofcourse, if you build a downtown with a sushi bar, chinese/indian/thai restaurants then maybe. If you open up a upscale french/italian place, it will languish and shutdown. And further asians dont spend as much, so I think fremont better stop dreaming about downtown. What fremont can do is things like make Lake elizabeth lighted at night (like GG park), attract weekend nightime concerts, maybe more asian themed bars/tea places in around that open at night…
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Andy,
I’m a bit disturbed that you would propose to have a “downtown” Fremont that is geared specificially to one ethic group. There are already plenty of Asian themed shopping centers – surely you don’t think that Lake Elizabeth/Central Park should be reinvented to cater to Asians?
From what I have seen in the Tri-City area, there are MORE than enough tea places etc. open for the Asians that live in the area. What there isn’t, is someplace for the rest of us…
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Andy, you’re oversimplifying. On my visits to local eating establishments I see a wide diversity of people enjoying the cuisine of many cultures.
Establishing a downtown without a focal point is difficult. In other words, there is no there there. It’s one thing to refurbish, rebuild, reinvigorate, but there is no central area that exists other than the Hub.
Mission San Jose, Centerville, Niles and Irvington have established central business districts. The primary area to focus on would be from Fremont Blvd. in Irvington running north to Centerville.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:02 am
Fremont is a diverse town. And can keep it that way in the manner in which development and planning happens in this town? Can the diversity be better expressed in our town instead of concentrated sprinkling of ethnicity (asian, indian, etc.).
For example, consider the following locations:
1. Lions Market and surrounding areas on Mission/Warm Springs intersection
2. My favorite nursery Navlet’s now gone and a new asian complex is coming up.
3. The Pacific Commons area on Boscell road is all asian
4. The shopping complex at Fremont / Washington Blvd intersection behind Kragen’s is prominently “indian”
5. The shopping complex on Warm Springs blvd (around Ho Chow restaurant) is pretty much all asian.
While I enjoy these places and frequent them, I do think that there is something wrong in the way the City plans and allows these developments. I would like the planners to think of something more diverse and co-exist rather than an “all asian” or “all indian” or “all ____”…
Is it not possible to have a balance of diversity in the way business and shopping complexes are designed/planned? Or are these just the way things turn out to be based on market forces? I am curious.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Guys,
My comments were purely based on economic viability. Even though Fremont’s avg household income levels are quite high (>120k), Wholefoods refuses to setup shop in Fremont, Nordstrom would only accept to bring in a *rack* of iteself, so many buildings with *for lease* signs for months if not years on Fremont blvd centerville.. I can go on and on. I just hope city doesnt spend a hell lot of money to build a cool downtown and the stores just languish. If Fremont is such a *hot* location, then why are these existing open stores not taken yet. Anybody know ?
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
D Alur, it would be my guess the city cannot dictate to a business where they can or cannot locate based on the ethnic content of their business and how many other ethnically similar businesses are close by.
If an Asian business sees the most potential being close to other Asian businesses that probably makes the most sense. Same with Indian businesses.
The reality is the demographic make up of Fremont has rapidly diversified and with it comes businesses catering to the cultures of the citizens.
Come back in 20 years when second and third generation Asian-Americans and Indian-Americans are the business owners. I think you’ll see a difference.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I think Fremont development council should carefully plan on what they want to do. Fremont missed the boat when they allowed Newark to have a Mall and Union city to have union landing. Plus given the fact that there is a lot of NIMBYism going on in fremont, I see fremont’s future as a residential city with maybe golf clubs, parks, etc. UnionCity will probably build a high density transport hub/housing near its bart and will turn out to a downtown like place. Fremont residents can just use that, just like they use the theatres right now. There is no point duplicating amenities that already exist nearby. So this basically means even if fremont does intend to build something it should be somewhere in south fremont rather than centerville.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Reply to Andy, Andy, a successful business entity like Whole Foods and many others will not tolarate a disfunctional city govt. They can plan around other legitimate buseness problems and concerns, but disfunctional city govt. is a deal breaker coming out of the gate.
