In order to get a wetlands permit needed for development of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station to move ahead, the City of Concord will investigate the source of water unexpectedly found near the one-time airfield north of Willow Pass Road.
The Concord City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move $12,000 of previously approved loan money to aid in the study of where water is coming from on that land, located east of Olivera Road near the Pixieland Amusement Park.
City officials suspect the source of the water may be an underground spring. The total cost of this “spring investigation,” as a city report terms it, will be a maximum of $262,000.
Guy Bjerke, Concord’s director of community reuse planning, said issues with that water need to be cleared up before the city can get that wetlands permit, which in turn is necessary for any future development to be done on that land.
“We need this investigation completed as part of that process,” Bjerke told the council.
The city is still looking for a new master developer for the naval weapons station reuse project, which would create a whole new community covering 2,300 acres, including 13,000 housing units, millions of square footage of commercial space and other amenities. Lennar Five Point, which had been chosen in 2016 as the reuse project’s master developer, pulled out in March 2020 after negotiations with area labor unions lagged.
One local activist, George Fulmore, urged the council not only to not pay for the spring investigation, but to abandon the $6 billion weapons station reuse project altogether after 14 years.
“I think most in Concord have lost all interest in the naval weapons station project,” Fulmore told the council Tuesday night. “It’s no longer thought by almost anybody that there’s a pot of gold over there.”
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Councilwoman Laura Hoffmeister said.
Leave the CNWS to nature. We don’t need more people in Concord.
Amen.
Bring back the Tule Elk.
If it is a natural Spring, that’s great news. That water source can be used to provide much needed water for that area. Building homes in that area would be a benefit to the growing demand for homes in Conta Costa County. The parks and trails will add to overall positive growth for the community. It was the intent of the U.S.Government to have the former Weapons Station turned into famuly homes, parks and trails for all to enjoy. For the NIMBY crowd that voice their concern over added vehicles and congestion, remember more folks are working at home. The added tax revenues will help to balance our city budget not to mention boost spending for small businesses that are desperately needed.
Was originally to be used for open space and parks after it closed. Population has gone up nearly 10,000 since 1999 in Concord. This area wasn’t built to house this many.
And remember, the plandemic will end and people will be back on the streets driving to work and restraunts (fearfully wearing their little masks).
https://www.concordreuseproject.org/149/History-of-the-Concord-Naval-Weapons-Sta
@Chris, so you work for the city? Building contractor?
I agree with Chris. We should build some skyscrapers and stuff them with people and fiber optic cables for super fast internet and watch the money roll in. We could be the profitable version of San Francisco.
It came from the rain.
I wish this project would die. It all about money and not quality of life. It will make this area a living hell with traffic no matter how they spin it. Also where is all the energy and water going to magically come from.
From the Green Energy projects that our President is sponsoring and we will built with all the oil refinery workers put out of work in Martinez and Richmond.
Agree. No more traffic, houses or people. Fix/expand WP Road from Landana to Hwy 4. Add a parking lot and make it parkland with trails to walk or bike around.
“pulled out after negotiations with area labor unions lagged”. So…shakedown didn’t work?
ill save you the money
check the canal its more than likely leaking badly
since i have not seen any maintenance
since demorats dont see maintaining anything as essential
So, the City of Concord wants to pay $262,000 to find a spring on wetlands property, in order to get a permit to build on the land. Why would you want to build on a wetland?
The water doesn’t really come as a surprise. There is water flowing out of the blackberry bramble along Olivera into drainage duct that has been there as long as I can remember. Even in the hot summer there is water flowing there. It comes out of the aquifer that is the 1-2 million year old pleistocene deposits that lay under the Monte Gardens and Dana Estates neighborhoods.
This is yet another reason why it is a terrible idea to develop the CNWS land for human habitation. It would be much better to make 100% into a park. We should install some trails, some barriers, plant natural trees like Oak, which would flourish given the natural ground water there. Has anyone ever asked the Navy to hand over 100% of the land to parks? The Navy gets our tax dollars, hundreds of billions each year. They don’t need to make a profit of a sale of this wild land, natural habitat for Tule Elk, Coyotes, and many other species. Preserving is the best thing we can possibly do with the land.
Please speak up people to protect the land. It only has to be destroyed once and its over for good, forever. Stop the greedy developers who want to monetize this treasure.
@Vandy
Agree with you. When this whole Naval Weapons Station development idea first started we were told by the City that if Concord did not plan the development the Navy would just sell the land off to developers and be done with it. Has anyone at the City recently approached the Navy about their current position?
@Vandy
All true. I agree 100%.
The City has long had problems with high water tables in wet years in an area northwest of Juniper to San Vincente. It raised *ell with the sewer system and some of the pipes had to be slip lined. A co-worker lived on Santa Rita and said that groundwater sometimes rose almost to the surface.
Correct. I grew up nearby. Twenty feet was more than deep enough to furnish unlimited water year round.
Spring investigation with max cost of $262,000 😯. Just get a guy with a dowsing rod and pay him $150.00
Yet another level of liberalism and with a heavy coating of democrats back in power. Let mother nature alone and stop wasting money.
Just let this project go.Most people don’t want to spend our money on it.Get it OUR MONEY not the city council’s.You jerks.
“It’s no longer thought by almost anybody that there’s a pot of gold over there.”
Got that right.
