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Comments From Residents About Fremont’s Mayor & City Council, School Board, and Quality of Life
May 20, 2008
Thoughts from Vinnie's campaign kickoff
My
neighbor and I went to Vinnie Bacon's campaign kickoff last
Saturday. There was plenty of food, and we enjoyed talking
to some of the attendees.
Unlike
all current council members (Steve Cho, Bob Wiekowski, Anu
Natarajan, and Bill Harrision) who were appointed to the
Planning Commission by either Gus Morrison or our current
mayor Wasserman, Vinnie is not part of the political
machine.
I find
Vinnie to be down-to-earth and straightforward. It was
touching to hear about the legacy he received from his
father, who fought corruption in city hall and was
threatened with his life with dynamite planted in his car.
Vinnie
is well qualified with his graduate degrees from UC Berkeley
in City Planning and Transportation Engineering, and
experience as a transportation planner and as a customer
supporter manager in high tech, currently for Verisign. He
has been active also in environmental causes.
He
will not accept any donations from developers, unlike all
the current council members. He is for balanced growth
and bringing good jobs to the city for sustained taxed
revenues. He believes in enhancing our neighborhoods and
small businesses so this will be an attractive city for
employers. He is against runaway development, which
negatively impacts our streets, schools, and quality of
life.
Since
this is a grassroots campaign, he will need
financial and volunteer support from many individuals.
If you'd like to help, go to
www.bacon2008.com.
I heard
that Dirk Lorenz may run for city council also. If you
recall, he approved
the Sabercat development. So please remember this when we go
to the polls in November!
JC
May 20, 2008
Fremont City Council Candidate Campaign Kickoff Event - May
17th 2008
Anyone attended the event and
can give a brief? Thanks and I excite
that someone will step up to against those OLD guys! I will
root for him!
QG
May 12, 2008
Fremont City Council Candidate
Campaign Kickoff Event - May 17th
Hello Folks,
There is a campaign kick-off event on May 17th by Vinton
Bacon who is running for Fremont City Council in November
2008 Elections.
Now, the time has come for us to participate in the
democratic process and elect the right people to City
Council.
As
part of it, here is the opportunity to meet Mr. Bacon and
get to know more about his ideas, thoughts and plans for
Fremont's future. The more we participate, the more we get
to know about a candidate. Remember, an informed electorate
makes an informed decision. Please inform your
friends/neighbors throughout Fremont
Here are the campaign event details.
Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Fremont Community Center -
Fremont Elizabeth Central Park, 40204 Paseo Padre Parkway at
Mission View Drive
Great music from Alexis Harte (http://www.alexisharte.com)
and Kate Isenberg
(http://www.myspace.com/kateisenbergmusic), both of whom are
regularly heard on KFOG.
Refreshments are served.
Website:http://bacon2008.com
Disclaimer: Currently, Moderators are not
endorsing any candidates for City Council or School
Board.
Thanks,
Moderators
April 26, 2008
New candidate
with new vision running for City Council
There
is a new candidate running for City Council who is not part
of the local political machine. His name is Vinnie Bacon.
He's a technical support manager at VeriSign with graduate
degrees from U.C. Berkeley in City Planning and
Transportation Engineering. He is committed to making sure
the voices of our Fremont neighborhoods and communities are
heard when development decisions are made.
If you
want to learn more about Vinnie, he's having a campaign
kickoff event:
Saturday, May 17
2:00
pm – 5:00 pm
Fremont Community Center
Central Park
40204
Paseo Padre Parkway at Mission View Drive
There
will be folk music from Alexis Harte (http://www.alexisharte.com)
and Kate Isenberg (http://www.myspace.com/kateisenbergmusic),
both of whom are regularly heard on KFOG, as well as food
and drink and the opportunity for lively discussion about
the current state of Fremont and what we can do to make it
better.
For
more information, please visit the campaign web site:
http://www.bacon2008.com
CA
February 18, 2008
Declining quality of life in Fremont
Jeff--Your sentiments are right on target. I've also
expressed my
opinion about the declining quality of life in Fremont at
various
City-organized "hearings", but feel my comments are falling
on deaf
ears.
