California
Environmentalists call this project ‘the worst ridgeline development in Northern California’ — and just got it delayed
CONTRA COSTA — Fearing the development of a major ridgeline just outside Pittsburg, environmentalists are hoping to convince local officials and the developer to create an open-space buffer between them.
Twice approved by the Pittsburg City Council, the Discovery Builders’ Faria project proposes to build some 1,500 homes in the hills southwest of Pittsburg overlooking Thurgood Marshall Regional Park in Concord, where the former Naval Weapons Station was once located.
But before any work can begin, the 606 acres of land must first be annexed into Pittsburg. The Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees such boundary changes, was set to do that this week, but the item was continued after the small agency was flooded with hundreds of emails and letters, mainly from members and supporters of the nonprofit Save Mount Diablo who have environmental concerns about the proposed project, according to Lou Ann Texeira, executive officer of LAFCO. On its website, Save Mount Diablo calls the planned development “the disastrous Faria project that would bulldoze the top of Pittsburg’s hills.”
Texeira said she reached out to the involved parties to arrange a meeting before the project comes before the agency again on June 12.
“I’m just encouraging them to talk to one another and maybe work something out, to preserve permanent open space in that area,” she said.
In an April 3 letter to LAFCO, Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, senior land use manager at Save Mount Diablo, laid out the group’s concerns, including the project’s potential grading and development of the major ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. The project, they say, “would damage resources and agricultural land,” and mitigations are “not sufficient.”
In the 10-page letter, the nonprofit said the Albert Seeno III development group “never provided project-level environmental review as LAFCO has repeatedly said it requires,” nor has it submitted a detailed grading plan or an engineered subdivision map with house lots and streets — something that routinely happens everywhere else at the beginning of environmental review.”
The environmental group also wants the developer to provide more detailed “information that would allow analyses of what would be visible and what would prevent drastic visual and biological impacts.”
In addition, the group is asking for a 400- to 500-foot buffer from Faria’s western fence line to reduce aesthetic and biological impacts, reduce fire hazards and “offset negative impacts of carbon pollution due to project construction, and serve as mitigation for impacts to agricultural land.”
Seth Adams, land conservation director for Save Mount Diablo, said the buffer zone would help.
“I think a whole bunch of issues can be resolved by making a bigger buffer on this county unincorporated land between the development footprint and the edge of Concord,” he said.
Louis Parsons, president of Discovery Builders, said on Monday that Save Mount Diablo “is confused about the Contra Costa LAFCO’s role or is attempting to confuse the public and decisionmakers.”
“The fact is the shape and scope of the project is already approved by the city of Pittsburg,” he wrote in an email.
As for LAFCO’s role, it is to approve the city’s boundaries and “is limited to determining whether the project site can be served by public facilities and services, and related matters,” Parsons wrote. All service providers have already confirmed that they can provide necessary services, he said.
“The agency has enough information to make this decision,” he added. “State law is very clear that LAFCO only needs, and only can demand, adopted zoning plans and general policies to make a decision in these circumstances.”
Parsons further called the project’s environmental review “robust, encompassing thousands of pages” and said the proposed development “satisfies all environmental regulations, including important habitat conservation policies adopted by various local cities and the Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy.”
He called Save Mount Diablo’s challenge “meritless.”
Plans to develop the hills date back to 2005 when voter-approved Measure P moved the Faria site within Pittsburg’s urban boundary. The city then approved an agreement with Seeno that established guidelines for a permanent greenbelt buffer along the inner edges of the boundary.
The developer filed an application in 2010, modified it in 2014 and again in 2017. The council first approved a version of the project in 2021. But months later, Save Mount Diablo sued, challenging the city’s approval of a planned 1,500-home project.
A judge in 2022 ruled that the city’s environmental review failed to properly analyze the project’s effects on air quality, traffic, water supply and possible impacts of the proposed 150 accessory dwelling units. The developer’s request for a new trial was rejected, and the city later revised some of the environmental documents.
The project was dealt another blow in early 2023 when the city’s planning commission failed to recommend it. But in April of that same year, the City Council gave it a green light.
Pittsburg city officials could not be reached for comment.
Adams said the nonprofit is not against all development but noted there are ways to protect the ridgeline, and the Faria development could be improved to do that.
