Planning panel approves seven-unit Cherry Street townhomes despite neighborsparking and safety concerns

The Newark Planning Commission on March 24 approved a design review and vesting tentative tract map for a seven-unit townhome development at 37503 and 37511 Cherry Street, voting 4-1 to adopt the draft resolution and staff-recommended conditions.

Brandon De Lucas, contract senior planner, told the commission the project — the Cherry Street Townhomes (DR2024-009) — would create seven attached units with two-car garages per unit, four guest parking spaces, private balconies, a common open space and bicycle parking. He said the site is zoned RM with a general plan designation of medium-density residential and that the proposed density (about 19 dwelling units per acre) complies with the applicable standards. Staff also concluded the project is categorically exempt from further environmental review under CEQA Guideline 15332 (infill exemption).

Owner Giri Dhar Dappalapuri spoke for the applicant and said the property had previously been approved for four single-family homes but the permits expired; he said the seven-unit proposal was designed to meet minimum density requirements and that the applicant agreed to the revised conditions of approval brought forward on the desk item.

Neighbors who live on nearby Market Avenue raised concerns about parking, traffic and safety. "Our concerns are basically traffic and parking," said Tina Takayama, who said multi-generational households on her block already strain on-street parking and that speeding on the street has led to collisions. She asked where overflow vehicles would park and whether driveway movements would create additional hazards for neighboring streets.

Staff and commissioners responded that the development meets the city's parking minimums (two garage spaces per unit plus four guest spaces total) and that the modest scale of seven units would likely yield a de minimis traffic impact. "They're used in a variety of ways," De Lucas said when explaining how the city's housing impact fees are allocated to the housing fund for programs such as NOFAs, emergency rental assistance and a first-time homebuyer program. He added that public works would be asked to explore traffic-calming options and that trash collection for the development will require staging on Cherry Street with temporary no-parking signs during pickup so larger trucks do not need to back into the site.

Commissioners also noted a desk-item change requiring an additional street tree and a clarified condition to underground a joint utility pole while re-installing the street light. After discussion, Commissioner Fitz moved to adopt the resolution and Commissioner Bokavich seconded; the motion carried 4-1.

The commissiondecision approves the design review and tentative map with the modified conditions of approval; staff and the applicant were directed to finalize the conditions, coordination with public works on access and trash staging, and continued outreach to neighbors about parking enforcement and potential traffic-calming measures.

The resolution and conditions adopted by the commission are available in the planning department records; the applicant will proceed with permits, and payment of housing impact fees will occur per the city's process (typically at building permit issuance unless the developer requests payment at occupancy under recently changed state law).