Our city govt. has fraudulently portrayed its finances, (2005 prop. L) Not fixed streets on time, (2005, and 2006) Found mysterious millions, (2006, after prop L was defeated) Got caught violating the Open Meeting Act and had to pay out over $150 thousand dollars and never apoligized to the citezens, (2007, 2008) Enacted an insane burglar alarm non-response policy, (2005) no business can do without a burglary response, (This one made our city look like buffoons nation wide), (Fraudulently portrayed the citys finances again in 2008 to strong arm the hotels for more money they did not need, (Businesses dont like surprizes or exploitation) Fraudulently portrayed the A’s as a money maker when a sports stadium has never yet been a money maker for any city, only a continal need for subsidys. and we still arent sure that the council did not again violate the Open Meetings Act cuz the conclusionary remarks by Mr. Wasserman and Anu N. are a compelling inference of something amiss in the process.
The sleeping tigers tail was tugged and there is going to be more direct resident review of the inside process used for Fremonts building and development dept. If the county prosecutor’s office continues to be involved the cure is possible.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Alan,
suppose I agree with things you have said. Some people I talked to have one question, why is San Jose pursuing the A’s so much if its a known fact that stadiums dont make money? San jose prides itself on being a top 10 safest city dont they? My next question is how does a manufacturing plant like NUMMI bring high paying jobs to fremont? or for that matter solyndra’s proposed plant? No offense to hard working blue collar jobs/workers. But to me those seem to be just blue collar jobs. High paying jobs around these parts seem to be hi-tech and those should be the only jobs fremont be after. I dont know I just sense some level of hyprocricy in these discussions. People are divided on which camp you are on and comments are biased.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Gees, I’m kinda getting schpilkis about some of Andy’s statements that Asians wouldn’t be interested in a downtown like Los Gatos or that Asians don’t spend as much (compared to who?).
It may be the end-result of too many diversity seminars at work, but I do believe that it’s hard to make any blanket statements about what a particular ethnic group dislikes or spends. For example, I would have to check “white” on the census, and I’m proud to say that I’m cheap as hell. That doesn’t make all white people cheap, you see.
Also, I don’t see Fremont as so much of a “hot” location (in the sense of “hip” or “trendy”), but as a city which could benefit (or suffer) from it’s convenient location. Like Popeye, we yam what we yam, and we aren’t SF or Oakland or Berkeley. We’re pretty solidly suburban and, thanks to the current economic downturn, that isn’t the comfortable niche that it used to be.
City management seems to believe that they can make what they perceive to be a “sows ear” (what we are now) into a “silk purse”, a more sophisticated, upper-class town, by luring upscale businesses to town.
I believe that there has always been a flaw in their thinking in this regard. The City is usually pretty hot to put in lots of “affordable housing”, which usually means high-density, low open-space units that are one step above apartments, while they simultaneously want to lure in upscale retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch or Nordies.
What I don’t get is, how are the people who need affordable housing supposed to have disposable income to spend at upscale retailers? They can’t all get jobs at those stores, and even if they did, those places don’t pay enough for their employees to shop at the store where they work.
Which, I assume, leaves it up to old timers like me to patronize these places and, as I’ve already indicated, that probably isn’t going to happen, and I think these stores know this, so they’re not lining up to open here.
As much as I fought having WalMart here, I have to admit that their lots do appear to be crowded – Target as well. Maybe we need to accept reality and concentrate on the lower end of the market, like the Grocery Outlet instead of Whole Foods. Why chase after businesses who feel that they can’t flourish here?
