Lots of public meetings but so far little change in plans for Patterson Ranch

On July 5 Richard Frisbie of Frisbie Planning Inc. pitched to Fremont City Council three new options for development at Patterson Ranch. Frisbie had pledged to "work with the citizens and get their inputs" and held three community meetings with hundreds of people attending, but the plans show little responsiveness to the overwhelming public demand to protect the fragile ecosystem.

Patterson, directly inland of Coyote Hills Regional Park, contains much of one of the last large willow runs in the Bay Area as well as one of its last intact upland habitats. Terrain magazine quotes Josh Collins of the San Francisco Estuary Institute as calling Patterson "the rarest of all mosaics left in the Bay Area. The particular blend of riparian, willow grove, seasonal wetland and tidal marsh . . . is almost gone." Patterson offers possibilities for habitat restoration that exist nowhere else.

In 2001, Frisbie wanted to cover Patterson with 1,500 homes. The community rose up and said no. At this year's public meetings, the final show of hands showed that 70 - 80% wanted no development there, and most of the balance wanted development east of Ardenwood Boulevard only. Recent surveys have found that 80% of Fremont citizens understand the importance of preserving this unique open space and the buffer it provides to the park - and want this jewel left alone. Yet Frisbie's new proposals range from 1,300 - 1,500 houses, and all include development directly adjacent to the Coyote Hills ecosystem. Despite promises to the contrary, Frisbie's current proposals look very similar to what he proposed in 2001.

Fortunately, some of the councilmembers are educated about the devastating impact of any Patterson development on the Coyote Hills. Others, however, focused on the city's past promises for sports fields and performing-arts centers. The Council asked Frisbie to incorporate community and council feedback into one plan and to present this plan at Frisbie's next community meeting.

We can hope that the next proposal will be more in line with what Fremont and Bay Area residents want to preserve, but we don't expect it.

WhatYouCanDo

We have an immediate need for volunteers to help educate Tri-City residents who do not yet know about these proposals. We need help circulating petitions and educating our friends and neighbors. Even an hour will help. To volunteer, contact the Friends of Coyote Hills and Fremont at www.fchf.org or (510)793-5329.

To learn the date of the coming community meeting, contact FCHF at the above address or phone number, or see the developer's web site at www.pattersonranch.net

Dan Ondrasek, Friends of Coyote Hills and Fremont