Blue Rock Development Breaks Ground

The long-anticipated groundbreaking of the Blue Rock project in Hayward has taken place tomorrow morning at the intersection of Hayward Boulevard and Fairview Avenue.

A long legal battle pitted the project developer, Hayward 1900 Inc., against the Hayward Area Planning Association and environmental groups.

The project calls for the construction of 614 new homes, a 650-pupil public elementary school, golf course, public park and approximately 1,000 acres of open space in the hills of Hayward.

Environmental groups objected to the portion of the golf course that extended into a major wildlife corridor, according to Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity. The lawsuit claimed that two species were threatened by the development: the California Red-Legged Frog and the Alameda Whipsnake.

After the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit granted a temporary injunction against the development in May, both sides came together and reached an agreement to protect wildlife and continue with the project.

Blue Rock owns about 1,600 acres of land in the Hayward Hills.

In a written statement, the developer said that nearly 75 percent of the owner's land will be preserved as open space and managed habitat for the two threatened, though not endangered, species.

The statement also says that development is limited to 400 acres, while 1,000 acres are dedicated to the East Bay Regional Park District for regional open space, and an additional 200 acres of land is set aside for the protection of endangered wildlife.

Blue Rock also includes the creation of Hayward's first new public school in 40 years — an 650-student elementary campus with a gymnasium and two soccer fields.