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Concord Naval Weapons Station
The City of Concord is planning for
the future of the 5,100-acre Concord Naval Weapons Station. The former base
is currently owned by the Department of Defense, but the land could be
transferred to a private entity in less than three years. After the land
transfers, the City of Concord, the local reuse authority, will be able
to begin overseeing on-site development.
What's at Stake
The Concord Naval Weapons Station—located on the border
of northeast Concord and Pittsburg, directly adjacent to the threatened
Pittsburg hills—is
one of the largest remaining developable areas in the entire region,
on a par with Coyote Valley in the South Bay.
The land is already
within the City of Concord's limits and within the Urban Limit Line. Much
of the base is still relatively pristine open space, with rolling hills visible from Highways
4 and 242. In addition, Mount Diablo Creek, a creek
with tremendous potential for restoration, flows right through the heart of the military
base, and has the potential to become home to native trout, among other species. Concord's plans for the base will determine, in
part, how these resources are protected.
| Part of the base is also a good location for transit-oriented development near the BART station. Developing this part of the base while protecting the rest could create a model smart growth community adjacent to protected open space. |
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Greenbelt Alliance has developed a joint platform with local partners
and other environmental organizations. This platform addresses the location
and amount of open space, the type and number of new houses, the transportation
system, and many other factors. Read page
one and page
two of the Community Coalition platform here (jpg files).
To read a history of the base, see maps and visuals or to learn more
about the reuse process in general, visit the Concord
Community Reuse Project website.
What You Can Do
To make the smart growth vision a reality, Greenbelt Alliance needs support from Bay Area residents. Here's how you can get involved:
- Attend City Council meetings and other public events. See below but check for recent updates since dates and times are subject to change. Visit Concord Community Reuse Project or email Christina Wong for more information.
What: "Building Consensus" Alternative Evaluation Public Workshop
When: 9 a.m. - noon Saturday, Sept. 13
Where: Wisteria Room, Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord
- Collect postcards. Greenbelt Alliance is collecting these postcards to show our strength at the final city council meeting. Feel free to download, print, and collect postcards.
- The Draft Environmental Impact Report is available for review; find it at concordreuseproject.org. You can also read Greenbelt Alliance's comments.
- Attend these informational meetings to learn more:
August 19: Community Advisory Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m., Wisteria Room, Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord
September 16: Community Advisory Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m., Wisteria Room, Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord
- Write a letter to the Concord
City Council encouraging them to select an alternative
that concentrates growth around the North Concord BART station, promotes
a mix of commercial/retail,
business and residential development and protects all lands east of
Mount Diablo Creek. Click here to
view a sample letter.
- Visit the Concord
Community Reuse Project website for more information, and sign up to receive email updates
about the base.
- Sign up to receive Greenbelt Alliance email updates
regarding the Concord Naval Weapons Station by sending an email to
this address.
- Email Christina Wong with
any questions or comments, or to be added to our growing contact
list. Let us know if you
would like to send a letter or email to the Councilmembers, attend
a meeting, sign a postcard, staff an informational table, or write
a letter to the editor.
Campaign Update
June 2008
The deadline to finalize a re-use plan for the Concord Naval Weapons Station has been extended to January 2009. This summer, Greenbelt Alliance is commenting on the Draft Environmental Impact Report and participating in workshops and the Community Advisory Committee meetings. We’re advocating for a plan that protects the majority of the base as open space and creates a walkable neighborhood around the North Concord BART station.
May 2008
The City of Concord has applied to the Navy for an extension so the fight over development of the Concord Naval Weapons Station will continue throughout the summer. The city is hosting community workshops, and Greenbelt Alliance needs a strong turnout of people advocating for smart growth and open space protection! Please plan to attend the next important workshops and meetings listed above under "what you can do."
March 2008
Success! Greenbelt Alliance organized a fabulous Concord Naval Weapons Station Visioning Tour on March 29. More than 110 people came, including Concord and Pittsburg elected and appointed officials, to hear from experts on parks and open space, native plants, wildlife, and smart growth and to learn ways to shape the base’s future. The event concluded with a stop at an overlook to see areas at risk at the former base.
10/14/07 Weapons
station no walk in the park Contra Costa Times
10/9/07 Proposals
released for undeveloped land in Concord ABC Channel
7 News
October 2007
More good news from Concord! At the City Council meeting on October 9,
three out of four councilmembers voted to submit all seven alternatives
for environmental review. To view the City’s proposed alternatives,
click here (pdf).
