St. Joseph Site, Fremont
Entitlement and Sale of Surplus Property
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WGV was engaged by the Oakland Diocese to advise them on the sale of a surplus property to raise funds for the building of a new church. While the property was in an attractive and desirable neighborhood, the site faced a number of hurdles to its possible development, drastically minimizing its value to residential builders. The site was adjacent to a cemetery that was listed as an historic resource and it also had an Open Space designation, which prohibited residential development. In addition the property’s conversion to homes was likely to face criticism from the surrounding neighborhood.
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To maximize builder interest, WGV worked collaboratively with the city and neighbors to change the property’s Open Space designation to allow for residential development. This involved not only significant outreach to the surrounding residents to ensure neighborhood compatibility, but also addressing concerns from the city’s Historic Architectural Review Board, which sought a number of changes to the program to protect and preserve historic features of the nearby cemetery, which is listed on the California Register of Historical Resources. WGV also collaborated with representatives from the local Native American tribe that once resided in the area to ensure that no archaeological artifacts were disturbed. Ultimately, WGV secured a General Plan change to residential use, and a Vesting Tentative Map for the site, allowing for a builder to purchase the property and design its own architectural program. This solution minimized costs for the owner while maximizing the land’s value. After securing the project’s approval, WGV brokered the sale of the property on behalf of the Diocese to a builder, who completed the project in 2016.