I had heard that in fast-growing communities such as Elk
Grove in the
Sacramento suburbs, city planners have imposed a fee on new
home
construction in order to fund school expansions and other
necessary
infrastructure improvements to accommodate residential
growth.
Now, according to last Thursday's San Jose Mercury News, the
Mello-Roos Community Facilities District may be coming to North
San Jose
(check out the article online:
http://www.mercurynews.com//
ci_8258484). According to the article: Santa Clara School
District
"is proposing to charge developers up to $30,000 for every
new home
within its boundaries.... The district's philosophy is that
new
development should pay for the needs of the new students it
produces,
and existing residents should not bear the burden through a
districtwide bond measure."
Let's urge the Fremont Unified School District to impose
this kind of
fee on new residential development, and get the funding our
stellar
schools deserve.
HC
February 14, 2008
Declining quality of life in Fremont
Thank
you, Liming Wei and Sheri, for your comments. Agree
wholeheartedly that we need to elect new candidates who will
represent the long-term interests of the residents. Be
careful of
politicians' empty promises such as school safety and
improving
Fremont's economy. What improvements have we actually seen
in recent
years?
Besides bringing in long-term tax revenues through high-tech
and
large businesses, what are other issues important to
residents?
What about quality of life? For me, I make a point in my
daily
commute to drive along Paseo Padre where Coyote Hills is,
before the
Dumbarton Bridge. In the past month or so, the yellow
mustard
flowers are blooming spectacularly. Sometimes adults and
children
are under a lot of stress. Without having to drive to
another city,
we can exercise and alleviate stress by going for a hike or
bicycle
at Coyote Hills.
In the past several years, Fremont has overdeveloped,
resulting in
overcrowded schools. Our mayor and council members have
approved an
unprecedented number of developments in the city, whether in
Mission
or elsewhere. They keep saying that the state mandates to
build,
which I think is an excuse for them. Many open spaces have
been
lost; not much large open space is left other than Coyote
Hills and
the land near Cushing Parkway where the current mayor wants
to bring
the A's.
I don't understand why the current mayor and all the council
members
are so adament of wanting to pave over the acres in front of
Coyote
Hills with 1100 condos/townhouses/houses and 3100
condos/townhouses/houses in the A's ballpark village (read
this in a
recent posting). I wonder what their children and
grandchildren
would think of them if these politicians choose to approve
these
developments.
I wouldn't be surprised they just shrug it off, since
everyone of
them have been paid big time in campaign contributions by
Robson
Homes and the Patterson family.
You asked what can one do? Forward "What ails Fremont?" and
this
email to your friends and email groups.
JC
February 13, 2008
What ails Fremont?
Thanks
for sharing the thought. There's got to be a way to
reveal such facts to the general public. This is the first
time I learned such, even though I felt things are not
going right.
It appears politicians have been very successful in
packaging
bad deals for fremont residents under the cover of "bringing
in tax revenues".
We have to find, encourage and support candidates who will
truly represent the long term interests of the residents.
Otherwise, the next mayor may turn Fremont into the biggest
garbage dump, as that probably brings in the biggest revenue
among all businesses.
LW
February 12, 2008
What ails Fremont?
As a
long-time Mission San Jose resident of Fremont, I was
dismayed
and frustrated at how Fremont has fallen behind Hayward and
Walnut
Creek in the last four years in attracting good businesses
to the
city.
For example, Hayward recently was able to attract 2 Fresh
and Easy
Neighborhood Markets (very much like Trader Joe's):
http://www.freshandeasy.com/home.aspx
Also, Hayward was able to attract Mimi's Cafe (a very
popular full-service restaurant):
http://www.mimiscafe.com/
Meanwhile Fremont has attracted Hooter's located at Mowry
near State
Street:
http://www.hooters.com/
In addition, it appears Fremont only attracts the low-end
big-box
retailers like Walmart, Lowe's, and Home Depot.