This review will take approximately one year, at which time Environmental
Impact Reports (EIRs) will be completed
and the alternatives will once again be subjected to the public review
process and to Council approval. Greenbelt Alliance and the Community
Coalition will continue to work together to create public awareness for
Concord
and to maintain a working relationship with the City as they move forward
with the Reuse Plan.
October 2007
Success! On October 2, City Planners presented two additional development
scenarios to the Community Advisory Committee, for a grand total of
seven alternatives. Greenbelt Alliance and the Community Coalition
are extremely
pleased
with these
results. The new set of alternatives more accurately reflects a balanced
assortment of land use possibilities ranging from 47% to 81% open space.
Greenbelt Alliance will attend the City Council meeting on October
9 with the hope that the Council will agree to submit all seven alternatives
for environmental review.
September 2007
September was a highly anticipated and eventful month for Concord. At
the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on September 18, five
development alternatives were finally revealed to the public. Greenbelt
Alliance and the Community Coalition were thoroughly disappointed by
the biased range of scenarios, most of which favored high levels of development.
We are hoping to see additional alternatives presented at the Oct. 2nd
CAC meeting that will present a more balanced range of land uses.
In other news, Greenbelt Alliance helped to successfully orchestrate
the merging of the Environmental Coalition and Neighborhood Alliance
onto the Community Coalition platform. By having such a large and varied
array of organizations working together, we are sure to have a strong
voice in the future of the reuse process.
And finally, former Concord Planning Commissioner Guy S. Bjerke was appointed
to the Concord City Council earlier this month to fill the seat left
vacant by the sad and untimely death of Councilman Michael Chavez. Councilman
Bjerke will be included in the upcoming Council meeting on October 9
to review the five proposed alternatives for the Weapons Station and
to vote on which design concepts will be sent forward for environmental
review.
August 2007
Due to tragic death of Councilmember Michael Chavez, the
presentation of reuse plans to the City Council has been delayed until
October 9. A new councilmember will be appointed to replace Chavez. Our
hearts go out to the friends and family of Michael Chavez. His contributions
to
the
environment
and
to the environmental community
will not be forgotten.
July 2007
On September 4, the City Council will approve three to five alternative
reuse plans for the Concord Naval Weapons Station. After the
local reuse authority (City of Concord) completes an approximate yearlong
review of these chosen alternatives, the favored two will be sent to
the Federal Government, where the National Environmental Protection
Agency (NEPA) will compile an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on
each. The City held a public workshop, “Balancing the Land Use
Mix”, on June 16, where the public was able to design their
own vision for the future of the Weapons Station. On August 4, the
City will host their last public workshop, “Conceptual Alternatives
Development”, which City Councilmembers will attend.
The City also met with several entities interested in public benefit
land use, such as the Veterans Collaborative, East Bay Regional Parks
District, the Contra Costa Sheriff Department, and Contra Costa
Fire Department. The results from the June 16 scoping session
will
be publicly
available after
Friday,
July
20.
June 2007
The City of Concord held two workshops on March 17 and April 21 to get
the public involved in developing alternatives for reuse of the Concord
Naval Weapons Station. Two more public workshops are scheduled
for June 16 and August 4 for citizens to give more input on the type
of development and open space protection they would like to see. The
Concord City Council is expected to choose a “preferred alternative” by
September 2007. This will then be evaluated along with other alternatives
in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Additionally, the Citizens
Advisory Committee is also meeting every third Tuesday of the month to
get updates on the process and make comments. The City of Concord is
having a public scoping meeting for the EIR on June 16.
March 2007
On February 6, the Concord City Council had a meeting to decide whether
or not to ask the Navy to “surplus” the base so the Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process can officially start. About 24
Concord residents, Greenbelt Alliance, East Bay Housing Organization,
and a Citizens’ Advisory Committee member spoke out against the
Shaw proposal – a developer proposal to circumvent the public planning
process for the base by transferring the land directly to the Shaw group.
Greenbelt Alliance also gathered and presented at the Council meeting
60 electronic postcards from members asking the City Council to oppose
the Shaw proposal and support the BRAC process. On a 3-2, vote the City
Council voted to deny the Shaw proposal and recommit to the BRAC process.
