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East Bay Regional Park District to Receive over 2,540 Acres for a New Regional Park on the Former Concord Naval Weapons Station

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has partnered with the City of Concord and the National Park Service to provide a new regional park in Concord on the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The Concord Hills Regional Park is the working name for a world class regional park that will provide a full range of trail opportunities, wildlife preservation, and environmental and historic interpretation including a partnership with the National Park Service to develop a joint visitor center highlighting the history of the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial.

The 5,028 acre Inland Area of the Concord Naval Weapons Station was approved for closure by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) in November 2005. The City of Concord, acting as the Local Reuse Authority, initiated a multi-year community planning process culminating in the adoption of a Reuse Plan in 2010. This plan was further refined and integrated into Concord’s General Plan through the adoption of the Concord Reuse Project Area Plan in January 2012.

The adopted Area Plan provides for development of over 12,200 new housing units, over 6.1 million square feet of commercial floor space, and a variety of community facilities and city parks. The proposed development would primarily be clustered on the western portion of the former base. The adopted Area Plan also includes a new regional park of 2,537 acres located on the eastern portion of the site to be conveyed to the District through a public benefit conveyance. Additional information on the City of Concord’s Reuse Plan and Area Plan can be found at ConcordReuseProject.org

The East Bay Regional Park District submitted an application for a public benefit conveyance through the National Park Service Federal Lands to Parks program in September 2013. On May 8, 2014, the National Park Service informed the District that the Public Benefit Conveyance application for 2,540 acres of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station was approved and that they will grant a public benefit allowance of 100 percent of the fair market value of the property to be conveyed.

On Saturday, July 13, 2019, a formal signing ceremony took place at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station to celebrate the transfer of 2,216 acres to the East Bay Regional Park District for Concord Hills Regional Park. The transfer was the culmination of more than 20 years of community support and advocacy. An additional 327 acres are set to transfer to the Park District at a later date. For more information, visit our Concord Hills Regional Park page.

Contact Us:

For additional information, please contact Devan Reiff, Principal Planner, at (510) 544-2325 or dreiff@ebparks.org

Concord Hills Regional Park – Land Use Plan

The East Bay Regional Park District published a Land Use Plan for the new Concord Hills Regional Park on October 18, 2019 (see link at top of this page). Community meetings and stakeholder outreach began in early 2015, and there were numerous opportunities to provide input and share visions for the future park. During the months of May and June, 2020, the Plan adoption stage will begin, with public hearings at the Park Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors.

Concord Hills Regional Park – Vision and Guiding Principles

1. Resource Protection – The District will work closely with the City, state and federal resource agencies, project developers, and other stakeholders to ensure the protection of critical natural and cultural resources found on the CNWS.

Establish appropriate Resource Protection Zones in areas of sensitive resources, protected wetlands, and known cultural sites;

Develop long-term resource management plans focused on resource protection and enhancement while preserving public access opportunities.

2. Resource Enhancement, Restoration, and Mitigation – The District will proactively engage project developers and state and federal resource agencies to identify lands appropriate for resource enhancement and restoration and provide for required mitigation for proposed development on the CNWS site.

Develop extensive tree replanting program where appropriate and consistent with habitat requirements;

Facilitate restoration of Mt. Diablo Creek, wetlands and other sensitive habitats with City, project developers, and regional stakeholders;

Facilitate onsite mitigation for loss of sensitive habitats, wetlands, and impacts to species from proposed development elsewhere on the CNWS site in coordination with state and federal resource agencies, the City of Concord, and project developers.

3. Public Access and Recreation – The District will work diligently to ensure that resource protection and enhancement programs are balanced with the need to provide for public access and recreation throughout CNWS site.

Provide an extensive trail system consisting of both paved and unpaved trails for bikers, hikers, equestrians, joggers and others which connect to the vast regional network linking to parks and trails such as Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Mt. Diablo State Park, the Iron Horse Trail, and the Delta DeAnza Trail.

Provide access to passive recreation opportunities unparalleled in the region through bird watching, sunset vistas and views of Mt. Diablo, hiking and other opportunities.

Establish large group picnic areas and gathering sites, including the potential for group camping facilities, utilizing existing internal roadways and developed areas.

4. Environmental Education and Interpretation – The District will pursue creative opportunities and collaborative partnerships to provide world-class environmental education and interpretation programs and facilities throughout the CNWS to preserve and share the unique natural, cultural, social, and military history of the CNWS and the Central Contra Costa County region.

Provide for an environmental day camp and education center geared towards educating the region’s youth about the area’s natural and cultural history;

Establish a world class historical interpretation and visitors center in partnership with the National Park Service, Friends of Port Chicago, and others which honors the veterans who served on the CNWS property, conveys the significance of the events at Port Chicago, provides displays on the history of Concord and the Diablo Valley region, and provides a staging area to facilitate access to the National Park Service’s Port Chicago Memorial.

Concord Hills Regional Park – Key Opportunities

Short Loop Trail System

Miles of former rail line traverse the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The East Bay Regional Park District will work to embark on a “rails-to-trails” conversion project to reclaim key segments and loops of these former rail lines into a trail system that will include mild grades and provide access throughout the Concord Hills Regional Park.

Mount Diablo Creek Trail

The Mount Diablo Creek Trail will be a rail-to-trail conversion project that will follow the eastern banks of Mount Diablo Creek for approximately 2 miles connecting Bailey Road to Contra Costa Canal trail through the planned City-wide park within the Concord Reuse Project area.

Contra Costa Canal to Delta DeAnza Trail Gap Closure

The Concord Naval Weapons Station forms the greenbelt between the cities of Concord and Pittsburg. The closure of the base provides the opportunity to close the gap between the existing Delta DeAnza Trail terminating at the bases eastern boundary in Pittsburg and the Concord Costa Canal Trail terminating at the bases western boundary.

Los Medanos Hills Ridge Trail

The Concord Hills Regional Park will include the Los Medanos Hills Ridge Trail that will provide connections from Willow Pass Road south along the ridge to Bailey Road. South of Bailey Road the trail will continue and provide connections to properties located south of the property on Kirker Pass Road. Connections beneath Kirker Pass Road will enable a regional connection into Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Mount Diablo State Park, and beyond.

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Visitors Center

The East Bay Regional Park District has partnered with the National Park Service to develop a joint visitor center that will expand access to the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial story and provide other natural and cultural interpretive opportunities. The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial was established by President Obama in 2010 to commemorate the national significance of the largest homefront disaster of World War II and the subsequent events that led to the desegregation of the military. The National Memorial is located within the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO), within the tidal area of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station that was transferred to the Army following closure of the inland area. The area remains under military security and restricted to public access.

For additional information on the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, please visit nps.gov/poch. The following video highlights the significance of the Port Chicago explosion and subsequent events:

... into forgetfulness. from McMains on Vimeo

Concord Hills Regional Park – Conceptual Map



Concord Hills Regional Park Draft Conceptual Plan



Concord Hills Regional Park - Regional Context

Links

Photos



Oak Tree with a view of Mount Diablo. Photo by Stephen Joseph



Rattlesnake Canyon in the South of Bailey Road Area. Photo by Stephen Joseph



View North Across Rattlesnake Canyon in the South of Bailey Road Area. Photo by Stephen Joseph



Cistern Building. Photo by Stephen Joseph



View towards Mount Diablo. Photo by Stephen Joseph