By a one-vote margin, the Pittsburg Planning Commission on Tuesday night approved a 1,500-home project proposed for the hills in the southern portion of the city.
The project’s fate now moves into the hands of the City Council.
“This is a real big deal,” planning commissioner Christopher Moreno said during the meeting.
After hours of public comments and some technical interruptions, the seven-member commission passed the Faria/Southwest Hills proposal just before midnight.
The massive project is opposed by environmental groups, citizen activists and some local government agencies, including the city of Concord and the East Bay Regional Park District. It would include single-family homes on 341 acres, with another 265 acres set aside as open space.
The subject of a 2005 city ballot measure that passed by less than 400 votes, the project is being proposed by the Seeno Construction group under its Altec Homes subsidiary. CEO Alfred Seeno III attended the virtual meeting and spoke in support of the project.
Seeno Construction and Discovery Homes and their founder, Alfred Seeno Sr., have a long history of construction and political influence in Pittsburg.
A major subject of complaints during the meeting was the release just 11 days ago of a 487-page environmental impact study of the project.
Many commenters also complained about the paucity of details on the development. Although the project’s documents mapped out the location of residential areas and open space, no details on home construction or park or school locations have yet been sketched out by the company.
Several commissioners and scores of members of the public comments focused on the traffic impacts of the project.
The San Marco entrance to state Highway 4 is backed up daily and the West Leland Road corridor is also clogged mornings and evenings.
During the meeting, Seeno noted that his company will pay impact fees required by law but can’t be held directly responsible for building more roads or schools.
“You should be talking to the politicians who are responsible for that,” he said.
Commissioner Wolfgang Croskey called complaints from Concord “true redlining.”
Neighboring Concord is also planning up to 13,000 homes at the site of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, which lies just south of the Faria project, while the park district is developing a new 2,700-acre regional park at the Concord site.
Seeno and his project coordinator noted the latest version of their proposal increases open space to 43 percent of the property and concentrates the housing in valleys while preserving the ridgelines.
Concord city officials and the parks district filed formal complaints about the project’s environmental impact report. Local environmental groups including Save Mount Diablo and Save Pittsburg Hills have also opposed the project.
photo credit: Save Pittsburg Hills – Aerial photo shows the hills proposed for the Faria development in south Pittsburg.
How hideous. But what a beautiful photograph.
When does it go to the city council for a vote?
P
You do realize it’s Pittsburg so Concord city council has no say. And considering Seeno OWNS the Pittsburg council it will be an easy go from them
That’s a lot of cars on those subpar roads.
Seeno owns most of the politicians in this area so what a surprise. He does not care about environmental issues, just look at his history of distorting it. How many times has he & his business been investigated! Buyer beware
Seeno owns the politicians in Pittsburg, he will do whatever he wants. Someone from that company is always in legal trouble.
ConcordDad
You’ve got that write along with owning most of the BoS. It’s a done deal
I think there are going to be some problems here. Something doesn’t smell right to me.
I saw an endangered frog in that same area. This needs several years of investigation.
Seeno doesn’t care about wildlife, environment or public comment. They will come in overnight level everything pay their BS fines and complete the project make a huge profit. Then close out the company they form for this project and walk away from all the problems they create.
ConcordRes2 is correct. Seeno already leveled part of the hills a few years ago. They will continue to harm the environment. Fines do not matter to them.
Mutts, it’s no problem for Seeno, he will just fill the frog pond with cement. If I recall correctly that was how Seeno took care of the endangered frogs last time.
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That sux …
Oh, how will this monster pass EIR? Also, what is the mittagation measures for waste, gray water and emergency access. To me this seems like a horrible and rushed framework of a plan. But what do I know…I’m jobless and these people won’t hire me because I don’t speak Spanish.
Funny how there are all these people who “don’t get hired because they don’t speak Spanish” and myself and my bilingual white-passing colleagues don’t write on our resumes and never mention that we *can* and we get hired for all sorts of stuff. Sounds like you’re using “reverse racism” as a scapegoat for your shortcomings.
dems never let an opportunity to make a tax go
For me, the preservation of the ridge line is an important factor. It’s still there, supposedly, but don’t turn your back on Seeno for a minute!
