Random Fremont News
By Matt Artz
Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 5:06 pm in Uncategorized.
We’ve gotten calls that there was a big protest going on at NUMMI today. I didn’t check it out, but I’m sure the television cameras were there. Hard to believe the plant closes in less than four weeks.
A couple of Centerville tidbits:
1) There’s a hang-up in the city’s effort to buy the Park Theater and transform it into a performing arts center. The city made an offer on the theater, but the theater owner rejected it, I’m told. I was also told the city offered the appraised value (not sure what it was) and that the city can’t offer more than the appraised value, so, like I said, there’s a hangup.
2) I’ve heard that Dominic Dutra will try once more to get approval for his client’s nursery school/day care center at the corner of Fremont Boulevard and Mattos Drive. They’re going to reduce the number of students, which would solve the parking issue and make it hard for a city board to find grounds under state law to reject it.
That would pose a dilemna for Coucnilmembers Anu Natarajan and Bill Harrison. They’re up for re-election, and no politician wants to piss off Glenmoor in an election year.
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March 5th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Re theater – Under state law, the city cannot offer more than the appraised value of the property (more would be considered a gift of public funds) or less that the appraised value (less would be considered the public agency pushing around a property owner and taking advantage of him/her.) The offer is required by law and rejection of the offer probably leads to eminent domain.
Under eminent domain, the propety owner hires an appraiser who figures out a value and a court decides the price. While this is going on, the city must deposit their appraised value with the court and the city takes possession of the property. The property owner can withdraw the money at any time and the city is obligated for any additional the court decides is appropriate. And, of course, during this process there is opportunity to continue to negotiate price between the two “dueling appraisals.” No one wants to end up in court. There are too many unknowns.
This is all a pretty normal process and initial offers and rejections are to be expected.
March 6th, 2010 at 11:08 am
The Mercury News is reporting that Bill Lockyer, a UC Berkeley Professor and their delegation are heading to Japan to hopefully persuade them not to close Fremont’s NUMMI Plant. Any City of Fremont officals in the delegation? Diaz, Wasserman, Chan??-OF COURSE NOT-worthless bums
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14520025?nclick_check=1
“We have a blue-ribbon commission headed by California Treasurer Bill Lockyer and UC-Berkeley professor Harley Shaiken, and their delegation is heading to Japan, giving Toyota reasons why they shouldn’t close the plant down. At the very least, they should give us an extension so we’d have time to try to figure things out, even if it comes to the union making concessions to keep it open. We just want Toyota to give us a chance.”
March 6th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
NUMMI is not only an Economic issue, but a Human issue as well. Not only the employees, vendors and other businesses suffer, but their families as well. Thanks to Bill Lockyer, UC Prof Haley Shaiken and their delegation going to Japan to try to keep the Nummi plant open.
The City Council and the Fremont Chamber of Commerce always wanted NUMMI’s earliest closure, as they want to bring Oakland A’s on the land of NUMMI, so that they will have well paying jobs in the management of the A’s Ball Park in Fremont as a reward for their very very loyal SERVICES to them. They have so for succeeded. Let us wish good luck to Bill Lockyer and his delegation to save the livelyhood of thousands.
March 6th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Hey Skumar,
Why don’t you go to Japan to keep NUMMI open if you want a toxic manufactor plant near your house? Are you afraid of going to Japan? I’m hoping we can get a ballpark in Fremont asap. Wouldn’t be funny if A’s build a stadium near Weibell school? Lol
March 7th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Random Fremont News seemed to be the perfect post place for this:
There are two upcoming City Council meetings related to the Fremont General Plan update. On Tuesday, March 9th, staff will present a draft General Plan Land Use Map as well as draft language for the various land use designations.
On Tuesday, March 16, staff will hold a work session with the Council on draft goals and policies related to land use and mobility.
Both meetings are in the Council Chambers at 3300 Capitol Ave. The March 9 meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. The March 16 work session begins at 6:00 p.m.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:30 am
VOR: Important information, thank you. It’s amazing how little attention is payed to such meetings. It during Council meetings like the two that you’ve called out, that the future of entire City rests upon.
BTW: Why is it that the City of Fremont doesn’t have a GENERAL PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE developing the policy drafts before they go to COUNCIL? Most cities and towns almost always do, what gives?
