Residents, Environmental Groups Urge Council to Reject ‘Maori Village’ Housing Plan on Wetlands
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Summary
Speakers representing hundreds of residents and environmental groups urged the council to oppose the proposed "Maori Village" development, citing flood risk, habitat loss, and cleanup obligations at the Pick N Pull site and delivering a petition with thousands of signatures.
Dozens of residents and regional environmental groups told the Newark City Council on Oct. 23 that a proposed housing development commonly called "Maori Village" is the wrong use for the Pick N Pull site and other lands near the city's wetlands.
Speakers including Cara Madden, who said she delivered petitions representing 2,755 signatures (777 from Newark residents), called on the council to set the property aside for restoration instead of development. "People are worried that paving over an ecosystem that acts as a natural buffer to sea level rise and storm surges are going to make their properties even more vulnerable," Madden said in public comment.
Multiple commenters described the site as surrounded on three sides by wetlands and flood-control channels that connect to San Francisco Bay. Several speakers urged the city to require closure and cleanup by the current auto-dismantling operator, invoking permit obligations and county cleanup rules; one commenter said the operation's conditional-use permit requires cleanup when the business closes, and urged the council to pursue acquisition and restoration instead of approving a new subdivision.
Advocates framed the site as a natural-climate-resilience opportunity. Johnna Soquel, a long-time Newark resident, told the council the parcel is "the very best location to implement nature-based climate-resilience strategies," noting funding sources exist for acquisition and restoration and citing recent state bond measures and regional grant programs as potential payers for restoration.
Andrew, speaking for Greenbelt Alliance, and other speakers argued the project favored single-family housing on land unsuitable for new development and urged that the city prioritize multifamily infill and resilient, transit-oriented housing. "Maori Village is the exact opposite of the resiliency we need against the climate crisis," Andrew said, and Greenbelt delivered a petition and a coalition letter opposing the proposal.
Speakers cited recent flooding and increasing frequency of high-water events as evidence the land faces greater risk from sea-level rise and atmospheric-river storms. Volunteers who gathered signatures told the council they had spoken directly with residents across Newark and the Bay Area; activists said only one person they interviewed supported the development.
No final action on the project was taken at the Oct. 23 meeting. Several speakers asked the council to refuse entitlements for the proposed development and to pursue funding sources for land acquisition, cleanup and wetland restoration. Council members did not vote on the matter during the meeting; staff and council members acknowledged the public input and said they would factor community feedback into upcoming hearings and decisions on the project.
