In Unanimous Decision, City Council Denies Niles Development

Fremont City Council tonight upheld a planning commission decision last month to deny a zoning change on a lot at Niles and Nursery.  According to speakers at the meeting, the land was designated open space in an early 1970s city council agreement as a trade off to development in the area.  In 2017, according to speakers, the present owner of the parcel in question purchased the land "for a song" because the land could not be developed.  Many community members felt the new owner purchased the land with the hope of convincing council members to rezone it for residential construction.  Another speaker suggested that once it was rezone, the present owner could sell the land for a handsome profit and another development proposal would be presented to the council later.  At least a dozen community members spoke at tonight's meeting with all but one or two being against the project.  There was little discussion by council members, as they seemed firm in honoring the fifty year old decision, and perhaps the no development vibe was too much to ignore.