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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

May 15, 2005

City leaders 'dream of possibilities'

Concord leaders have long hoped to transform the base into a development with thousands of homes, businesses, parks and community facilities.

"It's a time where it's really exciting to dream of the possibilities," Vice Mayor Susan Bonilla said. "The potential is quite incredible."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recommended that 5,170 acres of the Naval Weapons Station mostly south of Highway 4 be closed and sold for private use. This would save the federal government nearly $200 million during the next 20 years.

The remaining 7,630 acres, known as the "tidal area" north of Highway 4 along the waterfront, should be transferred from the Navy to the Army, Rumsfeld said.

This site would continue to be used by the Army for loading and unloading ammunition and equipment from ships, railroad cars and trucks.

Concord officials had recommended that both areas be declared surplus but were pleased to have the southern section make the closure list.

Not everyone celebrated, however. Environmentalists raised concerns about the scope of development contemplated for the site and the potential impact on wildlife, traffic and open space.

"The numbers they're looking at in the general plan are massive," said Seth Adams, director of land programs for Save Mount Diablo. "This would be the largest development plan in the Bay Area."

If the closure receives final approval later this year, that would kick off a complicated and lengthy transfer and planning process.

Concord residents will have numerous opportunities to weigh in before final decisions are made, Mayor Laura Hoffmeister said.

It would likely be five years before any construction begins.

With roots dating back to the mid-1800s, the Naval Weapons Station is a familiar site to motorists traveling on Highway 4 between Concord and Pittsburg. Its vast expanse of flatlands and rolling hills stretches along both sides of the highway.

In 1994, the weapons station had a civilian work force of 1,072 and a payroll of $34.3 million.

But after a dramatic downsizing of the military in the Bay Area during the 1990s, the southern portion of the weapons station was mothballed in 1999. It is now maintained by a skeleton crew.

Concord officials have long eyed the site as one of the few places left in Contra Costa County where major housing and business development can occur close to the urban core, instead of the rural outskirts.

With the North Concord BART station nearby, city officials say the Naval Weapons Station site is a prime location for transit-oriented development that could enable people to work close to home.

Concord officials have only been able to fantasize about the possibilities, however, as Navy officials held onto the land.

Concord is in the process of updating its general plan, which serves as a blueprint for growth.

Draft documents call for 13,000 homes on the Naval Weapons Station inland area site, along with businesses that would employ 15,000 people.

Up to 50 percent of the land should be preserved for parks, trails and open space, the documents say.

Environmentalists want more assurances. David Reid of the Greenbelt Alliance argued that the city should zone portions of the land for open space and scale back the housing plans.

"It's too much and too spread out," he said.

Save Mount Diablo is pushing to have a large section of the site east of Mount Diablo Creek declared off-limits to development. The weapons station is home to several rare and endangered species, Adams notes.

The city has no plans to allow development of the hillsides, Hoffmeister said. As for the creek, she envisions a miles-long park and trail system running along its banks.

There are major hurdles to overcome before any development can occur. The weapons station is on the national priorities list of toxic clean-up sites.

Portions of the property have contaminated landfills. Some areas are laced with arsenic, which was used in the 1940s and 50s to kill weeds.

Some of the worst contamination is in the tidal area, where chemical plants operated before the Navy purchased the land.

Since 1983, the federal government has spent $55 million on clean-up activities. An estimated $70 million worth of additional work is needed, with an estimated completion date of 2010, said Naval Weapons Station spokesman Gregg Smith.

It might be possible to speed up this process, however, if the Navy reduces its sale price for the land in exchange for having a private developer oversee the clean-up, said Concord Planning and Economic Development Director Jim Forsberg.

If the closure is approved, the Navy will most likely auction off portions of the land to private developers. The city would exercise authority over what occurs through its zoning powers and development approval process.

Forsberg predicted that it would be five years before any ground is broken on the site. Development would be phased in over the next two to three decades.

Vice Mayor Bonilla is excited about the potential for community amenities on the site, which could range from sports fields to a new library, senior center, university or community center.

"Our vision is not to see it become a separate enclave of executive-style homes," she said. "We want it to become integrated into Concord so all the residents will benefit."

NAVAL WEAPONS STATION TIMELINE

1857: Ammunition storage facility constructed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo.

1942: At beginning of World War II, Navy builds annex to Mare Island near Concord and names it Naval Ammunition Depot, Port Chicago, after nearby town.

1944: In the largest stateside disaster of the war, a massive ammunition explosion kills 320 people, including more than 200 African-American sailors, and destroys original pier and two munitions ships.

1945: Three additional large piers and numerous ammunition storage facilities are constructed.

1999: After a major downsizing of military facilities in the Bay Area, inland portion of the base is mothballed and maintained by a skeleton crew.

2005: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recommends closing inland section of base.

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