Antler
As you know Seeno + Pittsburg council = done deal
Good one Well Folks!
I agree with you on that point…. hence my warning.
But ridge line protection I think is a solid, established proviso dating from the time the decision was made to protect the Mt. Diablo ridgelines (including those on Mt. Zion and other significant foothills such as the ones rising up behind Pine Hollow Rd., etc.).
Maybe someone from City will check this for us?
Were is the water going to come from to supply all these homes and parks?
One of the problems with building all these homes is can the current infrastructure handle the increased usage?
Will the tax revenues from the homes cover the additional infrastructure expenses or will new taxes be required?
the dems will never spend the money on infrastructure, they’ll pocket it or give it to their friends then panic when something happens and demand the feds pay for it.
The water will come from low-flush toilets.
Everyone stop watering your lawns and bathing as we need to make available water for 1500 new lawns. Just stupid….
This is California. Growing grass is okay, but lawns are frowned upon.
Stop this crazy idea! This will put considerable more traffic on Ygnacio Valley Road which is usually choked the way it is, pre-covid at any rate.
This is a great opportunity to generate money and housing. This is what concord needs to do. West Pittsburg/gun point is nicer then concord. Wait till shore acres is gentrified and they clean up the shoreline. This is how a functional community fixes its tax needs. You have to bring in the money from industry not tax the people to death
“Wait till shore acres (are) gentrified and they clean up the shoreline”
I’ve been waiting for 25 years for that to happen and it’s going to be a loooonnnnngggg wait for Pittsburg/Bay Point to change.
Someone please explain to me. If the outline shows the city limits of Pittsburg, and the planned project is outside of those city limits, just how can they approve building there?
Pittsburg will annex land currently in unincorporated Contra Costa County. The Seeno “Family” will pass out ‘happy meals’ and ‘donations’ as usual. They will cut corners and destroy endangered species habitat because the fines are cheaper than obeying the law.
LOL, Concord is pissed…Hey, that’s going to be our land to build on. You’re too close! We don’t want any competition! The audacity of Pittsburg to build their project right up to the city lines, how outrageous!
No matter who builds what, that busy area is going to be screwed up even more.
No, you are wrong. This land was never considered to be built on by the city of Concord. The controversy is in regards to the Concord Hills Park, which the city of Concord and the East Bay Regional Parks District have been collaborating on. It’s not really a camping experience, if there’s a housing development next to your tent, and the sound of cars in the background. These homes will increase traffic through Concord Hills Park, as people use the hills as a shortcut to get around freeway traffic.
Aside from the impact these houses will have on the enjoyment of new Regional Park, these houses in the hills will be in a high fire risk area.
Concord is not pissed. Concord knew this was coming back in 2005. People who were paying attention knew that Seeno already owned the land.
High fire AND earthquake risk! The Mt. Diablo fault line runs right thru this whole area. Do realtors have to disclose that?
All this building needs to stop. Besides the extra congestion it will cause. Where is all that extra water going to come from? We are already past what this area can safely support. Plus electricity to supply all of those houses. At some point and I’d pray this would be it, all this extra building needs to be curbed. This area can’t handle anymore. And add in the extra pollution from all those cars setting in traffic as they slowly try and creep to work
Look out, here it cones!
It’s Trumps fault !
Ohh maybe they can add a Soccer Stadium …
Navy–please take back the property and bring back the ELKS!
Let it Be, and bring back the Elks and the Elks lodge too.
I agree!!! Bring back the elk and forget the houses!!!!
This is the last thing we need, more freaking unaffordable housing and more traffic. Leave the hills alone. Gross.
Awesome even more people to clog up Hwy 4. Even better more people to come over to concord/phill/mtz/walnut creek with their crime.
“The massive project is opposed by environmental groups, citizen activists and some local government agencies, including the city of Concord and the East Bay Regional Park District.”
Hmm…aren’t the environmental activists, citizen activists, and local gov’t agencies typically in lockstep with the Democrats who support open borders to allow illegals to pour into this country/state? Don’t you think all those people will need housing, schools, water, jobs, electricity, roads, etc. etc??? They gotta live somewhere…driving up housing demand further.
