After hearing from hundreds of Pittsburg residents and environmental organizations that the city should preserve the beautiful hills that overlook the future park at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, Pittsburg’s City Council approved the Seeno Faria project. This project would include up to 1,500 homes on 341 acres with another 265 acres for open space. The homes would be zoned for single-family residential with a 4,000-square-foot minimum lot size.
Greenbelt Alliance, our partners, and residents of Pittsburg worked for 15 years to stop this proposal while encouraging climate-smart development within the city next to transit, jobs, and services.
We are extremely disappointed in the City Council’s decision to approve this project. We need decision-makers to preserve lands that serve as nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. The hills that will soon be paved over, could have served as a natural buffer to the region’s ever-increasing wildfires, provided essential groundwater during drought, and offered refuge when we must distance to keep our loved ones safe during a pandemic.
Next Steps
The Seeno Faria project was initially approved in Pittsburg’s General Plan in 2005, which—despite our advocacy to stop it—is a large reason why it got approved. Many people don’t realize that they have a say in their city’s General Plan process, but you do and it’s the perfect way to impact climate change at the local level. The good news is that Pittsburg’s General Plan is being updated right now, which means there is an opportunity to make sure a terrible project like this one doesn’t happen again! Here are some steps you can take right now to make a difference:
- Sign our letter to Contra Costa County, urging them to incorporate critical environmental and equitable policies into the General Plan!
- Watch this video to learn more about General Plans and get tips and tools to help you take climate action.
- Check out this blog post to learn more about what a General Plan is and how it can impact our climate.
- Receive updates from Greenbelt Alliance on actions you can take to help create a climate-resilient Bay Area!
Photo: Scott Hein
