East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors unanimously approved the final land use plan for public access improvements and open space preservation at the Park District’s new 2,540-plus-acre Concord Hills Regional Park (working name).
The final land use plan includes a joint visitor center with the National Park Service highlighting the history of the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial and the Diablo Valley, staging areas, and miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking, and nature viewing.
“This is the true culmination of a decades-long community effort,” said Beverly Lane, who has represented Concord on the East Bay Regional Park District Board since 1994. “I’m proud to be part of the Park District and its effort to produce a truly fabulous plan for a new Regional Park in the Diablo Valley.”
“This important land use plan will provide public access, preserve natural habitat, and honor the unique natural and human history of the land,” added Lane.
In July 2019, after a 20+ year community effort, the Park District received possession of 2,216 acres of U.S. Navy property at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. An additional 327 acres will transfer to the District at a later time.
The final land use plan utilizes existing developed areas and buildings to the greatest extent possible. The final approved plan and the associated environmental analysis permanently preserve 95% of the land as open space and protected habitat.
“Turning the former military base into a world-class park will take very many years and millions of dollars to restore and open,” said East Bay Regional Park District General Manager Robert Doyle. “However, thanks to the Park District and community’s efforts, 2,500 plus acres of scenic Diablo Valley landscape is permanently protected.”
Creating a new Regional Park in the Diablo Valley has been a partnership between the Park District, U.S. Navy, National Park Service, City of Concord, and Save Mount Diablo. Public access is expected to come first to the southern portions of the park consisting of 900 acres south of Bailey Road.
The Board will consider the official naming of the new Regional Park at a later time after additional community outreach and engagement.
I’m so happy that the Port Chicago heroes will finally be honored.
So thats 2500 of the almost 13,000 acres? The remainder to develop?
13,000 acres? The whole property is 5,000 acres, with 2,500 for City of Concord and 2,500 for EBRPD.
Inland (5,170 acres) and Tidal (7,630 acres)
Is there a map available for this area?
https://www.ebparks.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=23435
and original webpage
https://www.ebparks.org/about/planning/cnws.htm
So we’ll be able to bicycle into the Port Chicago Memorial? That is so cool!
Make it a redwood forest.
You should take your kids there & let them play in the dirt & dig thru the soil.
It’s from the military so it’s gotta be rich with contaminants even after their “superfund” cleanup.
yeah it will never be clean enough
i feel bad for those who ultimately do live there as birth defects and among other things will be prevalent after 15 years
no amount of cleaning can be done to the satisfaction of safely living amongst the corrupt city council and their leniency for poor track record contractors that have previously had issues with this type of terrain and dirt …resulting in substandard and underhanded disposal of said contaminated dirt ….ultimately placing the job of total clean up on the tax payers of the area ……
democrats dont care if you get deformities of children after they get their money
they will be able to retire far away from the area and leave us to burn ….
i still dont know why so much trust is given to these crooks of a council when several ….several discrepancies of ethics and common sense elude them and contaminate their decisions all based to benefit them at the cost to us all ………
when they have absolute power …..the rule absolutely
and take what they want or distribute it to family members business or business friends for the kickback ….
follow the money …..it always leads to corruption of elected public officials …….
Given the the state of corruption from local and state politicians it won’t take long for this world class park as they say to become a homeless encampment full of drugs, lawlessness and illegal aliens. Just so you know where your tax dollars will be spent.
Why do projects take half a century in California? I’m fully expecting this park not to be open until 2035. We don’t have accountable government decisions, just slow and sclerotic ones.