You get what you vote for. While I am not a Seeno fan, I wouldn’t blame him as there’s plenty of blame to go around as just previously mentioned.
Developers and politicians will not be stopped until every square inch of this state is either a house or a Starbucks.
This is correct. Seeno is not required to build schools, Firehouses or additional roads but the contract will require 1 Starbucks for every 100 houses. Gotta have priorities when planning these things. By the way, better get an independent geology report. Those hills are not very stable and I’m sure the new residents will enjoy inhaling the wafting odors of the Keller Canyon Landfill.
California is one of the most fertile states. So, of course our politicians want to cover it with cement. Fools, this is where we grow the FOOD!
Food is not grown in the hills of Pittsburg. Unless that’s your cow on the hill. Seeno doesn’t build schools they build homes. The city can require land set aside for a school and fire department. I’m sure they do require it. The city has to build them with all that sweet sales tax.
“Seeno doesn’t build schools they build homes.” Good but insufficient start. Actually, Seeno does not build homes, they make money. They do not care about the product, they are there to make money. And when they make money, we lose because much of the cost is dumped on us: traffic congestion, increased fire and police, schools, utilities, smog, and so on. When you make money, it does not cost us. When Seeno makes money, it does cost us. Clear?
People have to live somewhere. Seeno builds homes. If your city doesn’t make a good deal for the people of the city, that’s not Seenos fault…Is it? Why wouldn’t the local leaders be on the hook for selling you out? Those hills were never to be developed..so what happened? Seeno will take the best deal it can get. That is clear. If you’re accusing someone of corruption, you may have something but I just hear a bunch of whining without direction
Sam: Upon re-reading my post this morning I think it was poorly written. It was not meant to address you in particular but just pointing out that developers do not bear some of the costs of their development such as traffic congestion. I agree with you on the majority of what you post and thoroughly enjoy you beating up on those with idiotic political opinions.
Don’t worry, be happy! After all, the Seeno “Family” has never been associated with criminal behavior…said no one.
Time for the county to add a mandated “freeway tax” to slow these cookie cutter residential only builders in their tracks. You either A. Create a job center/school/library/learning center, etc. to remove tax, B. Pay the tax which goes directly to county for only transportation projects, or C. Are only allowed to build under 50 homes in that designated area for 10 years and pay increased rate.
BFF Out!
@Dan
You mean the proud owners of new homes are required to pay the fees? Seenos have to pay the exactions upfront, but they aren’t nearly as charitable as forking out 20-30K per home and not recouping the costs at sale.
This is why the CNWS Neighborhood Alliance attended Farmers Markets and preached about saving open space on the Concord Naval Weapons Station for 15 years! The majority of the public thought this was all open space, not already owned by a developer. We knew Seeno already owned this land. Thankfully East Bay Regional Parks is in on the CNWS. Now Seeno should do all residents of both cities a favor and donate a portion of the ridge line to EBRP.
Time for Concord to add a toll on Bailey Road and Kirker Pass Road
That’s what they do in communist china. Be better then that.
A community that cared about its environment would have made this entire area open space.
It’ll be a very sad day when our green/golden hills begin their descent into the wall to wall carpeting of suburban sprawl. Nothing will hold it back. The only visual evidence of what was will be Seeno Hill, which (aside from the eyesore on top) will be the only relatively undeveloped topography.
I, for one, am excited and delighted to have more neighbors that I will not be talking to, but I’m sure they will be happy to be here.
Will Bailey Road be Improved as a part of the development?
Great. More traffic from people going out that way. That selfishly cut through all the Concord streets.
Based on the outline of the ‘project’ I would guess there will be two access roads into the development. One from the Baily Road outside of Concord and the other from San Marco Blvd. I can’t imagine a new road would be built by Concord through the old Naval Weapons Depot.
Start building and create infrastructure at the same time. Geez, Gavin is tossing around money on everything else. Subway underneath Ygnacio Valley. Hwy 4 as a double deck freeway. Get progressive!!!
I know, it’s useless. The govt. is broken, any development takes 3 environmental reports followed by 3-10 years of lawsuits. No wonder the housing shortage has existed for 10 years and nothing has been done to prevent it from growing. Should just make procreation illegal for 10 years.