The Navy is expected to “surplus” the land within the next
three weeks, which will allow Concord leaders to begin the next phase
of planning. The next phase will be the start of CEQA and analyzing opportunities
and constraints.
January 2007
On November 13, 2006 the Navy announced it was considering trading the
base to the Louisiana-based Shaw Group in exchange for about $1 billion
in military construction projects elsewhere. All members of the City
Council and the entire California Congressional delegation were opposed
to the deal, saying a sale at this point in the base closure process
would circumvent Concord's federally mandated planning role. Greenbelt
Alliance is actively letter writing, commenting at City Council meetings,
meeting with elected officials, and asking Greenbelt Alliance members
to contact their representative to urge the Navy, Congressional delegation,
and Concord City Council to deny the Shaw proposal and support the BRAC
process.
November 2006
On November 14, the City of Concord selected the members of the citizen
advisory committee, which will advise the City Council on the direction
for the Concord Naval Weapons Station. On November 9, the U.S. Navy officially
declared a portion of the base as "surplus" federal property,
which officially started the process to create a reuse plan for the area
and began the transfer of two parcels to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast
Guard. In a surprise move, the Navy also announced that it is considering
transferring the land to a private firm, potentially bypassing the public
planning process.
October 2006
The City of Concord is wrapping up the visioning part of the redevelopment
process, after a series of focus group interviews, a community survey
of voters, and a series of public meetings. The City Council is now interviewing
40 community members in order to select 21 members of the Community Advisory
Committee, which will guide the remainder of the process. The issue has
also become flashpoint in the city council race, where 8 candidates,
including 2 incumbents, are running for 3 seats.
September 2006
The City of Concord is in the process of selecting the members of the
citizen advisory committee that will advise the City Council on the
direction for the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The Concord Naval
Weapons Station Neighborhood Alliance continues to grow in influence
and capacity, and is lobbying for 20% of the base to be developed,
while the remainder would be left as open space. The city's next
scheduled planning meeting will be held on October 10.
August 2006
At its working session on August 1, the City of Concord established the
structure for the Citizen Advisory Committee, which will guide the plan
for the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The members will be selected by
the City Council from all the applications received. So far, Greenbelt
Alliance has collected over 500 postcards from Concord residents asking
for open space and smart growth at the base. Greenbelt Alliance is also
forming a team to evaluate and comments on the plan as it moves forward.
June 2006
The City of Concord bowed to pressure from local activists and removed
the housing and jobs projections for the closed naval base from its General
Plan. This means that the city will have a theoretically clean slate from
which to plan any development. It may also require the city to identify
infill sites to meet the state housing requirements, which will help revitalize
the downtown and Monument Corridor areas. A consultant's report on public
opinion about how to reuse the base showed a lack of clear consensus,
though there is broad support for parks and open space.
May 2006
In the midst of its long-running General Plan review, the City of Concord
must decide whether the Plan should attempt to address the 5,100 acres
of the Concord Naval Weapons station which Congress has slated to close.
The existing draft of the plan and the accompanying Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) include several conceptual options. Local activists are concerned
that these concepts preclude an honest public process for the base re-use
plan, and are advocating that the General Plan go forward as though the
base were not closed. Local activists are also considering a ballot initiative
that would move closer to protecting 80% of the base as open space. Local
activists also support Greenbelt Alliance's position that until further
planning is concluded, the base should be designated as open space.
April 2006
Concord's General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report received
a shower of comments at a hearing in early April, ranging from polite
requests to outraged demands. Most comments shared a similar theme: protect
more open space. Greenbelt Alliance is working with local neighborhood
groups as well as a coalition of environmental allies to develop a strong
position and plan. The City will hold a series of public meetings in May
and June to gather public input, and will be assembling a Citizens Advisory
Committee to develop the reuse plan. Greenbelt Alliance hopes to have
the opportunity to represent both open space protection and the opportunity
for smart growth.
March 2006
Concord's General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report have the
potential to dramatically shape the future of the city, particularly in
the recently closed Concord Naval Weapons Station. Greenbelt Alliance
advocated for more specific policies for smart growth and open space protection
while the Plan was in draft form; with the release of the Draft Environmental
Impact Report, Greenbelt Alliance and its allies have another key opportunity.
Greenbelt Alliance is working with local community groups and residents
to take advantage of this opportunity and press for the best possible
smart growth plan.
