Pittsburg Hillsides
Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library
These hills are threatened.
Although the City of Pittsburg has done little public outreach to let residents know this, it is drafting an ordinance governing hillside development. The ordinance is called "Hillside Development Standards & Design Guidelines," and a draft is available here. The City claims this ordinance will protect Pittsburg's hills from development.
Unfortunately, instead of protecting Pittsburg's hills, this ordinance will actually open up scenic and landslide-prone hills to development.
Development in this area could mar the major ridgeline between East and Central Contra Costa County, even as Concord plans for protection of its side of the ridge at the Naval Weapons Station. Houses in this area could be visible from as far away as Antioch, Walnut Creek and Martinez—and everyone would notice the approximately 15,000 daily car trips that this development would pour onto local streets and highways, including Willow Pass at Highway 4, Kirker Pass, and Bailey Road.
Please attend meetings of the Planning Commission and the City Council (see below) and tell the City
not to adopt the hillside ordinance unless it is rewritten to truly protect
the hills from development.
What's at Stake
The City of Pittsburg has been giving the public very little opportunity to weigh in on decisions that will have major effects on the landscape and on residents throughout the East Bay.
It's time for the City to put the brakes on its plans for rampant hillside development and listen to what local residents want.
What You Can Do
Get involved in the effort to protect Pittsburg's hillsides!
- Connect with Save Our Hills, a local group working
with Greenbelt Alliance to protect the hills. Their "How
To Help" webpage
is regularly updated with
new tips and resources for getting involved.
- Attend the upcoming meeting on the hillside ordinance, and urge the city to take meaningful action to protect the hills from development.
May 19 , 2008
City Hall, 65 Civic Avenue
Pittsburg City Council Meeting
City Council vote to suspend work on hillside ordinance
- Contact Mayor Michael
Kee and City
Council members Nancy Parent and Will Casey, and
let them know that you oppose any further development of the
hills.
You can email the Mayor and City
Council, or write to the City Council by mail at:
Pittsburg City Council, 65 Civic Avenue, Pittsburg, CA 94565.
- Write a letter to the Contra Costa Times opposing
hillside development.
The letter should be 150 words or less. Send your letter to letters@cctimes.com.
- Read a letter submitted by East Bay Field Representative
Christina Wong on May 22, 2007 on the Hillside Ordinance Development
Standards
and
Design
Guidelines here.
- Go on a hike. Get a closer look at what's at stake: join us for a 2.6-mile hike that climbs to the top of Lougher Ridge, where you'll get breathtaking views of land threatened by development.
When: 10 a.m. - noon, Saturdays May 18, June 14, and July 19
Where: Meet at park headquarters, Sydney Flat Staging Area on Somersville Road, just past the first Ranger Booth in Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve ($5/car fee)
Info: (925) 947-3535 or smdinfo@savemountdiablo.org
Sponsors: Greenbelt Alliance and Save Mount Diablo
Campaign Update
May 2008
Even though at the last City Council meeting the council members expressed support for strengthening the hillside ordinance, now the City Council is attempting to stop any further action on the ordinance at its May 19 meeting. Should this happen, any protections the hills may have gained will be lost. Greenbelt Alliance will attend the meeting to ask the City Council to continue working on the hillside ordinance because the City needs stricter guidelines to protect ridgelines, views, and steep slopes.
April 2008
Success! Greenbelt Alliance and local partners convinced the Pittsburg City Council to reconsider a flawed hillside ordinance that failed to protect the hills. The hillside ordinance is going back to staff for further revisions to include more extensive protections.
In an attempt to extend services to these hillsides, developer Albert Seeno III’s attorney asked the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to discuss extending water and sewer services to the Faria, Thomas and Montreux properties. This attempt to put services in these hillsides that might possibly be protected is illogical and puts the cart before the horse. Instead, services should only be extended after the area is annexed into the city limits. Greenbelt Alliance attended the LAFCO meeting to oppose extending services. Unfortunately, LAFCO plans to go ahead but is looking to share costs of the necessary environmental impact report. At the next scheduled LAFCO meeting, commissioners will decide whether or not to extend services.
October 2007
On October 3, Greenbelt Alliance took part in a successful, well-attended
community meeting, sponsored by Save Our Hills. Thanks
to all who attended. We are still awaiting a notice of completion for
the environmental document. We will hopefully learn more at the next
Planning Commission meeting, which is currently scheduled for Tuesday,
November 13. Greenbelt Alliance and local partners are continuing to
monitor the process. We will remain in close
contact with the City of Pittsburg and provide notice of any and all
updates
as they occur.
8/30/07 Pittsburg
Planning Commission Listens to Developers Instead of Constituents
August 2007
After months of public input in favor of hillside protection,
Planning Commissioners instead systematically followed the recommendations
of
a landowner and developer who stands to make millions of dollars from
the changes. On August 28, the Planning Commission gutted the ordinance
that was intended to protect the hills, transforming it into a how-to
manual on developing the hills.