This should be a wake-up call to City of Concord leadership. They have been screwing around with the NWS property since at least 2002 and have not accomplished anything Not even one single tablespoon of contaminated earth has been turned over. there due to gross mismanagement of a once-in-a-lifetime land use opportunity. I blame the constantly rotating City Council and pretend Mayor. No leadership, no accountability of public funds = no forward movement. Bring back the Elk and forever open space. Demand elected official accountability.
So assuming concord builds theirs also, that’s 14,500 more dwellings. An we’re supposed to believe existing freeways and connector infrastructure is going to somehow magically handle additional traffic ? ? ? An why aren’t builders responsible for providing schools and road improvements ?
Did they have to approve 487 page environmental impact study, “to see what was in it” ? ?
Sounds like city council may have bought into the Ponsi like Scheme of more houses equals more tax money. Here’s the rub, IF a city council is STUPID enough to allow postage stamp sized parcels along with smaller square footage homes, as a way to provide “affordable pricing” a city ends up with no cushion.
Cushion in this case refers to tax revenue per parcel and cost of city services which a city must provide. Cost of those city services is at a usually rising cost due to cost of labor and benefits. Cities with larger homes and larger lots have a larger cushion.
In an economic downturn a city east of Pittsburg with small cushion end up laying off Police officers.
Citizens in all cities need to be vigilant, especially when unelected bureaucrats are able to sway city councils.
Hint, Summer jobs . . . wait for it . . .
‘Alfred’ Seeno III, lol.
1,500 homes? Not that big of a deal. The real problem will be when 13,000 homes are built at the former Concord Naval Weapon’s Station. Let’s hope that project never happens…
1500 homes to be built? How many jobs will that create? How many people are out of work right now because they will not take a job that pays less. It’s still a job. This project will be good for the local economy. And it will pay a good wage. How many people out of work are looking for work that are sitting at home right now? Probably not many. Just sitting there thinking poor me. It’s funny to see all of the Seeno bashing. I have known them since the 80’s and they have never done me wrong.
I know of an entire street full of families they done wrong to the tune of about 12 grand + each after they graded the adjacent property for development. Afterwards not only did they replace their property line fences with sub-par materials, but they now have deteriorated retaining walls to reconstruct where none existed, they were always level with the surrounding soil before.
Seeno houses are trash, the minimum viable product to reach code; but this will be the closest housing development to the range. We can be certain that the idiots who buy the trash developed here, will work tirelessly to shut down one of the last great ranges in the bay area.
Could this be an AGENDA 21 setup?
Of course it is. Everything going on in the world is.
FNP -forget peaceful I day Burn It Down!!!!!
I oppose this project. We need more open space. We need to stop developing on wide open wildlife habitat just because its easy and there are higher profits. All the reasons why developing the CNWS land apply here. This is priceless treasure in our backyard. We should be developing hiking trails and maybe some better-access fire roads at the most.
Those dry treeless ugly hills don’t support nature or wildlife. (Jack rabbits and lizards aside) The navy base has been used and abused for years. That’s why they have to clean it up. Nobody will clean up the mess for free. Some of you just complain but never try to figure out how things actually happen. It a lazy approach to world problems.
They are naturally dry in the summer, but teeming with life year round. Many species live out there. The CNWS getting cleaned up now, for free, by natural processes. Why not leave it that way.? It an amazing open space we already have. Why would we let a few people destroy it to make money?
Sam currently most of us are surrounded by black lava asphalt and polluting machines THAT abound. What do you know about cleanliness or godliness for that matter.?
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We don’t need any more housing developments in Contra Costa, especially in our precious hills! Our infrastructure can not even handle the populations we have now. Especially if Covid-19 becomes our new future, people are afraid to take BART now, and our roads from Pittsburg to the freeways will never handle the additional traffic if we keep building. Our local water supply is another huge concern, especially in regards to climate change and future droughts. If the Pittsburg Mafia finds it necessary to build more homes to increase their tax base, then do it in the lowlands where Seeno already owns many large properties! Pittsburg should try defunding their police first to create more revenue, rather than destroy our beautiful hillsides!