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Photos: Concord Naval Weapons Community Reuse Workshop, Sept 13

admin — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:46:19 +0000

Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse planning workshop, Sept 13

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:42:47 +0000

The last 2008 Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse Project community workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Two modified approaches for planning the reuse of the 5,028-acre Concord Naval Weapons Station have emerged that preserve from 60 to 73 percent of the site as parks, open space/habitat. Also included are many of the amenities suggested by the public including a tournament-level sports complex, university/education center and a variety of types of parks. The plans’ significant differences are in where development occurs, what transit options are offered and the number of acres of developed parks versus acres of undeveloped open space on the site. See the Concord Reuse Project site or Register for the workshop.

Navy changes truck route to Concord Naval Weapons Station during cleanup, Aug 11-13

Community Forum — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:00:34 +0000

View Larger MapEdi Birsan reports that The Navy has made a change to the Site 1 truck route. The trucks will now enter the Inland Area of Naval Weapons Station Concord via a temporary gate located on Evora Road. The trucks will use Kinne Blvd then cross North Port Chicago Highway and enter the base at the Main Gate on Taylor Road. The tentative start date for this project has been changed from Monday, August 11, 2008 to Tuesday, August 12, 2008 or Wednesday, August 13. There should not be any significant dust emissions, traffic problems or public road damage from our trucking operations. Once the project commences, members of the public may contact the project hotline at (925) 305-4428 with any concerns. The Navy will work with its contractors to ensure that any issues raised are addressed quickly and to the greatest extent possible.

Birsan says “there had been considerable friction between the Navy and the community over the route of the 100 daily truck loads (figuring on 20-25 trucks making 4-5 round trips). The previous plan was to use Hwy 4 to Port Chicago and then up Port Chicago right next to the town of Clyde. This routing is an improvement over the previous route and can be seen as a success of community pressure.”

Community groups form coalition to lobby Concord Naval Weapons Station re-use plannning

admin — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:52:40 +0000

Below is the press release from The Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord, a collection of dozens of affordable and non-profit housing, interfaith, conservation and labor organizations, including thousands of members in Concord. The platform can be found in its entirety at www.EBHO.org.

COMMUNITY GROUPS COME TOGETHER UNITED BY THEIR VISION FOR THE RE-USE OF THE CONCORD NAVAL WEAPONS STATION

Platforms release signals new phase of the re-use process

Concord, CA — The Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord, made up of labor organizations, environmental groups, smart growth proponents, affordable housing and homeless advocates, and interfaith groups, today released their vision for the re-use of the Concord Naval Weapons Station and a sustainable Concord. The vision includes a vibrant mix of jobs and affordable homes in walkable neighborhoods, surrounded by protected open space.

“The Community Coalition is one of the most significant alliances ever created in the East Bay representing thousands of Concord residents,” said Seth Adams of Save Mount Diablo. “Coalition members represent many constituencies from varied backgrounds, but we have a common vision of the base’s future as a sustainable world-class project responsible to both the community, and to the environment. From our organization’s perspective, the reuse of the Weapons Station offers the chance to protect the ridge between Central and East County, to restore Mt. Diablo creek, and to extend parklands from Mt. Diablo toward Suisun Bay. ”

“The Naval Weapons Station is one of the largest areas slated for development in the entire Bay Area,” said Christina Wong of Greenbelt Alliance. “Our entire coalition agrees that it is critical to get this right. The city should take advantage of this location to create great new neighborhoods where residents can walk, bike, and use BART — and the city should fully protect the base’s spectacular hills and natural areas.”

The Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord is a collection of dozens of affordable and non-profit housing, interfaith, conservation and labor organizations, including thousands of members in Concord.

Pam Aguilar of the Central Labor Council of Contra Costa County said, “We need to ensure that workers who build homes and businesses on the Concord Naval Weapons Station are able to afford to live and shop at these same places. The opportunity for Living Wage jobs in both the construction of this new site and the jobs that follow is vitally important to this region, as residents look forward to increased employment opportunities with access to both affordable housing and quality open space.”

“We’re here to make sure that community needs don’t take a back seat to developer interests and profit margins,” said Amie Fishman of East Bay Housing Organizations. “Our coalition’s vision is clear on the importance of providing affordable housing opportunities and solutions to homelessness. From Concord’s own housing studies, we know there is a dire need for affordable homes in the City. Together with the other members of this coalition we hope to ensure that those needs are met.” Community members look forward to see these efforts pay off for the people of Concord and the surrounding community.

“Many of my neighbors and others in my church congregation have felt that what is needed in Concord is an open process that helps to ensure that what happens on the land of the Concord Naval Weapons Station will benefit everyone in Concord, and not just a select few,” said Irma Cardenas, a member leader of Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization. “We hope that, in the memory of Michael Chavez, a community advocate who fought hard for issues of open space and for the Monument Corridor community, the City Council keeps the interests of all those involved in mind. With a strong and united community coalition, and a strong platform that touches on all of the major concerns of the community, we can help make Mike’s dream a reality.”

The platform of the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord addresses seven key areas in the re- use of the Concord Naval Weapons Station: Open Space and Natural Resource Protections; Vibrant, Diverse, and Walkable Neighborhoods; Affordable Housing Opportunities and Homelessness Solutions; Quality Jobs For Local Residents; Environmentally Sustainable Development, Green Building and Green Jobs; Full Environmental Clean-Up; and a Strong Community-Driven and Inclusive Process.

Contact: Joel Tena, East Bay Housing Organizations or call 510- 663-3830