Latest News
Advocates to Contra Costa County Supervisors: New Farm still illegal
A legal review presented in September 2011 to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors shows that the proposed 187-unit suburban development in the Tassajara Valley dubbed “New Farm” by development consultant Tom Koch would, if approved, violate numerous local laws and policies.
Read more about the legal review.
$7 Million settlement for farmland in East Bay
Greenbelt Alliance and The San Francisco Foundation announced on Monday, June 27, the resolution of a settlement in the Contra Costa Superior Court that holds up the requirement to compensate the surrounding environment when developing on prime farmland.
“It’s essential to have farms close to urban centers,” says Greenbelt Alliance Executive Director Jeremy Madsen. “We’re excited that this settlement sends a clear message not only in the Bay Area but all over the state that if farmland is lost to development, additional farmland should be preserved.”
The settlement calls for a fund to support the permanent protection of farmland similar to the lands that will be lost to development. The announcement signals the end of a five-year legal battle between Greenbelt Alliance and the City of Oakley and a number of landowners.
Read more about the Oakley settlement and the fund to protect farmland.
A Better Broadway: Celebrating a new vision for Oakland
Greenbelt Alliance and our partners are celebrating the release of our shared vision (PDF) for transforming Oakland's Broadway-Valdez neighborhood into a vibrant, mixed-use community where people of all income levels can live, shop, and work.
Join us on April 7 at the former Connell Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler showroom (2735 Broadway, Oakland) in the heart of this district. We'll have delicious drinks and refreshments from Z Café and Bar, interactive exhibits to encourage discussion about our vision, brief remarks about the ongoing planning work for Broadway-Valdez, and so much more!
Pittsburg attempts illegal annexation of hills
A proposed annexation of one of the most significant ridgelines in Contra Costa County by the City of Pittsburg would violate state laws and numerous local and regional policies, says a comment letter from respected land-use law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP.
The area is immediately adjacent to the planned regional park at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.
The project is being fast-tracked by the city on behalf of Seeno Developer subsidiary Discovery Builders Inc. / Faria Land Investors LLC. The annexation would pave the way for development of thousands of houses on the undeveloped hills that separate Pittsburg from Concord. Read the full comment letter (pdf).
Greenbelt Alliance and our open sapce allies have worked for over a decade to secure the permanent protection of these hills.
From naval station to world-class neighborhood
In late October 2010, Concord released the Los Medanos Area Plan for the redevelopment of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The plan will direct where shops, homes, and roads will go as well as set aside land for critical habitat and open space.
Long-time readers and members will remember that Greenbelt Alliance has been helping community members shape the redevelopment plans for the naval station since 2006.
Based on the Reuse Plan that the Concord City Council approved in February 2010, Los Medanos plan actually seems to be heading in the right direction. The Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord, of which Greenbelt Alliance is a member, is still analyzing the document (download Books 1 & 2 from the website), but so far the Coalition likes the clustering of homes and services near the North Concord BART station and that more open space has been set aside than what was planned in February.
On December 15, the Concord Planning Commission will hold an evening study session on the Los Medanos plan. A final vote is expected in April 2011.
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