A proposed six-story, 284-unit apartment building just north of the Pleasant Hill-Contra Costa Centre BART station was approved Tuesday by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
In voting unanimously to reject two appeals of the project by citizen groups and to approve various aspects of the Del Hombre Apartments project, the Board of Supervisors said high-density housing is needed.
“If there is a place to build a high-density project, it’s right near a BART station,” Supervisor Candace Andersen said.
The Del Hombre project, proposed by the Houston-based Hanover Company, will be built on a 2.4-acre parcel on Del Hombre Lane between Roble Road and Honey Trail just northeast of the BART station. The property is in
unincorporated part of the county just outside the borders of both Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill.
The two appeals to the project were filed in June, contending the apartment project would cause traffic problems, would be an anti-environmental development, doesn’t include enough parking, would tax water resources and would result in too many trees (161) being taken out, among other perceived shortcomings.
Michael Di Geronimo, an attorney representing the Contra Costa Citizens in Favor of Reasonable Growth, one of the groups to appeal, told the supervisors they don’t mind housing on that site, but that a smaller, more thoroughly considered project of 130 to 140 units would be better.
“There’s almost no public support for this project except from the developer,” Di Geronimo told the supervisors. “Don’t force us to file a lawsuit to make changes to this project.”
But the supervisors unanimously agreed that this land about 500 feet from the BART station is exactly the right place for such a project.
Supervisor Karen Mitchoff denied allegations that a vote to approve the project was a done deal either this week or at any stage in the planning process.
These “supervisors” really insult our intelligence. They think we really believe their BS. We will remember come voting time !
dense housing is perfect for COVID hotspots
Squeeze in 284 units on to a 2.4 acre lot. All the while not making any new reservoir’s for additional water, roads are the same and schools are out dated. LAME!
tomato – I don’t think kids will be a problem because most of the tenants will be Millennials who have few kids. Statistics show that the birth rate in the U.S. for white Americans is below the 2.1 needed to sustain the population. However, the Hispanic population traditionally have large families so the general population IS expanding.
As for water, it depends if they get EBMUD or CCWD. CCWD has been talking about raising Los Vaqueros again, but they again will ask for another surcharge to our water bills.
SO True!
More housing!!!!!! There’s to many people in this city and near by. To much traffic already! Money grubbers.
Gheeze
Well now “High Density Housing is needed” or is it needed to continue with their “transit villages” Utopian fantasy, conceived back in the late 1980s ? ?
An here we are in a pandemic and they’re telling us to social distance. Our senior citizens in high density environments are being hit the hardest.
So which is it ?
If anything, pandemic has taught us not everyone needs to leave home to keep many businesses functioning.
@Original G,
Your comments are spot on—high density living will be unpalatable after this pandemic as will traveling on bart. Board of Supervisors need to halt their travel on this Plan Bay Area ‘visionary’ road until the Covid-19 dust settles as we will have many office buildings, malls and hotels available to house people. ABAG, MTC and cities need to press pause…
If I was working in the city I wouldn’t mind living within walking distance to BART.
This is great news; Creates construction jobs, property management jobs, maintenance, accounting and more! Thank you
……and all these people who move in will be required to take Bart?? what a joke, that section of fwy and treat Blvd is a mess.
These supervisors don’t take into account anyone’s opinion but their own.
“There is almost no public support for this project except from the developer.” So, of course, the Supervisors approved it. Kickbacks, anyone? So who are they putting into this building? Homeless or illegals?
Left side of their mouth:
Social distancing!
Close the churches!
Close businesses!
Close parks and recreation!
Stay home!
Close EVERYTHING!
Right side of their mouth:
Nose-to-nose protests are okay!
Riots are free speech and a form of reparations!
High-density housing and public transportation are great even though there is proof suburbs have done better due to low-density housing and the fact people commute by automobile.
I have no trust in our politicians nor our public health “experts.”
Agreed 100%
All they see are dollar signs ($$$,$$$,$$$) in new tax revenue that they need since they issued shelter in place they are not getting as much tax revenue, expect lots more of this!!!!
Inner City aura….pack as much as you can on a postage stamp lot for the type of development,. i.e. 284 units for 2.4 acres. “High Density” means more rent for minimal space, not providing housing for low to middle income, providing housing for upper middle class who still can’t afford a house in the area. It’s a concrete jungle.
Bring more and more people into the area don’t improve the roads let crime run rampant I think that’s a really good plan you guys are top notch maybe you should vote yourselves a raise cuz you’re such smart people 😂 it’s obvious Democrats have their own agenda. They don’t give a damn what the citizens want that is of no concern to them
Interesting that apartments proposed by Avalon in the vacant lot on Galindo (near BART) was rejected not too long ago but here in an already way overcrowded area was approved.
Remember to register to vote! Make your voice heard through the ballot box and vote some of these people out.
Somebody owns the property they want to make money I understand but the city needs to understand we don’t want more traffic or the increase in living costs Associated with increasing the population.
Great, OK, the sups feel that we need more housing. However, do we have the infrastructure and natural resources to support the additional housing/population?
Hilarious!
What a bunch of BS. These idiots don’t even have try to hide their bad management any more. Need for high density housing? Why what about all the empty homes and apartments? This is all greed, progressive left leaning greed. What the poll here on having sufficient water? Poor roads? How much is the body getting paid by the developers to rubber stamp this? GD each and everyone of you.
The Cherry Lane neighborhood is full of NIMBYs.
How many square feet would each apartment be?
@Lambie… They would be about the same size as the new jail cells at Martinez Detention Facility.
Not me. I’m all for high density near BART. Had enough of Orinda NIMBYS too.
More housing!!!!!! There’s to many people in this city and near by. To much traffic already! Money grubbers.
Hilarious! !
What a bunch of BS. These idiots don’t even have try to hide their bad management any more. Need for high density housing? Why what about all the empty homes and apartments? This is all greed, progressive left leaning greed. What the poll here on having sufficient water? Poor roads? How much is the body getting paid by the developers to rubber stamp this? GD each and everyone of you.
Better get used to dense housing adjacent to transit centers as this is what the state wants.Direct your anger at Scott Weiner (state senate)
who wants to take over zoning in municipalities so there will be projects
like this at any transit hub.
The war on the suburbs is alive and well in Sacramento.
People don’t come to the east bay for high density housing. They come here to get away from it.