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Fremont Lifer,
We might disagree on things, but we do agree on some things too
. Current council guys/future aspirants/former council’ites, please stop pretending fremont in Los Gatos. I think fremont the way it is right now is good enough. Lets focus on filling the empty for lease stores. Let me make a list here. All these are right on fremont blvd:
1. Fremont & Decoto
2. Fremont and Peralta
3. Fremont and Alder (near thornton)
I heard there is planning going ono about centerville unified site. Basically a block of empty land near Fremont blvd and thornton. I just dont get it! The places I have listed are decent looking spaces up for lease. No one is leasing them. And people want to build more right next door. And there is talk about *downtown*!! cmon..
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
The current economic situation facing our country could dramatically alter how and where business is conducted. Before Wal-Mart spread out across the country people went into town and shopped at the local businesses. When Wal-Mart came in the local businesses went belly up because they couldn’t compete price wise.
Eventually everything may consolidate into one company in each business; The Phone Company, The Utility Company, The Food Store, or maybe just The Store where you will shop for everything. Hey wait a minute, that’s Wal-Mart!
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Fremont does not need to be, and probably never could be, Los Gatos. But that doesn’t mean that it needs to be Richmond or Pinole (sorry, Pinole) either.
Fremont Lifer has a point – the city is always too eager to fill up a vacant lot with high density housing, and that does not bode well for Fremont in terms of being considered for locations for more middle-market stores like Banana Republic or Nordstrom’s. They figure that those of us who shop at places like that are fine driving to Pleasanton or Palo Alto. The city would be better served putting in less of those high density homes and focusing on things that would keep residents who DO have a disposable income here and spending money in Fremont.
That doesn’t mean that the void that won’t be filled by Whole Foods needs to be filled with Grocery Outlet.
And Andy, those “blue collar” workers at NUMMI make a good UAW hourly wage, plus excellent benefits. I wouldn’t thumb down your nose at them quite so quickly.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Andy – Fremont should repeat Stuart Smalley’s daily affirmation:
“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it people like me.”
Maybe that should be our new town motto.
Fremont is, in many of the ways that count the most, good enough the way it is. I believe that we suffer from a City administration (many of whom live elsewhere) that persists in trying to make us into something that we’re not and that many of us do not wish to become.
There does seem to be a problem with speculative commercial construction in town. I can only assume that developers continue to make money on these projects, even in the currently dim economic circumstances, or they wouldn’t continue to build them. I guess the question for us residents is, why does the City continue to allow units to be built when there there is, in all probability, no market for them? Does the City have the ability to say “no” to some of these projects?
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Jen,
I talked about NUMMI’s blue collar jobs just because some people talked about how a stadium will only get fremont blue collar jobs, and we shd focus of hi-tech. I dont know if you are a stadium supporter or not. I think there is hyprocricy in this forum.
People elected Bob W. So its not Bob W’s fault. Its people’s fault. And I believe he won fair and square, no dangling chads
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Andy, I had a different understanding about what people thought that the jobs generated by the stadium would turn out to be.
In my opinion, blue collar jobs can be skilled, reasonably well paid, and often come with benefits. I expect that a segment of the high-tech jobs that we would like to focus on could be considered blue collar.
It was my understanding that we were concerned that the stadium would generate what I think of as “no collar” jobs; low-skill, low wage, part-time, seasonal, and without benefits.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Alan @ 1:24 pm said: “If the county prosecutor’s office continues to be involved the cure is possible.”
Alan, do you know something that we don’t know? If so, pray tell!
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Fremont Lifer -
Ok, I agree, its a good explanation.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Alan
You mention screwups of the city in 2005/06/07/08. We went to an election in end of 2008. Were these issues not made public then? If they were made public, and people still elected same guys, then the fault is with the people. Please dont suggest recall crap. This experience will teach people of fremont to be wiser next time.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Andy @ 4:01 pm: No, “these issues not made public then”!
Case in point: WS was not mentioned until after the election!
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Andy,
No, I was/am not a stadium supporter. I like the A’s where they are. I like hopping on BART and getting dropped off at the stadium – and I enjoy the traffic, noise, etc. being left in Oakland.
