Week in Review: Vote on Fremont Gateway Planned District Delayed; New York Pizza Closes

FREMONT

 Residents Oppose Fremont Gateway Planned District; Council Delays Vote

Dozens of residents spoke out against the proposed project to build dozens of homes on a plot of land that was once occupied by a longtime roadside market this week. Residents spoke up at a public hearing held at the Fremont City Council’s Tuesday night meeting, with parking and traffic among the top of their concerns. Council did not vote on the project. Instead, council members decided to postpone the scheduled vote. Click here to read the full report.

Gunshots Fired on Fremont Boulevard 

Residents in the area of Fremont Boulevard and Country Drive reported multiple shots being fired in the area on Feb. 15. A caller reported that three or four rounds were fired and that a group of males dressed in blue clothing fled into the Rancho Luna Apartments. Responding officers were unable to locate any suspects or victims. The only description was that a 1998 to 2002 white Mitsubishi Galant was involved in the shooting. Click here to read the entire police log.

Several Injured in Multi-Car Crash by Alleged Drunk Driver

A head-on crash caused by a suspected drunk driver critically injured an elderly woman and spilled pool chemicals onto the road Thursday evening, police said. The crash happened on Ardenwood Boulevard around 7 p.m. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call Officer Ryan Spear at (510) 790-6760 or (510) 790-6800, ext. 11865.  

NEWARK 

Evergreen Oil has been named by sources inside the Department of Toxic Substances Control as an example of a business that continues to operate despite continuous violations, according to media reports. NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit interviewed two sources with the state agency whose objective is to protect residents from toxic substances and “licenses 18 waste facilities” that handles and transports hazardous waste,according to the report. The two sources, who remained anonymous due to fear of retaliation, told NBC Bay Area that regulation is not at the level it should be “and public health is at risk because of it.” Click here to read the full report.

AC Transit Bus Strands Junior High Students – Again 

Just days after parents complained about no-shows on a special bus to bring students to and from Newark Junior High, that same bus failed to show up after school on last week, said Victor De La Cruz, a frustrated father whose complaint to AC Transit officials was the basis of an earlier Patch story.  An AC Transit spokesman said the previous missed bus service owed to a misunderstanding over whether school was open. It isn't immediately known what accounts for Friday's failure. Read the full report here.

Home Prices in Newark Expected to Rise This Year

Home prices in Newark will rise about 5 percent this year, according to a study done by an online real estate site. The site, zillow.com, predicts home prices in 244 of the 245 zip codes in the Bay Area will rise in 2013. The only exception will be the 94515 area in Calistoga, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. The story says the biggest reason for the projected price increase is a lack of homes for sale on the market. Click here to see how much home prices are expected to rise.

UNION CITY 

It’s been a rough few months for local pizza lovers. Longtime local pizza parlor The New Yorker Pizza and chain restaurant Papa John’s have closed their doors. Readers reported The New Yorker Pizza shutting down about a month ago, with readers notifying us of Papa John’s closure last week. The nearest Papa John’s locations are 39724 Cedar Blvd. in Newark and 2198 E. 14th St. in San Leandro, according to the website. Click here for the full report.

Homeless Woman’s Body Found Behind Food Maxx

A 43-year-old homeless woman was found dead behind the Food Maxx grocery store Monday night, according to media reports. No foul play is suspected, the Hayward Daily Review reports. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. Anyone with information about the woman’s death is asked to contact Hayward police at 510-293-7000. Anonymous tips may also be left on their tip line at 510-293-7197.

Juvenile Seriously Injured in Motorcycle Accident

Officers responded to a report of a major injury accident at about 2:22 p.m. in the area of G and Third streets. A juvenile was riding a motorcycle without a helmet and failed to stop at a stop sign, according to the report. There was no stop sign for westbound traffic and the motorcyclist collided with the oncoming traffic. The juvenile was taken to a local trauma center with serious injuries. Read the full police log by clicking here.

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