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The re-use of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) presents Concord and the surrounding region with a momentous opportunity to create a world class project that represents the vision and values of the community. The planning and design process can address the needs of Concord residents and fulfill priorities for open space, affordable housing, quality jobs, vibrant neighborhoods, and environmentally sustainable development. Given the broad impacts, it is critical for the benefits of the base re-use to be shared by the public throughout the city and region. The Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord * (CCSC) forwards the following comprehensive vision to preserve open space and the environment; cluster sustainable, affordable development around the BART station and other transit centers; and promote inclusiveness and a high quality of life for all:
- Open Space and Natural Resource Protections
Preserve 80% of the CNWS land as open space and park, including the entire area east of Mount Diablo creek. Create a new public regional park for hiking, biking and equestrians and preserve endangered species habitat. Protect wildlife corridors, and designate a 300-foot creek buffer for restoration. Prevent any new roads east of Mount Diablo creek. Promote environmental education to complement the protection of sensitive resources.
Develop a linear park along the western boundary to buffer existing neighborhoods, bring together older and newer neighborhoods, and benefit all of the region’s residents with sites for active recreation, sports fields, museums, and other amenities. Have trails and wildlife corridors connect to pocket parks, playgrounds, the regional park, and regional trails and bikeways -- ensuring that all of Concord benefits and that the area doesn’t become “New” Concord at the expense of downtown and other existing parts of the city.
- Vibrant, Diverse, and Walkable Neighborhoods
Increase Concord’s quality of life and best use the valuable CNWS resource by creating walkable neighborhoods well-served by public transportation. Meet the diverse needs of families, seniors and singles with a mix of jobs, shops, and homes serving a range of incomes. Cluster retail, office space and affordable housing particularly around the North Concord BART station. Develop in a way that allows workers and residents to commute and do errands near their homes without a car, greatly reducing traffic congestion.
Create compact “villages” in areas farther from BART, making it possible to provide frequent bus service. With trails and bike lanes, enable residents to get around easily without driving which is especially important for children and others without cars. Include community amenities and services such as parks, schools, health clinics, libraries, cultural and community centers, historic sites, and small businesses, adding to community vibrancy. Minimize the use of land for parking through effective policies and design.
- Affordable Homes and Homelessness Solutions
Respond to the critical housing needs of Concord residents by dedicating at least 45% of housing developed at the CNWS site as affordable and/or devoting 250 acres (less than 5% of the land) to permanently affordable housing. These affordable housing opportunities would serve a range of families, such as a family of four earning $84,000 annually to the lowest income families, and be a mix of rental and ownership opportunities and types. Concentrate the affordable housing near transportation, jobs, services, and other amenities. Ensure its development by non-profit housing development organizations because of their firm commitment to creating and maintaining high quality permanently affordable housing with attractive neighborhood-oriented architecture, green design, and community services.
The City of Concord’s 2007 homelessness report estimates that there are over 600 homeless people in Concord at any given time and over 3,000 very low income households at high risk of becoming homeless. Further the goal of ending homelessness in the area and fulfill federal requirements for homeless accommodation at the CNWS. Provide effective and compassionate solutions, including permanent housing with services for adults, youth, seniors, veterans, and families that are homeless and at-risk. Developed by non-profit developers and service providers, this housing can be integrated into the community with, for example, 10-20% of units in a residential building designated for homeless households.
- Quality Jobs For Local Residents
Create a mix of good jobs that pay family-supporting wages with benefits throughout all phases of the redevelopment of the CNWS, both during construction and after completion. In 2005 family-supporting hourly wages were $13.41 for a single adult, $30.27 for a single parent, $22.56 for a two-parent family with one parent working, and $17.00 for a two-working-parent family in the Bay Area [2005 California Budget Project report].
Target construction and new permanent jobs towards local residents, with a high percentage designated for residents of Concord. Leverage this opportunity to prepare local youth and other residents for careers in emerging technologies, construction and green building. Create a range of permanent jobs that are attractive and available to local residents of diverse occupational categories.
- Environmentally Sustainable Development, Green Building and Green Jobs
Model the latest in green design, clean technology, energy efficiency, the use of recycled and reused materials, water and land conservation, renewable energy, and waste reduction. Savings from reduced infrastructure costs and efficient resource and energy usage could be used to benefit Concord by supporting open space and affordable housing priorities.
Incorporate the highest green building standards into the development at the CNWS. Incentives for developing the CNWS, such as deferred local taxes and expedited permitting could support building green and green businesses. With State and Federal funding programs, encourage green businesses, green building and job training, and partnerships with local community colleges, workforce training facilities, and green businesses facilitated. A well-trained and highly skilled local workforce that has learned the latest curriculum and received hands-on training during the preparation, construction and operations phases of the CNWS is a priority outcome.
- Full Environmental Clean-Up
The CNWS is a military Superfund facility harboring contaminated waste products ranging from household garbage to explosives and other toxic materials. Although the worst pollution identified is in the Tidal Area that the military will retain, if the experiences in other base conversions is any indication, problems elsewhere may have been missed or overlooked. Coordinate planning for housing, jobs, recreation, and habitat with the clean-up of the entire facility.
Ensure informed public participation in the environmental remediation process. It will contribute directly to decisions that fully protect the health of Concord residents, workers, and visitors in present and future generations. Provide technical assistance the community trusts to monitor the clean up and ensure its consistency with reuse plans.
- Strong Community-Driven and Inclusive Process
Fulfill community needs and reflect collective aspirations through a community-based and community-driven planning and decision-making process that is transparent, inclusive, welcoming, multi-lingual, and representative of the community’s diversity. Publicize and translate all public meetings and information into appropriate languages. Engage constituents that have not traditionally participated in the planning sessions, such as immigrants, people of color, low-income residents, and youth, through presentations by the Citizen’s Advisory Committee and the City of Concord.
Incorporate into the community-based planning process an additional in-depth focus on the half-mile radius of the North Concord BART station, the area north of Highway 4, any planned transit villages, and the area between Willow Pass Road and Bailey Road. Continue the planning throughout the entire implementation phase so that the community has a say in the final design of the projects.
* 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.