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Welcome
to Friends of Coyote Hills
The Friends of Coyote Hills (FCH)
is a local group of concerned citizens working to
protect
520 acres of open space adjacent to Coyote Hills
Regional Park.
Mission
statement:
Friends of Coyote Hills is an
environmentally focused group serving the Tri-Cities
area. We are dedicated to the conservation and
preservation of open space and the plant and wildlife
habitats it supports, and to engaging public involvement
with local and regional environmental issues through
community outreach, education, collaborative efforts,
and advocacy.
City
Council Approved Patterson Ranch Proposal
Despite the fact that over
70% of Fremont voters surveyed want NO development in
front of the Coyote Hills Regional Park,
all five city council members on October 26, 2010, approved changing the Fremont General Plan to increase density at Coyote Hills (500 housing units, from 266) so the Patterson Ranch proposal could then be approved, a massive development proposal. This is despite the 2030 General Plan draft, which advocates transit-oriented housing rather than urban sprawl.
The Pattersons, who already developed
5,000+ houses in Ardenwood, also sold for $63 million
the 15.5-acre Tupelo lot across the street (from Coyote
Hills), where 276 housing units are being built.
You can help
by voting for the two city council candidates endorsed by Friends of Coyote Hills and Fremont Citizens Network, a grassroots group. Please
contact the Friends of Coyote Hills. We
need your help to contest this proposal.
Given all the liabilities and hidden costs to taxpayers associated with this proposed
project (for example, soil toxins seeping into air and
drinking water, thousands of lives put at risk due to
soil liquefaction, overcrowded and underfunded local
schools, flooding due to sea level rise), why should
Fremont city
council
put taxpayers at risk of bailing out another development
scheme doomed to failure.
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Though 300 comments were submitted to the city in
response to the draft EIR (environmental impact
report), many issues were ignored or
minimized, for example, toxic soils
containing dieldrin and toxaphene.
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The proposed development site had been used
for growing crops from 1856 to 1999. Past
use of pesticides has resulted in
toxaphene
and dieldrin levels that far exceed what is
considered safe for humans. Any dirt that is
dug up can get toxics into the air, where it
can be carried for miles. Dieldrin has been
linked to diseases such as Parkinson's,
breast cancer,
and immune, reproductive, and nervous
system damage. When inhaled or ingested in
sufficient quantities, toxaphene can damage
the lungs,
nervous system,
kidneys,
and may cause death.
Toxaphene degradation products can settle
and accumulate in
drinking water supplies.
The toxic degradation products of toxaphene evidently have
not been analyzed or reported on the proposed site, but recommendations to analyze and monitor them have been cited in the scientific literature.
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The proposed massive development
would add 520 housing units to the already dense Ardenwood
area. Along with the 276 high-density housing unit
Tupelo lot development, the project would bring in
over 3,000 new residents and add 3.2 million car
trips annually to our streets. More traffic would
degrade residents’ quality of life, and increase air
and noise pollution. City services—police, fire,
street maintenance—have been cut. All
of this development would be right in front of our beloved Coyote Hills
Regional Park.
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In an earthquake, the
proposed
Patterson Ranch project puts thousands of adults’
and children’s lives in jeopardy due to high risk of
soil liquefaction (on this
floodplain and proposed
man-made fill). In an attempt to fix the liquefaction risk, a 5-feet by 25-feet concrete wall built into the loose soil and around the perimeter of the project site is suggested. How successful would this unproven technique be to protect thousands of lives projected for this site? A public safety disaster is waiting
to happen if gas and water lines break and fires are
fueled by southeasterly winds from SF Bay less than
1 mile away.
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The Patterson Ranch
proposal will negatively impact our overcrowded
and underfunded elementary,
junior high and senior high schools. "We don't have the money to build schools and this land is suspect," stated
FUSD School Board Trustee, Larry Sweeney. "There is too much liability, unknown land conditions, environmental issues and hidden costs." (Tri-City Voice 9/13/10)
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Current and
potential employers and residents appreciate open
space such as Coyote Hills. For example, with
foresight the city of Palo Alto has attracted many
employers because of its high-quality schools,
infrastructure, and much open space such as
Foothill Park.
What You Can Do Now to
Help
We ask
you to:
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Paved |
or |
Saved
Sunrise in
Coyote Hills |
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Beautiful natural open
space can be paved for the profit of a few or saved for
present and future generations.
Once it’s gone…it’s gone forever!
"Never doubt
that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever
has."
–Margaret Mead
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