Fremont’s process now is simply to have staff with the help of a lone outside consultant and some sub-consultant’s crafts the “plan elements” that go directly to the Council for feedback and direstion – during a so called “public” meeting. People, this is the blue-print for your City for the next 20-30 years!
Oh I know, I know; you’ll get the usual feeback from staff that there have been a series of public outreach meetings along the way – albeit few and far between.
But why no GENERAL PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE for the City of Fremont?
One guess!
March 7th, 2010 at 9:51 am
VOR, Thanks for the very important information.
Anon,a great idea to have GENERAL PLAN ADISORY COMMITTEE, representing the people of fremont rather than outside special interest. The City council have no vision and forward thinking about the city and respect for the people.They rather call the people ” MOB “. They are very good at serving the Developers and special interest to fund their campaigns. Now is the time for the people to REPOWER CONTROL OF CITY COUNCIL by their involvement.www.YourAmericanVoice.com
March 7th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Bingo Fazlur; It was the Council with “no vision” that allowed the City Manager to dictate that there would not be a GENERAL PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE! What a SHAME!
BTW: How much money has been spent to date on the General Plan Update? Which, supposedly, was going to be more economical is staff does the update “in-house” with a lone consultant as a sort of project planner. Likewise, the planning department staffed the in-house manager for the update with someone who doesn’t have a background in urban planning! Go figure.
Again, one guess on who decided that?
March 7th, 2010 at 11:18 am
The City Council doesn’t need to create a GENERAL PLAN ADISORY COMMITTEE. In the past 4 years, the City of Fremont reach out the community what are their vision for the city. It’s wrong to let GENERAL PLAN ADISORY COMMITTEE decide what are vision for the City of Fremont.
March 7th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Wow Anon, you have a Consultant, the council gets impressed
with his plan and goes with it. There is no need for the costly Planning Department. It is a very simple common sense.www.YourAmericanVoice.com
March 7th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I’m not sure what the official name was for the meetings, but the city has been taking input from Fremont residents for the past two year in advance of the update to the 2030 General Plan. A series of meetings were held that allowed residents to provide input on what they envisioned. I attended several of them.
You can also download the General Plan Land Use Map at:
http://www.fremont.gov/Search.aspx?SearchString=general+plan&Action.x=0&Action.y=0
March 7th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
I have attended several meetings the City held for public input on the new General Plan. The meetings I went to, were well attended. The meetings were well advertised. I believe that staff did a really good job of reaching out, to the public for input.
I am not sure if our Mayor or Council will pay attention to the public input, but that is what elections are for!
March 7th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I don’t think Anon101 and Fazulr Khan are lying or dont even attend the meeting. The city staff created the General Plan by public input. Then the City Council approve the General Plan. Developer has nothing to do with the General Plan.
March 7th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Fazlur says, “blah blah blah BOLD TYPE blah blah blah. Blah blahblah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah BOLD blah blah blah blah
YourAmericanVoice.com
Thanks for your input. Btw, what was that web site again? Oh yea.
http://www.yourAmericanVoice.com
March 7th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Please do the survey “A’s to Fremont”:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BJK2VPD
March 8th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Fremont_Bill; Glad you attended the meetings and that you found the effort sufficient from staff. Having said this, I can tell you from first hand knowledge that the whole approach was to minimize your involvement – but have just enough to say that that there had been a public process.
Let me give you a little example of the deception that goes; in the background studies done by outside consultants, they (the consultants) where directed to ASSUME that the industrial lands in PC were ALREADY rezoned for the new baseball village (?).
Likewise, when they ran the projected needs for industrial land out to the life span of the new general plan – they showed a deficit of about the same amount of industrial land as would have been used up by the ballpark. Do you see the problem here? In Fremont, the best RETAIL sales tax ironically comes from industrial lands because of “point of sales” for products produced there. In addiition it’s where most of the good paying jobs come from! So why was that assumption made – when it created a deficit?
In addition, if this process was so great – why was it that Anu in the 11th hour of producing the update – after about 2 million dollars already spent on the update – say that there wasn’t any VISION? I guess the workshops on Fremont Boulevard didn’t quit cut it for that; although staff and the design consultant came up with the idea of focusing on Fremont Boulevard as a way of doing public outreach (or at least being able to claim that they are) without looking at the big picture.
