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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

April 6, 2005

Moving urban-limit lines gains support in Contra Costa

County leaders seem willing to bend

Eleven city officials of the 17 represented at the second countywide summit March 31 - San Pablo and Richmond were absent - pledged support for some version of the plans put forth by the two subregions.

And the others, including Danville Town Councilman Newell Arnerich, said they were interested in hammering out details during the next month with their East and Central county colleagues.

Even members of the Board of Supervisors, whose firm stance not to move the line irked some city officials, seemed to bend slightly.

"I am willing to take a look at it and have a discussion with the cities," said Supervisor Federal Glover - who previously called himself the "hold the line guy" - about the proposals. Glover represents Antioch and Pittsburg, two of the cities seeking land annexations.

The meeting reflected a positive step forward for East County leaders, who asked their counterparts for the opportunity to "mature gracefully" so they can provide housing for future generations.

"We are showing them we are being responsible in our growth," said Arne Simonsen, Antioch city councilman. "The big thing I point out is 'Where are their children going to live?' because they can't live in Lafayette or Alamo or Danville, or even Moraga for that matter."

But the fight is far from over. The East and Central county proposals are still meeting fierce opposition from the environmental and business groups who developed a plan to hold the line and move it if deemed necessary at periodic intervals.

"I'm open-minded about continuing to talk, but so far the only compromise East County has offered is once they get everything they want, they promise not to ask for more, and that's no compromise at all," said David Reid, East Bay representative for the Greenbelt Alliance.

Convincing four of the five county supervisors - the number needed along with 75 percent of the cities representing 75 percent of the population to establish a mutually agreeable urban-limit line - also may prove a daunting task.

The group will hold another summit this month, at which time the leaders should be poised to decide what portions outside the urban-limit line should be studied in an environmental impact report.

The environmental review process must begin shortly to allow enough time for the urban-limit line to be placed on the November 2006 ballot.

Voters must approve the line in each jurisdiction in order for the cities and unincorporated county areas to receive funding from Measure J, a half-cent transportation tax earmarked for road improvements.

The East and Central county proposals call for moving the line to include the following properties:

-Antioch: Roddy Ranch; Ginochio Property west of Deer Valley Road - 500 buildable acres

-Brentwood: Sellers Avenue; Ginochio Property east of Deer Valley Road; two special planning areas identified in the city's general plan; Marsh Creek Road and Walnut Boulevard - 1,391 buildable acres

-Concord: A portion of the Concord Naval Weapons Station if the Department of Defense releases it - 1,500 buildable acres

-Pittsburg: Thomas Ranch; Montreaux, Norton Valley and San Marco Hills areas; Mirant Open Space - 735 buildable acres.

Clayton is seeking to move slightly more than 30 acres to include properties currently split down the middle by the line.

And San Ramon is asking to annex two portions of the city that voters already approved in November as part of the general plan, a request that is not contested.

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