A's Inch Closer on Environmental Impact Report for Ballpark Development

Over a year and a half in the making, the Athletics have finally seen some movement on the long-awaited Environmental Impact Report process for the proposed 32,000 seat facility located on 226-acres of land in the Pacific Commons area in Fremont. (see details and computer renderings of the proposed Athletics ballpark) Late Tuesday afternoon, the A's announced that City officials presented a Notice of Preparation to affected local, state and federal agencies, and neighboring property owners. A A Notice of Preparation (NOP) is a document stating that an EIR will be prepared for a particular project, a required and significant step for final city approval of the A's ballpark proposal. The NOP is designed so that interested parties, including Fremont residents, can submit comments specifically on the project description and alternatives. These comments will be incorporated by Fremont planning officials in the drafting of key environmental documents. The public comment period...