June 2007
The City of Pittsburg has developed draft Hillside Guidelines and Performance
Standards. Currently, the ordinance allows massive grading, high development
densities, and no protections for ridgelines and hilltops. Greenbelt
Alliance and partners wrote and publicly commented on the ordinance,
asking for stronger protections. Greenbelt Alliance and Sierra Club mobilized
Pittsburg residents, Pittsburg Better Together, and other groups to attend
City meetings. The City has made minor revisions, but still has not addressed
Greenbelt Alliance’s main concerns. The next Planning Commission
meeting will determine whether or not to revise the ordinance further.
The Planning Commission is expected to vote on the final hillside ordinance
in July 2007 and the City Council is expected to vote at the end of August
2007.
3/24/07 Rules
on development of hills stir up hornet's nest Contra Costa
Times
March 2007
On January 16, the City of Pittsburg released draft
Hillside Guidelines and Performance Standards. Greenbelt Alliance has
grave concerns
about the ability of this ordinance to protect the hillsides of Pittsburg
and submitted comments on the ordinance asking for stronger protections.
Greenbelt Alliance and Sierra Club are working on getting the public
out to the workshop on March
26, where the City will receive comments before the draft ordinance
is heard by the Planning Commission and the City Council.
3/13/07 Critics assail developer over lawsuit Contra Costa Times
2/12/07 Attack signs on Seeno's land untrue (letter to the editor) Contra Costa Times
2/2/07 Misleading signs (editorial) Contra Costa Times
2/1/07 Officials seek input on growth Contra Costa Times
1/30/07 Signs along Highway 4 raise tensions Contra Costa Times
1/18/07 Despite opposition, council extends growth boundary Contra Costa Times
1/13/07 Protecting the hills of Pittsburg (op-ed) Contra Costa Times
January 2007
The City of Pittsburg is deciding whether to amend the General Plan to
extend the city's Sphere of Influence (SOI) to the Urban Limit Line voters
approved in 2005 with Measure P. The SOI change would be the beginning
of the process to annex the land and develop the hills. The SOI line
would be changed to include the 607-acre Faria property and the 161-acre
Montreux property, both owned by the Seeno family; and the Thomas Ranch
property owned by the Thomas family. Developing these properties would
add approximately 1,800 units in the hills. Greenbelt Alliance is working
with Pittsburg residents and partner organizations to oppose these changes
and to promote the adoption of a strong hillside protection ordinance.
December 2006
The Pittsburg Planning Commission considered the sphere of influence expansion but did not make a recommendation on it. The final vote will go to the Pittsburg City Council in January.
12/14/06 Board delays urban limit line decision Contra Costa Times
November 2006
The City of Pittsburg is still working on creating a hillside protection
ordinance but has been somewhat evasive about the process and plans.
Greenbelt Alliance and the Sierra Club are working closely to protect
Pittsburg’s hillsides. In the post-election period, the allies
will re-engage activists in drafting a hillside protection ordinance,
building capacity to protect the hillsides. The coalition is working
to ensure a strong hillside protection ordinance.
October 2006
The City of Pittsburg voted to wait an indefinite period before considering
two development agreements which would give inviolate rights to hillside
developers. The City Council and staff also pointed to their efforts
to create a hillside protection ordinance to define where and when development
on the hillsides above Pittsburg should be allowed. In the wake of a
landslide that forced 8 families from their homes, the hillside ordinance
is needed to provide for safety and environmental protection. The city
staff, however, has no timeline and no process in place for developing
the ordinance, and activists fear that the city may approve more houses
before the ordinance is passed.
September 2006
The City Council of Pittsburg voted to indefinitely postpone its consideration
of proposed development agreements for the Pittsburg hillsides. While
this represents a significant victory for local activists and environmentalists,
the city council also voted to initiate a general plan study to allow
annexation of these areas in the immediate future, instead of in 2020,
as the General Plan currently projects. The city is also moving forward
with creation of a hillside protection ordinance, although this seems
not to be a high priority for the city, as staff acknowledge that they
are too busy processing current applications to predict when the ordinance
will be complete. A landslide in Pittsburg’s hillsides in July
has put eight families out of their homes and lent additional urgency
to the issue of hillside protection. This will likely be a significant
issue in the November City Council election.
Greenbelt Alliance has been working closely with Sierra Club on this campaign. Local activists are frustrated by the city staff’s lack of focus on the hillside ordinance, and are eager to craft an initiative to prevent hillside development. Sierra Club is working with local activists on the city council election, which will build grassroots capacity and leadership for a projected campaign to craft, qualify and pass hillside protection initiative in 2008.
August 2006
Local developer Albert Seeno III is asking the city of Pittsburg to approve
two development agreements that would lock in the current zoning on parcels
he owns. These parcels are outside the city, and were incorporated into
the city's Urban Limit Line in November 2005. These agreements would prevent
any initiative or city council from changing the zoning on the parcels
for 20 years. The agreement would essentially assure the development of
over 2,000 units in the Pittsburg Hills. In a hearing on July 19th, City
staff acknowledged the serious legal issues raised by Greenbelt Alliance
and its allies in a letter from an attorney, and recommended that the
hearing be continued to August 21. Pittsburg is also in the midst of revising
its hillside protection ordinance, which could dramatically affect development
potential in the hills between Pittsburg and Concord.
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