Beyond the far-west railroad tracks in Newark, nearly 30 acres of Baylands called ‘Newark Area 4’ waits to be developed. Or, if Save The Bay and other advocates are successful, Area 4 will be restored to its original condition as part of the Bay Area’s formerly vast wetland complex. Newark’s city council will soon be deciding whether to approve the Final Environmental Impact Report for a proposed housing development on the site called ‘Mowry Village’ and Save The Bay is urging a ‘No’ Vote. The Council’s approval of this document would mark the final public decision necessary to move forward with developing the parcel.

Save The Bay opposes the Mowry Village development proposal because Area 4 offers a rare opportunity for Newark to build its resilience to flooding if the property is conserved and restored to wetlands rather than developed. Restoring wetlands in the Bay Area provides cost-effective flood protection for nearby communities because wetlands absorb tidal energy and serve as natural buffers from flooding for nearby existing development (this is part of the reason our Habitat Restoration Team has joined the regional effort to restore 100,000 acres of wetlands across the Bay). If Newark instead chooses to develop the part of Area 4 where the Mowry Village project is proposed, the City will be embarking on maladaptation because it will be adding to the problems and costs of climate change by putting more development in harm’s way.

In a recent blog post, we described how cities like Newark are now required by the state to submit plans for adapting to sea level rise locally, and we explained why nature-based solutions should be included as high priority solutions within those plans. The whole Bay Area will experience up to 6.6 feet of sea level rise by the end of the century, and in Newark the risk of a rising Bay shoreline is compounded by anticipated groundwater rise that will cause groundwater to become emergent. Both sources of flooding, along with heavy rains, could significantly impact homes, schools, railroads, and unique Baylands habitats. In the process of publishing our City of Newark Flood Resilience Score Card, Save The Bay determined that Newark has about 13 of 52 needed policies to protect the City from anticipated flooding caused by these climate risks. In other words, there is considerable work for the City to do to protect important assets and prepare for the future. A leading solution that Newark can pursue is to conserve and restore wetlands, which Area 4 offers a rare opportunity to do.

Building housing, especially affordable housing, is critical in Newark, but Save The Bay cannot support the decision to locate housing where it will be very costly to protect or where the burden of protection is likely to fall on vulnerable populations as sea levels rise. The part of Area 4 where the project would be sited already experiences flooding and sits entirely within a 100-year FEMA flood zone. Even if the Mowry Village site can be filled and elevated to reduce its own vulnerability to flooding, the parcel at large is surrounded by Baylands and is susceptible to flooding. The necessary sewer and water lines, as well as the critically important emergency service roads that would be needed to serve housing in this area, would all also need to be sited in harm’s way. Housing should instead be built in the numerous other locations already identified in the City’s recently-drafted Housing Element.

Rather than hardening the shoreline with more development, Newark should restore Area 4 to a wetland area so it can provide a natural buffer to the rising Bay. Such an area will protect current residents and infrastructure and provide critical habitat for endangered wildlife and migratory water birds. The City of Newark has an incredible opportunity to promote smart growth and prepare for rising seas by voting NO on the Mowry Village Project. Add your name to the petition to join us in taking action!