So much for retailing. In high tech, Ultra Clean Technology
(ranked
in Forbes magazine as one of 200 Best Small Companies) with
800
employees and based in Menlo Park is a company that makes
subsystems
for the semiconductor industry. It is expanding and moving
to Hayward
this year.
Another East Bay city, Walnut Creek, was the city that was
chosen by
California State Automobile Association for the move of its
corporate
headquarters from San Francisco. This will bring 1,000 jobs
(high-
paying jobs such as information technology, actuary, and
underwriting) to Walnut Creek.
Walnut Creek had the foresight to work with AAA to construct
six
building next to the Pleasant Hill BART station. This
eliminates much
of the traffic problems as well as noise and air pollution,
and
avoids a great deal of damage to the roads/streets.
In contrast, our current mayor is touting the economic
benefit of
bringing the A's to town. Let's be real; the jobs he is
talking about
are mostly low-wage service jobs in hotels and retail. This
doesn't
help our schools and, in fact, will create even more
overcrowding in
our schools.
I sure hope we can elect a new mayor who can get his/her act
together
by bringing in high-paying recurring sustainable tax revenue
jobs
like Hayward and Walnut Creek and not cozy up to developers
who pay
one-time development fees and then let our community
(schools and
deteriorating city services) suffer.
JC
December 4, 2007
Thoughts regarding Larry Sweeney's reply
[see 11/28 email below]
I was
dismayed that Mr. Sweeney being a trustee for FUSD didn't
have the facts straight regarding the Patterson Ranch
proposal. California state standards for school site
selection states that a new school should not be built on
land that is subject to high risk of liquefaction, which
this proposed site is. Also, the developer is proposing
putting in 148,000 cubic yards of soil in an attempt to
raise all the buildings from the flood hazard zone, 130,000
cubic yards of which is excavated from parts of the site and
moved to other parts. That would put potential families' and
children's lives in jeopardy.
Second, he
has tunnel vision when it comes to development—bring in the
developments, just try to persuade the developers to build
new schools. He gives no thoughts on where these houses and
schools are located, how school operating expenses will be
paid, how to advocate for less development. He doesn't even
have the correct number for the number of housing units
proposed at Patterson Ranch. In addition, what about junior
high and high school? Where will all those children go when
they are older?
Mayor
Chuck Reed, the forward-thinking mayor of San Jose,
persuaded the city council to hold off developing the
3500-acre Coyote Valley until there is more business growth
that would generate tax dollars to support neighborhoods. As
another MSJ parent stated, why isn't the city council
planning more holistically and in an environmentally
friendly way?
In
closing, a parent wrote in the Argus about the nurturing
impact of nature:
http://www.protectcoyotehills.org/news_argus_110907.html
one of the best reasons to preserve open space.
EG
November 28, 2007
Important FUSD Meeting – December 12th – HELP NEEDED
I have received following
reply from Larry Sweeney after sending the request to all
the board members:
Hi Anne,
Thank you for your e-mail and
for sharing your concerns about the increasing challenges
brought on by new developments.
The agenda for the December
12th meeting is already set. I believe the Board will be
discussing two new developments in the Mission Attendance
Area and where those students will be assigned.
I agree that more specific
definitions need to be developed, but they need to be on a
case-by-case basis for the time being as we are in the
position of having to react to the growing list of approved
housing units.
The City of Fremont has no
legal obligation to work with the school district to make
sure that there are plenty of classroom spaces available
near the approved developments. It is up to the school board
to figure out where to place these students until we have
the dollars to build more classrooms or even a school. That
is why I feel so strongly that the developments at Patterson
Ranch and Ballpark Village have the developer fund the
school. It makes sense. The only other alternative is to try
to pass a bond so that the taxpayers of Fremont have to foot
the bill for the new school within the 3,000 housing units
(1st phase) of Ballpark Village and the 1,200 units in the
first phase of Patterson Ranch. That does not seem fair.
