Large Multifamily Project In Fremont Moves Forward After Judge Denies Lawsuit
Carmel Partners’ 632-unit Walnut Residences in Fremont can proceed now that a judge has stopped a lawsuit that would have shrunk the project. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch denied a lawsuit on July 31 filed by Stand Up 4 Fremont, a group opposed to the project, the East Bay Times reports.
The organization felt the project, which had been previously approved by the city council, did not properly follow California Environmental Quality Act standards, the project was too dense, large and bulky and not in character with the surrounding community. The project would be built on a 13-acre parcel at 1031 Walnut Ave., a half-mile from the Fremont BART station.
The judge denied the group’s claim that the complex could cause parking problems since the project is on a qualifying infill site in a transit priority area. The judge said the city’s earlier environmental impact report for the 2011 General Plan already analyzed parking impacts of the neighborhood. He also denied claims that the project would lead to overcrowded schools saying that argument cannot be used as an impact on the environment.
