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We are a group of local citizens to prevent incompatible developments that threaten the agricultural, environmental and open space resources within the City of Union City. We want to play a collaborative role with local agencies, the community and landowners to find compatible uses that save the hills, open space and the agricultural lands fronting Mission Boulevard and the Dry Creek Cottage and Gardens within Union City for future generations to enjoy.
Currently, we are informing the public about the reasons why we should not allow the Masonic Home’s proposed housing and retail development within the hillside area fronting Mission Boulevard. We want to inform the public about upcoming meetings and events, to educate the community about potential impacts of proposed housing development, and encourage you to participate in supporting to preserve this voter protected area for open space or agricultural uses. Working together with the community, our goal is to protect the hills and last remaining open space along Mission Boulevard and create an economically viable alternative to housing.
Why do we need to save Union City Hills?
The Union City hills are under threat by landowners that want to develop the hillside area into housing. These landowners do not intend to sell their land to the East Bay Regional Park District for agricultural or open space uses at market rates, rather they hold on to their property and wait for the political climate to change. These landowners typically return to the community and ask the City Council and community to change the open space and/or agricultural land into retail or housing. If there is a perceived political change in attitudes towards this preservation of Union City's hills, open space and agricultural land, the developer such as the Masonic Home, will propose a project to the City for consideration. If the City Council supports these housing projects to go on the ballot and the community votes to change the preservation of the hillside area, the Masonic Home and other land owners will gain a large profit when they are allowed to sell their property at housing market rates when they purchased the land at much lower open space/agricultural market rates. Profits are typically in the millions and for the most part benefit the property owners.
The Masonic Homes of California purchased Site A from the East Bay Community Foundation at a much lower price per acre and now wants to make substantial profit by selling this land at a higher price per acre by asking the community to support residential use in this area. Also, the Masonic Home is not interested in selling their hillside property to the East Bay Park District and retain this land as open space as they view the hillside area property as an asset, just as the Masonic Home viewed purchasing Site A as an asset to build on in the future.