Of course now that we have NUMMI closing the industrial numbers should be revisited. Which brings us back to Warm Springs; and here again things were/are being pushed along without the benefit of comprehensive planning. For example, not many people knew or know that there was a Warm Springs Specific Plan being created by staff for the last couple of years. Oh and by the way – they hid the housing in the A’s CONCEPTUAL plan that was done in secret so as to not alert the masses (or should I say the “mob”).
What does all this mean? A lack of a transparent public participatory process; and a lack of understanding and appreciation of good urban design principals. Again, for example – there were FATAL flaws in the PC A’s proposal and the great local “decider” just wouldn’t accept that! Go figure.
Basically, all I am saying is that Fremont deserves better leadership; and all along the issues of the A’s should go to the voters to decide. At least it looks like that is going to happen now – if only as an “advisory” vote.
March 8th, 2010 at 7:38 am
By the way Fremont_Bill; Did you go to the workshop on housing called “Designing Fremont’s Future?
That workshop discussed where the projected 40,000 more people living in Fremont by 2030 would go. If I remember correctly, there were about 100-110 people at that evening event (and an event that they did not broadcast live – or record). Out of a City of 200,000 projected to grow to 240,000 by 2030, that’s not a lot of people!
March 8th, 2010 at 8:00 am
“General Plan”- for the record, you are wrong when you state that: “Then the City Council approve the General Plan.” The General Plan update is not complete. It therefore, has NOT been “approved” by the City Council.
And given the secrecy that was involved in the crafting the A’s Conceptual plan (as well as the explanation about industrial land assumptions in the GP update – I’d say that you are wrong when you say that “Developer has nothing to do with the General Plan.”
March 8th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Anon101, city staff use community input not developer input. If it’s was a developer input, we’re going to see a lot of development in Fremont. We’re going to see high-rise building, thousands of homes, shopping center, offices, and etc all around Fremont in the General Plan. A’s conceptual plan has nothing do with the General Plan, it’s just a response from Major League Baseball. Stop being anti-current city council and anti-development.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Fremont Poll, I took the Poll. I am undecided on a Ball Park since it has not been defined.
The survey was written by a Stadium supporter, questions were slanted towards the Yes on ball park crowd.
The survey has no value since it was so slanted, the results will be meaningless
March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Since our local government seems to be the focus on many of the comments posted on TCB you might find this video worth watching. It’s by Kimberly Butler and its entitled New Media Watchdogs.
http://vimeo.com/9891832
March 8th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
VOR, great link. Thank you!
General Plan: It might surprise you that I an not anti-development as you say, nor am I against the A’s coming to Fremont altogether, not just in favor of PC or WS. Having said that, I’ve thought and said all along that it shouldn’t be up to me alone, nor you, but the public at the ballot box. Period.
As for being anti-current City Council; guilty as charged, and I won’t stop exposing the problems with the current City Administration. You seem to discount accountability. But enough said.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Why did fremont residents vote for Bob Wasserman not Gus Morrision or Steve Cho? You know Bob Wasserman is pro-development and pro-A’s. Steve Cho is balance growth that what is the best for his vision and what’s best for the city. Gus Morrison is an anti-development. If you dislike our city adminstration, why dont you go to different city or recall the mayor or city council. I bet most of the Warm Springs residents or anti-A’s don’t even vote for Bob Wasserman and our current city council. If you don’t want city council to make a decision, why don’t you find a city that you can expressed your opinion in different cities a with no city council. We are getting the A’s and the city council will approved the general plan.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
GP: Wasserman would not have won if it hadn’t been for Fred Diaz hiding the Warm Springs alternative until after the election!
You really don’t get it, do you?
