New Residential Development to be Considered by Council Tonight

A public hearing will be held tonight about the proposal to build dozens of homes on land currently occupied by a church and where a house, barn and longtime produce stand once stood.

Fremont City Council will consider the project at its meeting tonight, which begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 3300 Capitol Ave.

The planned project calls for the construction of 63 detached residential units that will sit on a 4.6-acre parcel on the northeast corner of Beard Road and Fremont Boulevard.

According to the city council agenda, the construction of the homes would be done in two phases and would require “the eventual removal of all existing structures on-site.”

Those buildings include:

• Roadside market that sits on 0.8 acres and is located on the corner of Beard Road and Fremont Boulevard. The market has been there since 1955.
• A former house and barn. (The market, house and barn were once subject to historical evaluation but were found ineligible, according to the city council agenda.)
• Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, which occupies 1.93 acres of land, and was built in the late 1970s.

At a public hearing held at a Fremont Planning Commission meeting in January, residents expressed various concerns, particularly centered around overcrowding. 

The concerns were listed in the agenda as follows:

• The units would be incompatible and too tall and close to existing homes
• There should be an increased separation between existing single-family homes on Milton Street as well as condominiums to the east on Milton Terrace due to privacy concerns.
• Too many homes are proposed on the site.
• There would be a precipitous increase in traffic along Beard Road and Milton Street 
resulting in unsafe traffic conditions.
• Allowing on-street parking on Beard Road would result in risk to pedestrians and 
bicyclists.
• There would be an impact on schools.
• There would be an increase in jaywalking across Fremont Boulevard near the location 
of the Lucky’s shopping center.

However, the applicant, Tim Lewis Communities, addressed the concerns and agreed to make several modifications, including reducing the measured height of the roof’s midpoint, enhancing the appearance of end units along Beard Road and more. 

Last month, the commission unanimously recommended approval of the project. 

After the public hearing tonight, council is also scheduled to vote on whether to approve the project. 

For more information or to see the full agenda, click here. 

What do you think of the proposed project? Should the plan be approved? Share your thoughts in our comments section below.