Residents urge Newark City Council to reject Maori Village housing plan over wetlands, flooding and cleanup concerns

Hundreds of residents and regional environmental groups told the Newark City Council on Thursday they oppose a proposed 29‑acre housing development known as Maori Village on the city’s western edge and urged the council to reject the plan and pursue wetland restoration.

Multiple speakers said the Pick N Pull auto‑dismantling property — the core of the proposed development site — operates under an aging conditional use permit and that state and county cleanup requirements would compel the site’s owners to clean up contaminated soils if the business closes. Community organizers delivered petitions they said contained 2,755 signatures, including 777 Newark residents, and urged council members to prioritize nature‑based climate resilience over new low‑density housing near tidal wetlands.

“We deliver the signatures of 777 Newark residents who also oppose the Mallory Village project,” said Cara Madden, a Newark resident and volunteer organizer, who said canvassers spoke in person to confirm each signer’s view. "People were adamantly opposed to building more houses along the Bay."

Why it matters: Speakers said the site is surrounded by wetlands and flood‑control channels and argued sea‑level rise and more intense storms will make housing there unsafe and increase flooding risk for existing neighborhoods. They pushed the council to use available state and regional funding to acquire and restore the land as wetland habitat that would sequester carbon, provide flood buffers and add climate resiliency.

Key claims and numbers: Johnna Soquel, a resident speaking for conservation interests, noted the Pick N Pull parcel is bounded on three sides by wetlands and “rising sea levels will result in more frequent and higher tidal flooding.” She said the conditional‑use permit that allowed auto‑dismantling operations requires cleanup when the business closes. Greenbelt Alliance and other groups said they gathered signatures across the Bay Area in support of restoration instead of development.

Council response and next steps: Council members did not take a zoning or entitlement vote at the meeting. Several councilmembers acknowledged constituent concerns and asked staff to ensure environmental, cleanup and flood‑risk analyses are completed before any development approvals. Community members said they will press elected officials to pursue acquisition and grant funding. Several speakers referenced new state bond and resilience funding opportunities.

Context: Advocates and scientists told the council that wetlands can sequester carbon at a higher rate per acre than terrestrial forests and that nature‑based solutions are an eligible use for certain state and regional resilience grants. Opponents of the development urged the city to lean into those funding programs rather than approve housing on a site they said is poorly suited for development.

What speakers asked the council to do: Close and require cleanup of the Pick N Pull business if appropriate, decline to approve new housing on the parcel, and pursue grant funding for wetland acquisition and restoration. Residents said they will submit petition packets to the city clerk and follow up with staff and council members.