Gas stations in Union City poised to offer beer and wine
UNION CITY, Calif. — Union City is set to lift its ban on beer and wine sales at gas stations to bring local laws in line with state regulations.
On Thursday, Sept. 21, the Union City Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council approve changes to the zoning code that would allow the sale of beer and wine at local gas stations. The sale of alcohol is currently prohibited at gas stations in the city.
Gas stations would still need to get a license from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and meet certain requirements. Beer and wine could not be within 5 feet of the cash register, they could not be advertised at motor fuel islands and employees under 21 would not be allowed to sell beer or wine from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Fremont gets $2.1M for East Bay Greenway, elevated bikeway projects
FREMONT, Calif. — The Alameda County Transportation Commission has approved two grants that will make it easier to bike and walk around Fremont.
The Fremont City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 19, unanimously authorized the receipt of $1 million in Measure BB funds to design the segment of the East Bay Greenway Trail extending from the Irvington District to the Fremont BART station, along with $1.1 million to design elevated bikeways along Walnut Avenue from Paseo Padre Parkway to Fremont Boulevard and along Fremont Boulevard from Country Drive to Stevenson Boulevard.
The city is expected to provide $534,000 in local matching funds.
Alameda County voters passed Measure BB in 2014 to fund improvements to the countywide transportation system.
Newark approves construction of 76 townhomes
NEWARK, Calif. — The city of Newark is turning more of its former industrial land into housing.
Earlier this month, the Newark City Council unanimously approved the maps and permits for a 76-unit townhouse development on a 3.72-acre site at 38600 Cedar Boulevard, the former site of Pape Machinery, which moved to a new location.
“The project is beautiful, I’ll tell you that,” said Newark Vice Mayor Sucy Collazo. “I like the aesthetics of it.”
The project is set to have fourteen 36- to 37-foot Spanish- and Mediterranean-style buildings, each with five to six townhouses. The townhouses are set to be between 1,300 and 1,800 square feet with two-car garages.
Union City swears in two new planning commissioners
UNION CITY, Calif. — Union City has two new planning commissioners who will make land use decisions in the city.
Ignacio Romero and Prairna Gupta-Garg were sworn in as members of the Union City Planning Commission on Thursday, Sept. 21. Romero is a regular planning commissioner and Gupta-Garg is an alternate.
The Planning Commission serves as an advisory body to the City Council regarding decisions on planning and development in the city.
Newark Unified school board considers changes to dress code
NEWARK, Calif. — The Newark Unified School District is currently reviewing potential changes to its dress code policy and considering the extent to which student input should be factored into the decision-making process.
At its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19, the district Board of Education discussed proposed revisions that aim to provide clearer guidelines on acceptable clothing and footwear for students on campus, including the degree to which a student’s midriff may be exposed. While the board tabled the decision to allow for student input, Boardmember Katherine Jones underscored that the final decision should be guided by the board rather than driven by students.
“I think asking students to come dressed appropriate for an academic environment is not asking too much,” Jones said. “This is our policy, not a student policy.”
Boardmember Phuong Nguyen said she appreciated the students’ voices and said they are often not given enough credit for their thoughtfulness on these matters. She added that students will take more ownership of these decisions if they get to be involved in the process.
“I think it’s empowering,” Nguyen said.
Superintendent Penelope DeLeon also emphasized the need for the board to be aware that such policies can sometimes be applied unfairly and stressed the importance of finding ways to ensure equitable enforcement.
“The enforcement can be onerous at best,” DeLeon said.
