(NEWARK) – Could people really be being paid to support an affordable housing development here?
That is one charge brought forth by a long-term Newark resident, Yo-Yo Yeh, who expressed strong concerns about a proposed affordable housing project, with citizen after citizen voicing their concerns at the podium at last night's regularly scheduled city meeting.
Vice Mayor Eve Marie Little said what officials were doing was beyond her ethical standards.
A proposed 226-unit housing development, consisting of 196 family homes and 30 affordable housing units, requesting to be built at the current Pick-n-Pull location, was introduced by Mayor Michael Hannon, who then handed the matter to City Manager David Benoun, who in turn gave it to Deputy Community Development Director Art Interiano.
During the presentation, Interiano went way back, noting the 1985 business plans and decade-old General Plan updates before describing the development in full.
Slide presentation at Newark City Council meeting, Dec. 11.
“They seem to have their heads deep into the past,” Kathleen Susie Claxton said to officials during public comment.
Then the serious allegations began.
Yeh read an alleged email from CEO and Founder of the Magical Bridge Foundation, Olenka Villarreal, to officials and all those present at the City Hall meeting.
Kathleen Susie Claxton opposes the affordable housing project in Newark.
“She told everyone that if Mowry Village was approved, there would be a $6.5 million park and part of the fees that could be used to build a Magical Bridge playground,” Yeh read, adding, “She says, anyone who speaks or emails about their support with this project will receive a complimentary medium donor tile valued $500 to $2,000 at one of their playgrounds."
Yeh made a very concerning point with plenty of citizens who were approving the affordable housing project, beginning with home builder and land developer, Peter Helman, who “spoke in strong support of the project,” according to the OpGov.ai platform, adding.
He expressed his surprise to hear about the bribery controversy, emphasizing that the site is an auto wrecking yard and will ‘never' be a natural wetland, according to the platform. He had come out to express his feelings on the site being an auto wrecking but didn’t expect to learn about the bribery controversy.
“I don't know how many of those people who came out tonight or sent in emails of support were incentivized by this $2,000 incentive,” Yeh said, adding she asked the bribery incentive email be reviewed by the city attorney.
“I hope that if there's any legal action that is required, it will be taken,” Yeh said.
Upon inspection of the Mowry Village website, this deception is evident, as the website states that a Magical Bridge playground is set to be built there, but in fact there is nothing about this in the contract.
Vice Mayor Eve Marie Little also blasted the project.
“This Magical Playground is being used as a red herring; We're being shown this great playground that is going to be so wonderful and great, but there is no guaranteed playground in the actual proposed project, y'all,” Vice Mayor Little said. “I feel like I'm taking crazy pills; there is no guaranteed playground.”
To further express her frustration with the project, Vice Mayor Little demanded that the following pictures of the proposed area taken in January 2023 after several days of severe rainfall, showing several freight trucks in that immediate area submerged under several feet of water be shown to the public to prove how the area is, in fact, not sustainable.
She pointed to the picture with the truck driver standing on top of the truck attempting to get rescued from the area, expressing that these pictures are worth a thousand words.
She stated that this clearly shows the public that the proposed affordable housing project will, in fact, be placed in a dangerous area.
Resident Caren High and the vice mayor feel the same.
High stated, “The Mowry Village site is surrounded by three channels and wetlands, connected to the Bay by Mowry Slough, with tidal influence reaching the rail line, and presented pictures to prove the same.
“The site is wet,” High said, reviewing several slides. “It is currently wet; it will be even wetter in the future.”
While High said she “believes 3,000 people have said that they do not want to see the development at this location,” Claxton said she was disappointed with the Planning Commission for “missing the point” by ignoring future possibilities for Newark’s shoreline.
One of many slides, resident Caren High presents at an affordable housing public hearing.
While Claxton noted the officials using the past plans as an excuse for the future development, Newark longtime resident, Nick Valencia stated he supported the project, viewing it as a natural progression of long-standing city plans.
Francis Mandoza focused on the needs of the next generation to prove his point. As a naturalist, park ranger, and Vice Chair of the East Bay Regional Park Advisory Committee, he criticized the developer's presentation as purely marketing and propaganda and losing out of the natural purpose of this area, according to the OpGov.ai platform.
Mendoza contrasted the proposed manicured artificial playground and how it cannot compare to a truly restored wetland where children with disabilities could genuinely connect with nature and endangered species.
Resident Caren High's slide showing area wetlands not ideal to build an affordable housing complex at
At the end of the night, this highly controversial Mowry Village residential subdivision project was ultimately approved with a 3-1-1 vote (Councilmember Jorgens abstained from voting) despite significant public opposition and deep concerns about the developer's transparency and the park contractor bribery.
OpGov.ai reports Mayor Hannon “explicitly dismissed public polling and criticism of the council's decision-making process, highlighting that this project meets the state housing mandates.”
Slide presentation at Newark City Council meeting, Dec. 11.
But Vice Mayor Little did make it clear she was absolutely not part of the final yes.
"This whole situation is very deceitful and very distasteful," Little said, adding, "I am very disappointed in how they're doing business and paying for support; this goes against all my ethics and my moral standards and against what our residents truly want in our community."
Screenshot from the developer’s website indicating that a Magical Bridge Park would be constructed at the site, although such a park was not included in the executed contract. The developer’s website has since been removed.
If there is anything you would like to add to this report, please reach out to reporterangelaunderwood@gmail.com.
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