The Fremont City Council on Tuesday night approved Tesla Motors’ plan for expansion that could potentially double the company’s manufacturing site in the city’s south end.

According to city reports, the plan lays out “a development pattern for the site in order to facilitate future growth” for the company.

Tesla’s master plan includes workups for a potential 4.6 million square feet of new structures for expanded operations to support, among other things, the rollout and production of the company’s still-unreleased Model 3 car.

Tesla currently employs 6,210 workers at the factory, including more than 1,000 Fremont residents, according to the company. The city report says that at full buildout, the company could bring in more than 3,100 additional workers.

In 2015, Tesla produced 50,580 vehicles at the plant along Interstate 880 in the Warm Springs district. Production could move to 500,000 new vehicles per year if all 11 potential buildings in the master plan are constructed.

The buildings in the plan range in size from nearly a million square feet all the way down to 118,000 square feet.

Tesla established its manufacturing hub at the site in 2010 following the closure of the New United Motor Manufacturing, Incorporated plant, commonly known as NUMMI.

The city council, in approving the plan, echoed the Fremont Planning Commission’s sentiments that Tesla should work to engage with representatives of the local carpenters union, who spoke at both hearings about the need for a work and training pipeline to the company.

In other action at Tuesday’s meeting, many residents spoke against final approval of the planned Walnut Residences, a 670-unit apartment complex proposed by Carmel Partners. At its Nov. 15 meeting, the council approved that project on the condition the parking structure’s height would be lowered by one story to five and the total number of units reduced by 38.

Some speakers accused the council of hurrying the project through approval and urged it to delay a final vote until the new council is seated. Others expressed concern about parking, density, traffic and safety related to the project and surrounding neighborhood.

Mayor Bill Harrison told the crowd there would be a one-minute time limit on comments about the project because of the large number of people who requested to speak. One speaker, Scott Lane, said the short time limit was not necessary and amounted to the council spitting in the face of residents.

Councilmember Vinnie Bacon characterized the process that led to the project’s approval at the previous meeting as “helter skelter.”

Bacon also said the lack of a final, clear plan that includes the changes to the structures concerned him. Staff said the city holds the power to keep developers accountable to the conditions attached to the project until they’re all met.

Mayor-elect Lily Mei said there is a need for the city to “trust, but also verify” the promises developers make in good faith during projects. Mei said she would have preferred that the project went to the new council.

Harrison said it’s important to recognize the Walnut Residences is not an affordable housing project and will contribute millions of dollars to the city’s fund for affordable housing creation and to the school district’s impact fee coffers.

The council voted 3-2, with Mei and Bacon dissenting, to adopt an ordinance rezoning the property to allow the expansion.

The council also: