Candidate for
Council Member; City of Fremont

I'm running for City Council because I believe that the concerns of the citizens of Fremont are not being adequately represented in our local government. I believe our civic leaders must listen to the people and ensure their voice is represented within the government. That is the essence of public service. It would be an honor and a pleasure to be a councilmember who would truly serve the people of Fremont.

As a Councilmember, I would work with the citizens to develop a vision of where our City should be headed and make sure all of the Council's actions are consistent with that vision. We need leaders who will focus on the long-range health of our City and not on short-term schemes designed to provide quick benefits to developers.

I moved to Fremont over 17 years ago while still in graduate school studying City Planning at Berkeley. I was struck by the piecemeal development occurring in the City - a new fast food restaurant here, a housing development there. After learning the basic principles of good city planning at U.C. Berkeley, I realized that Fremont was falling short of those principles. The City seemed to be growing in a haphazard manner with no consideration of how all of this development was contributing to the future of our city. There also seemed to be no consideration to ensuring that Fremont kept and built upon its own unique identity. We were simply following the same cookie cutter development patterns seen throughout suburban America.

Fremont is fast becoming a city with little more to offer than high-priced, mass-produced housing and generic suburban strip shopping centers. The special parts of Fremont such as its historic commercial districts and open spaces are rapidly being paved over or neglected. What are we doing to preserve and protect the things that make us proud and glad to live in Fremont?

I have a 13 year old son in the Fremont Unified School District. I'm proud to have my child in the public school system but am very concerned about the state of our public schools. Overcrowding is threatening to force redistricting or even year- round schools. The State's budget cuts are forcing schools to dramatically increase class sizes, and lay off teachers, counselors, librarians and maintenance staff. New developments will add even more pressure to an already burdened system. Any new development that is considered must be done in a manner that does not produce significant negative impacts to any of our schools.

I am an amateur photographer and became enamored with our city parks, in particular Mission Peak and Coyote Hills. I learned about a plan to build hundreds of homes directly next to Coyote Hills Regional Park and became involved in the Measure K campaign to reduce the density of development allowed adjacent to Coyote Hills.

Despite a poll showing that over 70 percent of Fremont residents did not want development near Coyote Hills, the City Council indicated their willingness to increase the number of homes that would be allowed there from about 240 to over 800. The current plan, which the Council has indicated it will approve, calls for 520 dwelling units and a small retail center. The actions of the Council led me to believe that it was simply not acting on the desires of the people of Fremont.

The City Council needs a fresh voice. I would love the opportunity to bring vision and a new perspective on what can be done to improve Fremont.

Vinnie