Council Discusses Future Housing; Considers Shortening Public Comment Sessions at Meetings

City leaders Thursday were briefed on a regional sustainable community plan that could bring as many as 6,000 housing units to Newark in the next two decades.

The plan, known as the Sustainable Communities Strategy, is based on Senate Bill 375. Passed in 2008, the bill enables the state to further its efforts to meet Global Warming Solutions Act goals by "promoting good planning with the goal of more sustainable communities."

Newark will be asked to integrate housing units that could call for dense development through this 25-year strategic plan, Community Development Director Terrance Grindall said.

The Bay Area's population is expected to increase from 7.1 million in 2005 to 9.4 million in 2035, and regions are going to be planning for 920,000 new housing units and 1.3 million new jobs, Grindall presented in his report.

Grindall said a report on the region's Initial Vision Scenario will be released to cities in March and that he plans to update the council in the months to come.

In other business, council members were also introduced to possible municipal code amendments that would change how the council conducts its meetings. The changes include reducing the time for public comments from 10 minutes per person to five.

According to the city staff report, the average amount of time allowed for people to speak at other Alameda County city council meetings is three minutes. If the time is reduced, the mayor would have the option of increasing or decreasing a speaker's allotted time, depending on the circumstances.

Frequent visitors to may soon see construction under way. The council voted to award bids to ICC General Contractors, Inc. for renovations to the outdoor patio of the Newark Community Center and to Saviano, Inc. for the park's tennis court surface.

Both projects are funded by the city's 2010-12 biennial budget.

Environmental impacts of the city's first Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan will soon be reviewed. The council voted to authorize an agreement to seek environmental consulting from Jerry Haag.

All other items on the board's consent agenda were approved by the four members who attended. Councilmember Alberto Huezo was absent.

For more information on the items reviewed and approved by the council, click here to download Thursday's agenda packet.