The Board holds joint meetings
with the City (as recently as last Monday) and the City's
position is that the school district needs to negotiate with
the developer. I advocate that the city needs to make it
clear to the developer that we cannot move forward with
4,200 housing units because we do not have the classroom
capacity to accommodate the students generated by the
developments. It would then be incumbent upon the developers
to propose a plan that would include a school so as to
address that need. The City does not currently see it that
way. I hope that I will receive the community support needed
when we go out into the community to ask they stand behind
the school board's recommendations.
I would be more than happy to
meet with a group of parents one evening at a coffee shop
and listen to your concerns and offer any insights.
Best regards,
Larry
December 4,
2007
Lurene housing developments and higher density housing
developments [resident’s email to city council
regarding their wrong choices and
non-transparency on development]
Dear Mayor Wasserman and City
Council members,
Happy holidays and I hope all
is well with you.
My neighborhood and friends in
Fremont have been watching the housing development voting
track record. You and most of the city council members
appear to be very friendly with real estate developers.
Your constituents are paying
attention to your track record. How can our school system
and our quality of family life not be an integral and
natural part of the city planning decision process?
We are watching and are mostly
disappointed on your agenda (pro-high density housing
agenda). We need a more holistically thinking and
environmentally aware city mgmt team. It starts at the top
as part of the city agenda.
We all want more open park
spaces, more single-family homes in style with our older
established neighborhood lot sizes, and less higher-density
housing. Your city development plans are out of character
with the one thing that drew most of us to the Fremont
community to begin with.
Each and every land
opportunity - Mayor Wasserman, (most of you) and the mayor
hand-picked city planning manager, Fred Diaz, have made the
wrong choice for developing our once more open and beautiful
city of Fremont.
Why does the city of San Jose
planning dept. post large billboards at the proposed land
development sites for wide community involvement in the
decision-making process? And our planning folks in Fremont
use a perceived stealthy mode (not transparently
communicating and proactively early broadcasting the
development plans of the developers)? We are lucky to get a
very plain quick, short letter in the mail telling us you
plan to build 10 homes where there used to 1 or 2 homes.
2008 will hopefully be a time
of change for most of you if the right voting track record
that our communities want, do not take place - after all you
were voted in by the people to work for the people.
All we are asking is that you
listen to our voices at least as equally to the voices of
the real estate developers - and show you listened by
demonstrating your political positions and most importantly
the voting track record.
There must be something else
we all can plan for the city of Fremont besides higher-
density housing?
Cheers-
SD
November 16, 2007
Length of residency update (FUSD)
Seems the
school board is not sure about what to do with school
overcrowding situation. Now, length of residency is a
non-starter because of legal implications. I wonder if the
board did a double-talk with the community all these days.
They are
also very reluctant to come up with a blanket policy about
assigning new developments to outside attendance areas.
Maybe, that also has legal problems. So, what are Nina,
Peggy, Lara, Ivy and Larry going to do about the school
overcrowding, which is snowballing into a crisis? They want
to appease everyone, the developers, city staff, and maybe
the community. Just because of the votes. This school board
does not have the backbone to deal with the school district
staff and city in the right way; this is the main reason we
are in this situation right now with regard to school
overcrowding situation. They are not even discussing about
the residency check and fraud verification.
So my
friends, wake up, this is an issue that ain’t over until it
is over. Time to send school board and city council members
running for re-election in 2008 to home. See what happened
in Livermore. Just recently in the November elections. They
defeated a council member who advocated development at the
expense of schools, qualify of life, traffic etc.
Since city
council says schools are school district issue, let’s make
sure the following city council members do not get our
votes; even tell them that school-going parents are not
going to vote for them.
-
Mayor Wasserman - says kids can go to any school that is
not overcrowded, even it means driving from one end of
city to other end to take your kids to schools that have
space.
-
Steve Cho – May run for mayor, totally for runaway
development, wants Fremont to become a big city.
-
Bob
Weickowski – Says schools are not city issue.
Just follow their votes for
any high-density housing that comes in front of city council
in the coming 12 months leading up to November 2008
elections.