The Meadowlands certainly didn’t put East Rutherford, NJ “on the map”.
You can’t make a city with a stadium – you can enhance an area in need of revitalization (PacBell Park, Safeco Field in Seattle), but you can’t put a city “on the map”.
And I would not boast of “bringing jobs to Fremont” when the bulk of the employees would be seasonal and low wage – different than just “blue collar”.
And I didn’t vote for Bob W.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
You know, Andy, you’re right – the people do need to be much wiser the next time a local election rolls around. However, the recall process, like the initiative and the referendum processes, exists for a reason.
Sometimes a jurisdiction can find itself in the electoral version of a very bad marriage, and I think of recall as the political system’s version of divorce. It all depends on how many people feel strongly enough about the issue to work to get the necessary signatures, and how many people will actually sign the recall petition.
To me, one of the downsides about recall, if I understand it correctly, is that if it is successful it leads to an election to replace the recalled position, which is an additional cost to the city/county/state. It’s a cost-benefit analysis, I guess – like a divorce, you have to pay to get out.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:37 am
Tonight’s Council meeting will include possible adoption of the General Plan”s “Housing Element.” It states;
“In the updated General Plan, the City Council’s vision for meeting the City’s housing needs through focused development near public transit will be among the Plan’s highest priorities. The Plan will call for and help facilitate the transformation of the Fremont BART Station area/Central Business District, the area near the Centerville Train Station, and the future Irvington BART Station area into mixed use communities with new housing, offices, retail shops, public facilities, and open spaces. The Housing Element will specifically identify opportunities for construction of 4,380 new housing units in the 2007-2014 time horizon.”
The Housing Element (which can be viewed @ http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/NR/rdonlyres/e4lob6wovcvfksipteegykm67czkdffnsq6fme4566apivacgfekewjgzipglh66lgtim4d32y4wxvb7k3pikoyuxpg/Enc%2e7%2e2.pdf) goes on to list all the great outreach done for the General Plan Update overall, and the specific sessions held on the “Housing Element.”
March 6th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Okay, okay, I know the A’s to Fremont deal is water under the bridge, but this news story out of Kansas City caught my attention. It points out the inherent problems Fremont would have faced down the road.
“Sanders Worried About Losing Chiefs, Royals”
Jackson County Executive Says KC Budget Plan Would Break Lease
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders said he’s concerned the Chiefs and Royals could leave Kansas City because of the city’s budget proposal.
Kansas City has an $85 million budget shortfall that has to be fixed by the end of the month.
Thursday, Mayor Mark Funkhouser put forward his plan, which includes eliminating nearly $2 million the city gives each year to the Truman Sports Complex.
“I don’t think it would jeopardize leases,” Funkhouser said. “We’re trying to focus on services that directly matter to Kansas Citians. For example, our city services, basic services like police. That is a core function. Operating a sports venue is not.”
http://www.kmbc.com/money/18866748/detail.html
March 6th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Doug,
You are right. Does this happen all around the country when the city goes into financial crisis, the teams start to threaten/pull out? There is so much public money that goes into these stadiums one way or another, that when the bad times roll, they feel the pinch more than anything. It definitely is a parasitical relationship between the city and the sports franchise most of the time.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
QUICK –
ALL A’S FANS WHO OBJECT TO BUSINESSES BEING BOYCOTTED – - – - HERE’S another opportunity for you to object to selective consumerism.
BUSINESS ALL OVER FREMONT ARE BEING BOYCOTTED IN FAVOR OF THIS “GREEN” RETAIL BUSINESS.. LET’S HEAR THE OBJECTIONS – HEY VINNIE BACON – IF YOU CALL IT A “CARROTMOB” instead of a “BOYCOTT” – - – - I T’S O K ! ! !! ! ! ! !
