Updated on June 10 to include outcome of the meeting
Tassajara Parks is a proposed 125 single-family home development outside of the Urban Limit Line (ULL)—the boundary that marks the outer limit beyond which urban development will not be allowed—in the Tassajara Valley area of unincorporated Contra Costa County. On June 9, 2021, the County’s Planning Commission voted to deny the Tassajara Parks project and is recommending that the Board of Supervisors also deny the developer’s application. This is a major win in the process of stopping this project and preserving the county’s precious natural and agricultural lands!
The main drivers for the Planning Commission’s decision include:
- The fact that the development is outside of the Urban Limit Line
- The East Bay Municipal Utility District’s refusal to serve the project with water
- The overwhelming advocacy by the community, who made their voices loud and clear that they do not want this project to move forward
The city boundaries throughout Contra Costa County were created for a reason—to protect our open spaces and focus growth inside city limits. This project would have forced an amendment to a city’s General Plan to allow development beyond these boundaries would have severe environmental and safety implications for generations to come. As illustrated by the recent fires, we already feel the effects of climate change on a regular basis.
Protecting the urban limit line is a critical way to maintain fire boundaries and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. In December 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the Urban Limit Line Mid-Term Review which stated that the ULL analysis demonstrates that sufficient capacity exists countywide inside the ULL to accommodate housing and growth through 2036. What this means is that Contra Costa County has space to grow in a climate SMART way.
In addition to the Planning Commission’s decision to deny Tassajara Parks, Danville’s City Council voted to formally oppose the project and, as mentioned above, the East Bay Municipal Utlity District registered its formal opposition with refusal of services.
We are thrilled to celebrate this significant victory, but this project is not yet fully defeated. So stay tuned as we provide more updates on next steps and how we can continue to fight for the protection of critical open space lands in Contra Costa County!
With information from Tassajara Valley Preservation Association