February 2006
The City of Concord is hiring a public outreach specialist to manage a
4-month process to gather input on the re-use of the 5000-acre base. Greenbelt
Alliance will encourage local and regional environmental experts and concerned
residents to participate in the process to push for smarter growth and
natural resource protection. At the same time, Greenbelt Alliance is lobbying
to ensure that advocates of smart growth have a voice on the re-use committee.
January 2006
Although the reuse planning process is just starting for the recently
mothballed Concord Naval Weapons Station, Greenbelt Alliance is already
working to ensure that a large portion of the 5100-acre base is preserved
as open space. The City of Concord is the lead reuse agency, and Greenbelt
Alliance is working to help the city ensure its general vision for open
space and smart growth.
01/08/2006 Concord
sees land of plenty at Navy base, Contra Costa Times
November 2005
The Concord General Plan is a step in the right direction, though many
feel it is not a big enough step. The city weighed the possibility of
focusing on infill before expanding to the Naval Weapons Station, but
decided instead on a more expansive approach. Nevertheless, there is much
to recommend the plan, and the Naval Weapons Station represents a unique
opportunity to create a model smart-growth development in the East Bay.
Greenbelt Alliance volunteers will analyze the Draft EIR to provide more
effective mitigations for traffic, loss of open space, and air pollution.
June 2005
With the inclusion of the Concord Naval Weapons Station on the Pentagon's
list of bases proposed for closure, Concord's General Plan update gained
significant import. While some smart growth development is likely appropriate
on the base, there are also very important natural resource issues that
must be addressed. Due to the uncertainty still surrounding the base,
Greenbelt Alliance believes Concord should strive to accommodate as much
housing and job growth within the existing city as possible. The draft
Environmental Impact report is due in August. Greenbelt Alliance will
provide comments on the draft, and encourage concerned agencies, organizations,
and individuals to do likewise.
May 2005
Concord's General Plan Draft was released at the end of April and presented
in pieces to the Planning Commission. Greenbelt Alliance submitted comments
requesting that the plan include open space zoning to protect critical
habitat, that the downtown plan specify minimum acceptable densities and
floor area ratios, that the North Concord transit village go ahead regardless
of the disposition of the Concord Naval Weapons station, and that the
proposed business park include mixed uses.
05/15/2005 City
leaders 'dream of possibilities', Contra Costa Times
05/14/2005 One
City Wants to See Its Base Close, ABC News
05/14/2005 Concord
officials laud base closure, Oakland Tribune
05/12/2005 In
California, city says 'Yes!' to prospect of base closing, San Jose
Mercury News, Guardian Unlimited, AZ Central.com
April 2005
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, and with 8,000 largely
undeveloped acres at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, the city has entertained
the possibility of adding 20,000 housing units over the next 20 years.
The potential impact of this growth depends entirely on its location and
design. With a BART station surrounded by largely vacant land, and with
potential for at least 8,000 units within the existing urban footprint,
the city has tremendous potential for smart growth. The ongoing General
Plan revision provides a key opportunity for the city to move in that
direction.
April 15, 2005
This city wants naval base closed, USA Today
March 2005
Concord's General Plan update is of renewed significance considering the
possibility of planning for the entirety of the Naval Weapons Station.
The General Plan concepts discuss "smart growth" but leave out
the details. The Plan also weighs two concepts, one of which emphasizes
infill and redevelopment while the other focuses more on greenfield development
in the Naval Weapons Station. The importance of the plan is magnified
by the possibility that it will include the tidal portion of the weapons
station, although there is no indication that the plan update will include
sufficient detail to guide the city toward smart growth in these areas.
February 2005
Concord's General Plan update is of renewed significance considering the
possibility of planning for the entirety of the Naval Weapons Station.
The General Plan concepts discuss "smart growth" but leave out
the details. The Plan also weighs two concepts, one of which emphasizes
infill and redevelopment while the other focuses more on Greenfield development
in the Naval Weapons Station.
January 2005
Concord has had a general plan update underway for many months, and expects
to complete the update in late spring of next year. The plan includes
conceptual planning for the 8,000-acre inland portion of the Concord Naval
Weapons Station. The plan will now include the 12,000-acre tidal portion
of the Weapons Station as well. The City of Concord passed two resolutions
in early January—one to support moving the Urban Limit Line to include
the tidal portion of the base, and one to request that the Department
of Defense relinquish the base.
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