Many of you are rightfully questioning the Measure L’s developer claims that Antioch can move into the privately-owned, Ginochio dry-farmed and unincorporated grazing land we call SPA2. There are so many fronts we can depend on right now to keep that parcel undeveloped, including our own General Plan and it’s plans for the area.

1. Last year, Save Mount Diablo, and a team of dedicated Antioch residents and volunteers, including me, helped gather 10,000 signatures of Antioch Voters to qualify the Let Antioch Voters Decide Initiative for the ballot. This Initiative, in part, scales back development in and around Sand Creek Focus Area/Antioch Kaiser, and makes Antioch’s southern Urban Limit Line permanent, indefinitely. After qualifying the Initiative for the ballot, the Antioch City Council decided to adopt the Initiative instead of sending it to the ballot — therefore, the Antioch City Council backed its voters will! A judge has now ordered that this Initiative has to go to the election on November 3, 2020; however, this ruling is under appeal by the City of Antioch — they think they were in the right by adopting it. 10,000 or more Antioch voters are not going to do a 180 one year later — they are united with us AND Save Mount Diablo has vowed to get this Initiative passed, establishing Antioch’s southern Urban Limit Line with no sunset date;
2. Antioch’s Urban Limit Line is in force until 12/31/2020 anyway;
3. There is a Memo of Understanding (MOU) between Antioch and Brentwood in force until 10/31/2022 that so states neither City will ask for sphere of influence nor annexation of this parcel;
4. The Antioch General Plan so states they will NOT PURSUE any development of land outside their Urban Limit Line; and
5. Brentwood’s own Urban Limit Line is in force until 2026!

Hold the line Brentwood — these developers can’t build this monstrosity if we don’t move our ULL! If Brentwood does decide to expand at a later date, our own General Plan calls for Ranchette Estates (1 home to 1 acre) and very low density housing (1-3 homes per acre), CERTAINLY NOT 2,400!

Here is the General Plan language:

The vast majority of lands outside of the city limits are intended to remain as agricultural lands. However, some lands immediately adjacent to the city limits, which may be suitable for annexation in the future, are identified as Special Planning Areas, and include expanded descriptions of suitable future land uses within these areas.

Brentwood General Plan

SPA 2 is located to the west of the city limits, north of Balfour Road. SPA 2 is located outside of the existing Urban Limit Line (ULL). SPA 2 should include a significant area of protected open space, with open space protection prioritized for hillsides, sensitive natural habitat, and areas of exceptional scenic beauty. Residential uses may include Ranchette Estate and Very Low Density Residential. An increase in the overall residential density within SPA 2 may be allowed in order to accommodate the development of age-restricted housing units. Limited areas of local-serving General Commercial may also be allowed within SPA 2.

Brentwood General Plan

The 9212 Report said that since the “increase in overall density” in the above paragraph was not defined, they could not evaluate Measure L’s compliance with the General Plan. Unfortunately, this clause allowed for this developer to quadruple the size of this development because they’re building age-restricted housing, certainly not the intent. We have to stop their plan.

How can a developer think this is at all beneficial to Brentwood by completely saturating our western border, causing traffic and congestion, construction for 20+ years, expanding our fire & emergency service territory for which we already can’t cover, and the list goes on. The Deer Valley corridor was never intended for this type of build-out, even in Antioch which we have scaled back significantly. Lest we forget their will be a new East Bay Regional Park to the west, 3,163 acres in total after the purchase of 76 acres formerly Roddy Ranch.

The residents of Brentwood can and will help dictate how our City will grow according to the original intent of our General Plan. Do you honestly believe that the so called “improvements” will improve Brentwood? If housing could solve Brentwood’s problems, we would have no problems having grown like 1500% over the past 4 decades.

Kat