CNWS – Concord's Opportunity for a Great Urban Regional Park

East Bay Regional Park District Pursues a Public Benefit Conveyance to Establish a Great Urban Regional Park in Concord

EBRPD Notice of Interest for Public Benefit Conveyance
Preliminary Area of Public Benefit Conveyance Request Map
Preliminary Concept Plan Map
Financing a Regional Park and Open Space on the CNWS
Links
Photos

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) wants to partner with the City of Concord, the National Park Service, and appropriate stakeholders to provide a great urban regional park in Concord. The District brings extensive experience in large regional park management which is unparalleled in the country. A significant part of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) should be preserved in open space, including the hills and adjacent land and ample borders on both sides of Mt. Diablo Creek. An education center featuring both natural and cultural information, group picnic and camp grounds could meet the needs of students, Concord's Parks and Recreation Department and the National Park Service's National Historic Sites and Port Chicago Memorial.

EBRPD is interested in receiving title to significant portions of the CNWS open space through the National Park Service conveyance or other base closure processes to create a great urban regional park. As a regional agency, EBRPD can successfully compete for grant funding not available to municipal park agencies.

EBRPD has been successful working with State and Federal agencies to manage diverse wildlife habitat areas. EBRPD's innovative and effective Resource Enhancement Program (REP) established in 1998 has worked with developers resulting in 2,269 acres of acquired and/or restored habitat, over $29 million in funding to acquire, restore and manage open space habitat and over $4 million in land management endowments. REP program principals could apply well to CNWS development. Additionally, EBRPD is an important partner in the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservation Plan.

As the community and City Council considers various alternatives for the CNWS, a great urban regional park with facilities for education, camping and large picnics should be integrated into each alternative. The park could be managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, just as the District manages nearly 100,000 acres today. The traffic impacts would be negligible, the park would be sustainable and non-polluting, and it would provide education and recreation opportunities to existing and future residents. Concord would be known for its world-class park facility and dedication to a high quality of life.

Great Urban Regional Park Use Zones

Conceptually, Concord's great urban regional park could have 3 use zones: 1) Open Space/Habitat/Restoration; 2) Outdoor Education/Interpretation; and 3) Active/Passive Recreation.

1. Open Space/Habitat/Restoration Cistern Pond Wetland Area

The Open Space/Habitat/Restoration category is the zone where the primary focus will be conservation and restoration of natural resources, while accommodating appropriate public access activities such as hiking and nature viewing. These areas are the areas of the majority of sensitive species and habitats as shown in data provided by the City of Concord and the U.S. Navy. The areas are primarily located in the steep hillsides of the Los Medanos Hills, in the southern oak woodlands, and along the Mt. Diablo Creek riparian corridor.

2. Outdoor Education/Interpretation Cistern Historical Building

The Outdoor Education/Interpretation category would be the zone where the primary focus would be environmental education and interpretation of the area's cultural and social history, including military history. Two areas would be considered as potentially appropriate for education and interpretation uses. The first area would be proposed in the central portion of the site, on the north side of Bailey Road. This area would be the primary area of environmental education and could support such uses as an environmental education center, a youth camp, native plant gardens, and interpretation with protected resource zones established as necessary. The second area would be considered towards the north end of the project site, near Highway 4 in an area that provides panoramic views of the Diablo Valley region from Las Trampas Ridge to Suisun Bay. This area would potentially be a multi-agency historical interpretation center and collaboration between the East Bay Regional Park District, National Park Service, City of Concord, Friends of Port Chicago, Concord Historical Society, Contra Costa Veterans Foundation, and others providing information on the site's military history, an expanded National Park Service Port Chicago Memorial, and interpretation of the history of the Diablo Valley region.

3. Active/Passive Recreation Poppys on the CNWS

The Active/Passive Recreation category is the zone of primary human activity. The Active Recreation component would consist of a large regional sports field site to be operated by the City of Concord or other entity as appropriate. The Passive Recreation component would consist of more "traditional" Regional Park uses such as archery range, campground, large group picnic sites, equestrian staging, remote control airplane field, and other public and quasi-public uses to be determined. The Active Recreation sports field component is envisioned for the bunker area located on the east side of the creek. This area has ready access from Highway 4 and Willow Pass Road and limited resource constraints. The Passive Recreation area consists of the flatlands and gentle slopes in the central portion of the site. Similarly, these areas are less sensitive in terms of natural and cultural resources than lands within the Open Space/Habitat/Restoration zone and are traversed by existing roads and rail lines providing access throughout the area. Additionally, a Passive Recreation area is proposed within the bunker area of the southern portion, south of Bailey Road. The area is traversed by existing roads and rail lines with scattered bunkers. The area would provide for hiking and biking along paved paths and picnicking within sites currently developed as bunkers.

Other Uses

Mt. Diablo Creek Riparian Area

The primary focus within the Mt. Diablo Creek Riparian Area would be conservation and restoration, while providing for compatible public access through a creekside trail.

Trails

North-South trails are envisioned along the Los Medanos Hills ridgeline and along Mt. Diablo Creek. Loop trails would be provided through the southern area south of Bailey Road and within the central portion of the site connecting various uses. Other trail concepts currently envisioned include east-west neighborhood connector trails, extension of the Contra Costa Canal trail along the canal through the CNWS site, the Contra Costa Canal to Delta DeAnza Trail along Willow Pass Road, and a ridgeview trail along the lower lying hills from the North Concord BART station to the southeast. Potential future connections would be made into potential adjacent developments in the City of Pittsburg to the east and towards Mt. Diablo State Park to the south.

EBRPD Notice of Interest for Public Benefit Conveyance

Download EBRPD Notice of Interest for Public Benefit Conveyance (PDF, 18 pages, 474 kb)

Preliminary Area of Public Benefit Conveyance Request Map

Download full size map in PDF format (1 page, 3 MB). Click image to enlarge. (Note: Active content and JavaScript must be enabled in your web browser)

Preliminary Concept Plan Map

Download full size map in PDF format (1 page, 22.2 MB). Click image to enlarge. (Note: Active content and JavaScript must be enabled in your web browser)

Financing a Regional Park and Open Space on the CNWS

Every site is unique, and CNWS is no exception, the ultimate solution for funding the site's park and open space elements will consist of a mix of the many elements tailored to the needs and expectations of our community. To date the CNWS process has stressed general uses, principals and conceptual alternatives. When the seven alternatives adopted by the Council are analyzed and financial assumptions are clarified, more specific financial information will be available to the public. From this baseline information, more specific models of parks revenue and expenditure needs can be assembled and discussed as part of the process.

The Park District believes that a major regional park and open space element is suitable for the site and addresses the interests of the surrounding community. Therefore, it submitted a letter of interest for a Public Benefit Conveyance on Sept. 26, 2007, indicating the District's willingness to provide regional park and open space on the site of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. Additional information on financing a Regional Park and Open Space on the CNWS can be found in the attached document.

Download Financing a Regional Park and Open Space on the CNWS (2 pages, 128 KB).

Links

Photos

Los Medanos Hills Drainage