‘Green’-friendly business in Fremont to get ‘mobbed’
By Matthew Artz
The Argus
Posted: 03/05/2009 07:52:15 PM PST
Updated: 03/06/2009 06:56:08 AM PST
FREMONT — Ranjeet Singh’s convenience store might not seem like the kind of place that would draw a lot of Internet-savvy environmentalists. He sells the usual convenience-store staples of canned soup, cookies, dish soap, beer and cigarettes.
But unlike some of his competitors, Singh has agreed to install energy-efficient light bulbs in his store.
That small gesture of environmental consciousness has won Singh the support of local “greens,” who plan to show their appreciation Saturday by “mobbing” Singh’s Fremont Boulevard store with their patronage.
Singh owns Sam’s Best Food Market, which has been chosen as the site of Fremont’s first “carrotmob.”
Carrotmobs — the term alludes to “carrot” incentives versus “stick” deterrents — have sprung up in major cities from San Francisco to London as a way to encourage stores to go “green,” or reward them for doing so.
Instead of organizing boycotts of businesses they don’t like, environmentalists hold “carrotmobs,” which harness the power of social-networking Web sites such as Facebook to get hordes of people to buy lots of stuff from stores that they think deserve support.
“I wanted to make it a party, where the community comes together,” said Justine Burt, who is organizing Fremont’s first carrotmob.
Burt, who works for an environmental marketing company, served on Fremont’s green task force last year. Her job was to encourage small minority-owned
businesses to go green, and she thought carrotmobs would help accomplish that.
Burt toured several stores and talked four business owners into talking with PG&E auditors about how much it would cost to install energy-efficient lighting.
Singh was the only merchant willing to pay for the new lights and ballasts, which cost him $280 after a nearly $500 rebate from PG&E, Burt said.
After putting the word out online and to several local environmental groups, Burt hopes to draw 150 to 200 people to the market Saturday afternoon, and ring up about $1,500 to $2,000 in sales for Singh.
Singh, who has seen YouTube videos of carrotmobs, said he is ready for a flurry of customers.
“It looks like it is going to work out good,” he said. “It makes sense.”
March 7th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Let’s see – if I “carrotmob” China Chili in favor of one of tghose Pac Com restaraunts I’m “boycotting” and I’m E V I L ! ! ! ! !
But, if I “carrotmob” in favor of a “green” business it’s OK ! ! !! ! Come on gang which way is it – either it’s a legit consumer tactic or it’s not – where are all those angry pro-A’s anti-boycott MOUTHS now ???
March 7th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Look, Anon, just vote with your dollars wherever you want, and the rest of us will do the same. We can’t control what you choose to do with your money any more than you can control what we do with ours. Does that work out for everybody?
Out of curiosity, would you go out of your way to support a business that intentionally chose not to be energy efficient, when there are energy efficient options available to them?
Do you think that the City should not have a green task force?
March 7th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Fremont Lifer -
maybe you miss my point.
Soo many pro-A’s MOUTHS were all over Vinnie Bacon (without justification I might add) because some folks thought it wise to vote with their wallets.
SOOO many pro-A’s MOUTHS got in Vinnies face. But they are absent in the case of the carrotmob’s WHY IS THAT ???? It’s because those pac commons businesses were afraid that their position on the A’s sttadium might be jeapordized in the eyes of the consumers of Fremont . . . so they lashed out at one obvious candidate – Vinnie Bacon.
But those same weenies are absent from the current “boycott’ – those same weenies dont see the obvious contradiction in their own position. If “boycotting” a business is TRULY their concern – they should equally be protesting this latest “carrotmob” – - – but they’re gone – they’re siilent because the handful of business interests in Pac Commons arent touched by this latest action.
Single minded business people who give a hoot about their surrounding community and are motivated solely by their own economic success..
March 7th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Anon,
So the “carotmob” is, in effect, reverse-boycotting in favor of a particular business and we’re supposed to, in some way, counter-boycott against their reverse-boycott? By doing what, staying away from this store? I’ve never shopped there in the first place. The story doesn’t even say exactly where it is.
