Currently all of you who have shorter (older) drive ways will not be able to comply with the 5′ set back from the sidewalk and thus would not even be able to get ‘grandfathered’ in.

However you can technically comply with the regulations while at the same time displaying your displeasure with the code until such time as we can get a new City regulations or City Council, by taking an Easy Does It approach to your driveway. As many of the older folks with campers also tend to not use their garages for car parking you could take the approach of parking parallel to the garage instead of facing in. This will give the shorter driveways the 5 foot clearance.

Remember that the new regulations also apply to pick up trucks with campers/shells.
Above see an example of a sized vehicle that does not fit straight in but does by going parallel.

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. Members include Arc Ecology, Carpenters Local Union 152, Central Labor Council of Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization, CNWS Neighborhood Alliance, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, East Bay Housing Organizations, Friends of Mt. Diablo Creek, Greenbelt Alliance, Habitat for Humanity East Bay, Lutheran Social Services, Mount Diablo Audubon Society, Public Advocates, Inc., Resource for Community Development, Save Mount Diablo, Sierra Club, and the Transportation and Land Use Coalition.

“We work with a number of advocacy groups including the CNWS Neighborhood Alliance as well as a number of other diverse groups in coalition and it has been a great experience,” said Joel Tena, who is organizing the group’s presence at the the upcoming CAC. EBHO and the Coalition
say they are guided by the principles articulated its Coalition platform document.

Asked if there is a particular plan of the seven plans already developed for consideration by the CAC, Tena said, “We see an eventual amalgamation of the various alternatives and will be advocating for our principles to be included in that amalgamation- 45% affordable housing, 80% open space (with no development east of the creek), walkable neighborhoods, living wages for workers, etc.”

Expressing concerns over the process, Tena says, “We feel that to have community members in the loop as much as possible, information needs to be disseminated in a timely and useable manner. At times it has been difficult to navigate the City’s website, there have been many times when we have received materials for meetings at, what we feel, is the last minute, and there have been times when we feel we have been given latest minute notice of meeting times and or their cancellations. That is challenging to our advocacy and community organizing efforts.”

Contact the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord by calling Joel Tena (East Bay Housing Organizations) at 510.663.3830 or via email at Joel@EBHO.org.

So as NOT to disappoint, here are Mark’s own TOP TEN REASONS YOU SHOULD SPEND THE BEGINNING OF SPRING WITH MARK PETERSON:

10. We can celebrate the 49ers’ and the Raiders’ perfect record.
9. Let’s talk about Obama, Chelsea’s mama, and finding Osama.
8. Springtime is the best time to focus on how many workers it takes to fix Ygnacio Valley Road.
7. Gives us a chance to discuss what’s not happening at the Concord Naval Weapons Station.
6. The grass is growing, flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and politicians are raising money. It’s called the “circle of life.”
5. We need to record everyone’s progress in Mayor Bill Shinn’s 100 Drinks Club – his version of my 100 Miles Club.
4. It’s that time of year to help Mark Peterson plan how he is going to pay for prom dresses for three daughters. (Please do not mention the prospect of three weddings.)
3. We can finally celebrate a year of snow in the mountains and a reason to take a vacation day.
2. Spring cleaning includes “cleaning out” our checkbooks to attend fundraising events.

And the #1 Reason….(drumroll)
1. Springtime allergies and spending time with Mark Peterson just seem to go together.