School
board members up for re-election in 2008 if they run again:
-
Nina
Moore
-
Ivy Wu
-
Peggy
Herndon
CM
November 13,
2007
Why not call our group the Fremont Friends of Open Space?
[resident’s comments after
attending a neighborhood forum on the General Plan update
where Steve Cho was in attendance]
As case in point, I was at one
of the City-open house Fremont 2020 discussion forms at
Olive-Hyde last month, and I asked 2 questions to 2
different people.
I asked Steve Cho and the City
Planning Mgr David something. What is the goal for the City
over next 20 years? Are you folks for making Fremont a Big
City or a comfortable small city with balanced growth? And
guess what the answers were.
Steve Cho said he wants
Fremont to be a Big City, and lot of commercial development,
etc, etc. He sees incredible opportunity to grow the city...
and derive income...
The City planning mgr gave an
honest answer: He said it depends on who you ask, and when
you ask them... essentially the plan is all over the map… it
basically depends on time of day what answers you will
get...
That pretty much summarized
the state of the City of Fremont for me. No one knows, and
nobody seems to have a clue. Yet elected officials want to
see progress, and development, so they can be re-elected.
While having no solutions to current problems, they want to
bring in NEW problems. It appears the elected members are
for Big City attitude, and residents are more for keeping
the charm of a small suburb.
I suggest that all of us voice
our opinion in a letter-writing campaign to the
City/planning committee about what WE really feel.. and what
WE really want to see over next 20 years.
A concerted resilient campaign
can be the ONLY way to turn the tide, to keep the peace and
quiet in Fremont, while absorbing development at a
sustainable pace.
MV
November 12,
2007
Why not call our group the Fremont Friends of Open Space?
[resident’s observations regarding city’s
overcrowding and deteriorating quality of life]
I
completely agree with this point of changing the
business-as-usual regime in our city. Not sure if the name
of the group is a done deal, but we need to acknowledge that
the root of many of our issues are due to overcrowding in
every sense of the word.
Bob
Wasserman and his hand-picked city manager Fred Diaz are
probably enjoying their business lunches at Spinyarn and
every other place in Fremont, while they sell our beautiful
city to the real estate developers in large massive
high-density construction business.
Have any
of you actually driven around lately? Our city is quickly
becoming inward sprawl based Walmarts, and apartments. How
many apartment buildings and condo-type construction is
going up versus open space, parks, and single-family homes?
The best
thing to do is remove the mayor and the city planning team
that is not in favor of more open green space, better stores
that focus on healthier products, creative ways to get
school funding, etc, etc, etc.
Best
regards,
S
November 11, 2007
City council candidates for open space elected in Livermore
Hi,
It does
matter about how many people turn up at city council and
school board meetings. They will know that there is
grassroots support for balanced growth & development and
every decision they make will affect the elected
representative's re-election chances. So, show of strength
does influence their vote although there is need for
lobbying in the background. For example: Sabercat
development was a slam dunk at Planning Commission Hearing
until 100-200 people showed up patiently at 4 hearings and
it got defeated because of tremendous pressure from the
residents and some of the Planning Commission members have
political aspirations for other offices. It is not yet
enough, since the Sabercat development is up for City
Council hearing on Nov 27.
BTW,
Cupertino and Palo Alto also elected candidates who are for
balanced growth with a view on school overcrowding problems.
NEXT YEAR,
LETS MAKE IT FREMONT'S TURN TO ELECT NEW MAYOR AND CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT FOR RUNAWAY DEVELOPMENT.
CM
November 10,
2007
City council candidates for open space elected in Livermore
Chris,
I don't
think it matters how many show up in the city council
meetings. What matters to them is the ballot box when
election time comes around in 2008.
We know
the current city council and the mayor are pro-development.
The developers are the ones funding their campaigns. They
keep telling us we need to put in so many houses to meet
state requirements, which is an excuse to overdevelop.
Livermore
had an election last Tuesday. Three candidates who favor
open space and oppose urban sprawl (incumbent city council
member and mayor, along with a newcomer) were elected.
A
council member who favored putting a 2450-housing unit
development in the northern part of Livermore was defeated.
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