Gees, where does it end? I don’t care where these carrot people shop. I just care where I shop. That’s all I can control.
I still think it’s a good thing for people to do what they can to be energy efficient, so “good on” to the store owner.
Or is this all about Vinnie? If so, I’ll wait to see what he has to say about it.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Fremont Lifer -
Sorry – I think you’d need to go back and review several other threads in this BLOG to get the point.
There were many posts on expressing dire concerns for a “boycotting” of the Pac Commons businesses that weere suporting A’s.
Now that another form of “boycotting” is raised – no one is expressing concerns – because it doesnt impact THEIR business ! So transparent. . . .
The people that were hounding Vinnie a couple of weeks ago know who they are and their absence in criticizing this most reecent “carrotmob” tells me that they, like the Wolfe’s were solely interested in their personal economic benefit.
March 8th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Anon,
I have not been following this thread, and don’t intend to. But, I am anti-A’s, and I got in Vinnie’s face.
And, I would have continued to get in Vinnie’s face if he was to leverage support from the FCN as long as an appreciable amount of their representatives called for a boycott.
That being said, I am adamantly opposed to a boycott of Fremont businesses because of any position they took on the A’s stadium.
And though I have no interest in sifting through this thread to get details, I have a feeling that a reverse boycott is a rebuttal to your, Irv and Bbox’s original asinine idea.
March 8th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Well, since I do have what I comically refer to as a life, I’m not going back over any old posts – I barely have time for to keep up with the new ones.
It still looks to me like:
some people were mad because some people weren’t going to go to businesses that supported the stadium, and
you’re mad because some people are going to this guys store because he put in energy efficient lights.
Man, you got to pick your battles. The stadium thing is over. People are going to go where they’re going to go. It’s their money and their choice. If you’re going to let stuff like this get to you, you’re gonna have a hard row to hoe.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Not mad about anything.
I think Vinnie Bacon was singled out unfairly as a proponent of a boycotting of Pac Com suppporters of A’s.
I think that those who did so attempted to generalize this incorrect accusation as “anti business”.
I think that those who made these points are absent now in the presence of the same kind of selective consumerism (carrotmob).
My point is that Vinnie wasn’t part of the original “boycott” thinking, and those who suggested otherwise were only concerned with the economic advantage of pro-A’s retail business AND were attempting to discredit Bacon’s record.
March 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
La Boca. I’m a concerned Fremont residence. You seems to have good perspectives on how the process works. How may I contact you for your thoughts.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Come on Marty – who the heck are you to oppose freedom of choice by consumers to place their purchasing dollar where they please ???
Despite your feeble attempt to try to stir up some support by a few Pac Commons restaraunts – despite your feeble attempt to discredit Vinnie Bacon all you have done is revealed a self-serving autocratic mentality. If your accusations of Vinnie Bacon are accurate, Vinnie is simply a proponent of SO MANY OTHER FREMONT businesses who stand to benefit by encouraging free choice to spend dollars outside of the Pacific Commoons geography. But Marty would deny those myriad other Fremont businesses this opportunity at to the benefit of a few businesses in Pacific Commons.
Despite your opposition, I’m choosing NOT to spend my hard earned dollars with a wine bar that supported the A’s stadium at the expense of the surrounding community. And I encourage all consumers to spend their money – in Fremont – and where they receive the quality of goods and services they value AND from suppliers that share the consumers sense of responsibility and priority. Marty – if you believe that yours is the majority position – then join me in encouraging the same. If not – I understand your opposition.
Marty doesn’t want consumers to exercise this sense of free will – and he supports ONLY Pac Commons restaraunteers.
Marty would like you to continue to support Pac Commons restaraunts – irrespective of whether they agree with your position on the A’s stadium . . . . Marty wants all consumers in Fremont to do what S/He thinks is right.
Hopefully Marty and the rest of the City Council will spend a lot of money with those Pac Commons restaraunts – they’ll need it !