On two upcoming Tuesdays, Feb. 9, and Feb. 23, the Concord City Council will consider the Environmental Impact Report and the preferred reuse plan for the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Unfortunately, the preferred plan for the redevelopment of the naval station only gets it about half right.
While Concord’s preferred plan dedicates 65% of the land to open space, and clusters houses in transit-oriented developments, the Environmental Impact Report of the Reuse Plan indicates that the plan would lack adequate greenhouse-gas mitigation and would cause potential biological impacts on water and wildlife. In addition, the plan lacks a commitment to 45% affordable housing, called for by the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord.
Greenbelt Alliance and the coalition want to see the city take a stronger approach to addressing climate change, affordable housing, and natural resource protection.
Take action! Let the Concord City Council know that you support removing the low-density zoning for estate homes, strengthening the guidelines for the Climate Action Plan, protecting Mt. Diablo Creek, and committing to good policies for affordable homes and local jobs.
What: Concord City Council meetings
When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9 and Tuesday, Feb. 23
Where: Council Chamber, Concord Civic Center, 1950 Parkside Drive, Concord
Info: Campaigns Director Melissa Hippard at mhippard(at)greenbelt(dot)org.
Background: In 2006, the Concord City Council launched the process to prepare a Reuse Plan for the 5,028-acre former naval station, which included the establishment of an appointed Community Advisory Committee and a series of public workshops. In 2007, the CAC and the City Council created several conceptual plans (alternatives), but those alternatives all reflected low-density development over the vast majority of the site.
As a result of the lobbying and grassroots mobilization of Greenbelt Alliance and Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord, the CAC added two more alternatives reflecting the coalition’s priorities: increased dedication of open space and increased density near the North Concord BART station.
Concord is a priority Grow Smart Bay Area city because the naval station is the largest developable site in the East Bay for transit-oriented development — the North Concord BART station is adjacent to the site. Additionally, the naval station is an open space priority area as identified in our “Golden Lands, Golden Opportunity” report; it is a key wildlife corridor and provides the ability to have access to a regional park via transit.
For more information, read Greenbelt Alliance’s page on the Concord Naval Weapons Station reuse project.
