Concord Naval Weapons Station
Neighborhood Alliance
Although progress on the development of the Concord Naval Weapons has been slow for months, we now have news to report.
On Tuesday evening, January 10,2012, several CNWSNA steering committee members and I participated in a CNWS Study Session during the City Council meeting. During the Study Session we learned that 3,501 acres of the 5,028 acre CNWS will be open space and parks. On January 24, 2012 the city council is expected to make a recommendation to amend the 2030 General Plan to include the Concord Reuse Project Area Plan.
We are pleased to know that this large amount of acreage, almost 70%, will be open space and parks for future generations to enjoy.
The next step we are interested in is the conveyance of land from the Navy to East Bay Regional Parks. According to Reuse Project Director Michael Wright, the city is hopeful that a transfer will take place in months rather than in years. As soon as we hear anything regarding the transfer, we will contact you.
It is comforting to us to know that once the land is conveyed to East Bay Regional Parks, it can never be developed.
Thank CNWS neighborhood Alliance members and every individual and staff member associated with local non-profit organizations (especially Save Mount Diablo and Greenbelt Alliance and other members of the Coalition for a Sustainable Concord).
We have all been working to preserve open space on the CNWS since closure and development of the base came to our attention in 2005. We feel the effort put forth to preserve this large amount of open space and parks was well worth the outcome.
Kathy Gleason and Steering Committee members
The ridgeline of the Los Medanos Hills adjacent to the Concord Naval Weapons Station is owned by local developer Seeno. This developer also owns the land opposite the CNWS, destined to be the Faria development. Visit the Save Our Hills website to view grading already done in this area. Is this grading legal?
Although this land is currently in the unincorporated area of Contra Costa County, Seeno is requesting that county land use agency LAFCO approve annexation to the city of Pittsburg, paving the way for approval of the Faria development.
The CNWS Neighborhood Alliance strongly feels that the ridgeline adjacent to the CNWS and the future East Bay Regional Park should be preserved and designated as open space, to be preserved for eternity.
What can you do? Contact LAFCO Commissioners and staff at www.contracostalafco.org. Ask them to fulfill their mission to preserve open space and agricultural land in Contra Costa County. Ask LAFCO to deny annexation of this land to the city of Pittsburg, and encourage them to do everything within their power to preserve the ridgeline. Let them know the Los Medanos Hills ridgeline should become a part of the great East Bay Regional Park planned for the CNWS.
The main goals of the CNWS Neighborhood Alliance are to maximize open space and parks and minimize additional traffic and noise pollution in the development of the Concord Naval Weapons Station.
Although we are concerned about the overall traffic impact on residents of Concord and neighboring cities, our main traffic concern is the proposed widening and extension of Denkinger Road and the extension of West Street into the Naval Weapons Station.
We feel that the proposed widening and extensions (which are listed in Concord’s 2030 General Plan) will displace residents and further congest the already overcrowded streets in the area of Concord Blvd., Denkinger and West Streets. This area already fills with commuters as well as parents and children from five nearby schools during morning and evening commute traffic.
If you would like to be added to our email list to receive updates please contact Marie at mariegag@att.net. We do not share our email list.
The DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report) was released on August 28th. The public had 60 days to comment. Members of the CNWS Neighborhood Alliance Steering Committee and other volunteers familiar with this type of report read the 2,000 page document and provided comments which were turned in to the city. To read those comments follow the DEIR Comments link on this page. TOP