March 8th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Anon101,
Whoever is a anti-stadium will support either Steve Cho or Gus Morrison. In the past few years, few residents opposed the A’s stadium in Fremont before the election. Most who support the A’s move to Fremont wether is PC or Warm Springs, Fremont residents is going to vote for Bob Wasserman and Steve Cho which both open their idea of having a stadium in Fremont. I bet Warm Springs or Mission mostly voted for Steve Cho which he is in the middle of having a stadium in Fremont. Guess what Bob Wasserman won the election. Bob Wasserman like the stadium at Pacific Commons because the stadium is surrounding with retail and housing than the Warm Springs. They’re few residents are NIMBY’s than pro-development. You know Sue Chan is pro-A’s and pro-develpment same as Bob Weickowski. Why Vinnie Bacon lost? Isn’t he a anti-stadium too.
Do you even think is the city fault or city council and mayor fault? Why don’t you blame on the A’s? You can’t even blame on the A’s because the consultant take too long making the report and released the report to the public. Why don’t you blame the consultant?
Who want to use our taxpayer money to educate the residents about politics?
March 8th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Good luck General Plan; all I can say is welcome to democracy and the last vestiges of a free press.
If you really had a grasp of what is going on in the City Administration you might have another take on what is going on.
All I can say at this point is that the backbone of a strong democracy is an informed electorate is an informed public. With our press eviscerated by corporate america, we must rely on sharing information on the great new information highway – the internet. That is, while we have it!
Good night all, and may Fremont get the leadership it deserves. Fremont is a sleeping giant. I look forward to the day that it comes into it’s own! And General Plan, you are now a part of it – congratulations!
March 8th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
And General Plan I can’t help but add that you remind me of the old saying about how there are basically three kinds of people in the world:
“Those that make things happen,
Those that watch things happen, and
Those that don’t know what is happening!”
Good night!
March 9th, 2010 at 9:43 am
We are Fremont for CHANGE and we make things happen.Let us repower control of Fremont.www.YourAmericanVoice.com
March 9th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Fazlur.
I’m glad to see you approve of the delegation that Bill Lockyer sent to Japan. This panel includes Nina Moore, who is still fighting for the NUMMI jobs on behalf of the Alameda County Labor Council, Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the workers and families.
I’m glad to see you supporting her activities. I’m sure she will welcome your support.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
While I commend the efforts of the delegation heading to Japan to fight for the NUMMI workers I think it is somewhat akin to the question, “what part of NO don’t you understand?”
Toyota had made the decision to close NUMMI months before their current recall problems, which seem to be mounting by the day. They have temporarily shut down lines at two other U.S. plants due to slow sales, and now a class action suit is being considered that could cost them $3 billion.
I would rather see Lockyer’s blue ribbon commission, ACLC, and the Fremont Chamber put their time and effort into finding a new tenant for the facility and finding jobs for the NUMMI workers.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Shart, I know Nina Moore as Director of the Baord of Fremont Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to Jan 2010, how she got the position of Director of Govt Affairs unethically as the Incoming Chair of the Chamber by bribing the President and CEO of the Chamber. Whole of Fremont knows her washing the dirty linen for Oakland A’s by day dreaming to become the CEO of the Ball Park. She has politicised the Chamber and put it in the oxygen tent and it has a status of “old girls gossip Club “. I asked the Board members to fire her for its condition. I resigned from the ” old girls gossip Club ” on February 12, 2010 as a Director of the Board of Directors as I don’t want to write the obituary of the Chamber. She is going to have information to sabotage the efforts of Bill Lockyer and the people with good intention to save the NUMMI. I feel sorry for these good people and the empoyees, vendors and their families who depend on their livelihood. She is the handi maid of the Mayor and the A’s and expects rewards from them. Let us all pray to save the dependents of NUMMI to save from conspirators.
March 9th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
For 3 year I tried to make the Fremont Chamber, a true professional Chamber to work for the growth of businesses,
trade and industry to creat jobs. Instead it is the rubber stamp of the Mayor, Mark Robson, Debveloper of Robson Homes,Oakland A’s Job outlet for most the Board members, a career ladder for Nina Moore and an ” Old Girls Gossip Club “. It would like to facilitate the A’s to grab the Gold mine land near and around NUMMI and future Bart Station for the A’s development ambition and dreams to be the millionaires.
March 9th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I never trusted Nina Moore. She is a complete phony in my view. Thanks for confirming this Fazlur, and showing your concern for the thousands of NUMMI employees
March 9th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Skumar, I appreciate your ability to recognise people.