We live off Willow Pass Rd, across and not too far from NWS. We have dug posts for fence(s) in the past, and sometimes have hit water at 4 ft.-6 ft. mark.
Even folks around here digging for putting in wells (water), only have to dig about 20-22 ft. since the water table(s) is high. So, the idea of surface water on the NWS does not surprise me at all.
isnt it funny how dems preach and pound how bad capitalism is
yet they rip off tax money from us daily and have their kids in private schools and have huge homes with staff and expensive cars
what do you get ?????
dem voters can you explain what you get for your dem vote
please we are waiting for the utopian answer to all dem bounties you recieve for your sad devotion to fraud and money laundering
past info says theres an aquafer in that whole area..why spend more money just check out the records
Leave the Weapons Station land s alone. We don’t need more people – Let it go and be natural. This whole project was a massive act of stupidity to begin with
Let’s see, $262,000.00.
Wouldn’t that fund a couple of clerk positions when it comes time for layoffs?
They are worrying about painting the building when the roof is leaking, if you know what I mean.
I can show you some sidewalks that are in need of repair before we investigate a spring that no one is using.
I guess Biden will bail us all out. Ha!
Wait until inflation hits big time. Yes, keep printing more money.
Turn the whole weapons station into a redwood forest. If you would like to see how redwood trees that were planted grow in the area go to Wiget Ln in Walnut Creek a couple of blocks north of Ygnacio Valley Road. They are huge and they look great. What a great place it would be for future generations. Or build houses and in fifty years it will look like crap.
I second that.
I agree with you Ricardoh. Although I suspect Oaks would be more successful in the long run, there is room and water for some redwoods too. Cheers to that idea.
I agree. The space is big enough to plant a redwood grove and an oak grove. With picnic areas bike trails . This space should be preserved as a huge signature parkland.
Vandy
If you get a chance look at the redwood trees I suggested. Conditions for growing are no different than that at weapon’s station. The ones in the Shadelands are fantastic.
There is often tule fog out on the station land where the water is located. This is perfect habitat for redwoods.
Did anyone even look at the old maps and aerial photos of this area? Pretty obvious when you look at them that there was water course that ran diagonally across the property, disrupted when they build the air strip. And even today the map shows a “marsh land” in this area.
Did the earlier environmental work for this area not show that?
Pretty much Duh…..
This is rich, why investigate ? To circumvent Wet Lands regulations
One word to derail them all……….superfund.
You’re looking at a multi-year cleanup project no matter which path you take
It’s definitely a spring. The site was occupied by the Chupcan tribe for around 8000 years until the Spanish showed up. I remember reading that when They built the subdivision off Grenada in the late fifties or so they dumped lots of concrete down one of the Springs to plug it up
Guy Bjerke, Concord’s director of community reuse planning has been milking Concord for quite sometime with nothing to show for it. Time for him to go since there isn’t any planned project scheduled for the weapons station.
It’s an aquifer. 🤚🏼pay me. Use the spring for irrigation of the new development. It’s not drinkable but is great for irritating. 🤚🏼pay me again.
I like the idea of a resort run by Disney but inspired by the BART connection. In one area of the park, we could have urine-town with artificially sticky floors and smell, the sauna ride where ‘guests’ are stuck in boxes with no ventilation and two hundred other ‘guests’ to replicate the BART experience when it rains, nasty town where you have to ask a BART station agent a question, and while Disneyland has Main Street this could have Homeless Tunnel to pick your way past the sleepers. Oh, wait, that already exists at your nearby BART system.
It wants to be open space/parkland.
There’s a spring at https://goo.gl/maps/vs2A8TWjwr3CTFgf7
It’s been there since at least the 1930s with someone adding a ditch to channel the water northwest. I would not call it unexpected or unexplained given all of the central CC valley is close to wetland status. That’s why we had so many farms in the area. When they dig for commercial buildings they often find water and so add pumps to keep the basement area dry. The new Veranda mall between the freeway and Diamond Blvd has water pumps for example.
If you go to Heather Farm park in Walnut Creek you’ll see what looks like a creek that drains into the natural pond/lake. That water comes from underneath the shopping center on the other side of Ygnacio and also from under John Muir hospital.
A couple of years ago we had an earthquake which caused a sulphur spring somewhere under St John Vianney Catholic Church to start releasing a couple of gallons a minute. It’s still releasing water today. This is across Ygancio from John Muir Hospital (WC campus).
My well has water about ten feet down and I live fairly high up.
Park and Shop also has pumps that run constantly because it was built in the marsh that is part of the Ellis lakes spring system.
I observed sulphur spring on Ygnacio Valley Rd back in the fifties.
My dad and I dug a well with a post hole auger in our yard on Orange St. We built a casing from redwood, and bought a pump from Sears in Walnut Creek.
@localguy, I bet no one thought of that. Thank goodness what a mess that would be.
The cheapest way to find it is to ask Nestle, owner of Arrowhead bottled water, to explore the area and develop a branding opportunity for a new “spring water,” to add to Perrier, Poland Springs, Deer Park, etc.
If feasible, “Concord Spring Water, Pixieland Bubbly Water” licensing opportunities could be the “pot of gold” the City is seeking.
Can’t help but suspect the ” investigation ” is a ruse to circumvent wetlands regulations. In any case this is an item we need to keep on the front boiler. I think Mr. Fulmore is on to something. Abandon the current NWS development plan, revisit in ten years.