On April 2, 2019, the Fremont City Council conducted a work session on housing/growth management, one of its top priority issues. During this work session, Council: reviewed Fremont’s current framework for reviewing residential development projects; reviewed housing approval data over the past few years; overviewed recent and proposed State legislation related to housing development; and discussed actions Council could pursue to modify current housing development practices. A specific action Council elected to pursue was modification of the Development Impact Fee Ordinance (FMC Chapter 18.290) to only allow affordable housing and non-residential development to defer payment of development impact fees after building permit issuance. Accordingly, staff has initiated a Zoning Text Amendment to implement this change. The discussion at the April 2, 2019 work session is available for viewing.

Important dates related to this Zoning Text Amendment are:

• May 9, 2019 at 3 PM: An informational meeting will be held in the Niles Room (first floor) in the City’s Development Services Center at 39550 Liberty Street.
• May 23, 2019 at 7 PM: Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to make a recommendation on the proposed Development Impact Fee Ordinance Zoning Text Amendment at its regularly scheduled meeting in the City Council Chambers at 3300 Capitol Avenue, Building A.
• June 18, 2019 at 7 PM: City Council is tentatively scheduled to consider Planning Commission’s recommendation on the Zoning Text Amendment at its regularly scheduled meeting in the City Council Chambers at 3300 Capitol Avenue, Building A.

If you have questions regarding this project, please contact Wayne Morris, Deputy Community Development Director, at 510-494-4729 or by email.

Work sessions were recently conducted for the Planning Commission and City Council to receive a presentation on the draft Station Area Plan from City staff and the consultant team, ask questions, and provide comments.

The Station Area Plan has been prepared to provide a framework for achieving the City's longstanding vision of a transit-oriented, active area strategically integrated with the future Irvington BART Station, consistent with the City’s 2011 General Plan and Irvington Community Plan goals. The primary purpose of the Station Area Plan is to ensure successful integration and connectivity between the Irvington BART Station, new development, and existing neighborhoods.

Comments from the work sessions are currently being addressed, and public hearings to formally consider the Station Area Plan will take place on May 23, 2019 for the Planning Commission and June 18, 2019 for the City Council.

For more information, please visit Fremont.gov/IrvingtonBART.

Housing is happy to welcome Lucia Hughes as their new Housing Manager! Lucia received her bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Alberta in Canada and her master’s from Golden Gate University. She started her career with the City in 2005 after serving for several years as the Business Services Manager for the Workforce Investment Board of San Francisco. Lucia started as a Management Analyst for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in Human Services. She was then promoted to CDBG Administrator in 2009. In 2017, she began overseeing the City’s new Rent Review Ordinance. Lucia’s experience with project management, program development, and housing issues make her a great fit for the Housing Manager position, where she will lead efforts to preserve and expand affordable housing opportunities in Fremont. Email Lucia.

In March 2019, the Fremont City Council accepted the City’s Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR) for 2018. The APR was prepared in accordance with State planning law, which requires local jurisdictions to provide the State with a report each year on the implementation of the General Plan Housing Element as well as General Plan activities. In Fremont, a total of 1,863 new housing units received building permits in 2018. Of the 1,863 new units, 121 were affordable units, including 19 units for moderate income households, 68 units for low income households, and 34 units for very-low income households. For more information, view the staff report.