As it is, Adams called the project “the worst ridgeline development in Northern California.” It not only would be overlooking park open space, “it would be next to it in various places,” he said.
Discovery Builders, meanwhile, said they previously agreed with the East Bay Regional Park District “to better harmonize the proposed development” with the district’s recreational plans. The developer had sued EBRPD in 2020, saying the new regional park would cause undisclosed impacts on the environment and their planned 606-acre Faria housing development. But after lengthy discussions, the parties settled, and the park district agreed not to object to annexation.
Adams blames any delays on the developer.
“All of the delays were caused by Seeno, primarily, because they’ve never, ever actually revealed the true nature of the project,” he said.
Texiera, meanwhile, said that if LAFCO approves the project in June, there will be a 30-day reconsideration period before approvals would be finalized, unless there are more challenges.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Two Republican candidates seeking California’s top office were back on the campaign trail and made a stop in Bakersfield on Saturday.
The California Young Republicans and Kern County Young Republicans co-hosted a forum featuring Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton. The event follows two gubernatorial debates last month in which both candidates appeared alongside several Democrats.
The forum happened on Saturday afternoon at the Liberty Center on California Ave.
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The forum came as mail voting is underway ahead of California’s June 2 primary, where the top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election regardless of party.
A 13-year-old boy riding an electric motorcycle in Garden Grove died after veering into the center median, flying into the air and then slamming onto the roadway, authorities said.
The crash took place shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday in the area of Magnolia Street and Larson Avenue, according to the Garden Grove Police Department. The Police Department received word of the incident via a call from Life360, a family safety and location-sharing app with emergency assistance features.
The Santa Ana teen was critically wounded in the crash, police said. He was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The boy was traveling at around 35 mph on a black E Ride Pro electric motorcycle when he struck the median and lost control of the vehicle, according to authorities. Electric motorcycles are primarily designed for off-road riding and are not legal to use on California roadways.
The teen’s death is the latest in a spate of serious collisions involving electric motorcycles and dirt bikes — some of which have led to serious injuries, death or charges for parents who allegedly allowed their minors to illegally ride the speedy devices.
An Orange County mother was charged with involuntary manslaughter last week after authorities said an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran died from injuries he suffered when her 14-year-old son slammed into him while riding an e-motorcycle, then fled the scene.
In April, a Yorba Linda father was charged with felony child endangerment after authorities alleged his son ran a red light and was hit by a car while riding a modified e-motorcycle capable of reaching up to 60 mph.
Last week, a 19-year-old riding an e-motorcycle was arrested on suspicion of felony evading police and felony reckless driving. He was accused of leading sheriff’s deputies on a speedy chase through a residential area of Oceanside, blowing past multiple red lights and knocking a deputy off a motorcycle.
Electric bikes, motorcycles and dirt bikes have surged in popularity in recent years and are especially popular among teens. However, while e-bikes generally top out at 28 mph and are legal to ride on the street, many e-motorcycles can go twice as fast and are generally not street legal.
Anyone who witnessed Thursday’s crash in Garden Grove or has a video of the incident is asked to contact Investigator Lang via phone at (714) 741-5823 or email at mlang@ggcity.org.
Top moments from CNN California governor debate recap
Breaking down key takeaways, highlights, and analysis from the CNN California governor debate, including standout moments and candidate contrasts.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that newborn babies in California will start receiving free diapers as part of a new “first-in-the-nation” initiative to support families across the state with the rising cost of living.
Newsom, along with state leaders, met in San Francisco on Friday, May 8 to unveil California’s new partnership with Baby2Baby, a national nonprofit that provides diapers to children in need, and to explain how this new program will provide families with 400 “high-quality” diapers before they leave the hospital.
Over the last six years, families have seen the average cost of diapers increase by 45% or “thousands plus dollars a year,” which has made raising a family unattainable for some, Newsom said during the press conference.
“Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life — and that means making sure parents have the basics they need from day one,” Newsom said. “One out of four families skip meals in order to pay for diapers.”
“The biggest problem defined universally, in our cities, our state and our nation, is the issue of affordability. This is what affordability looks like; it’s not a slogan, it’s a box. A box of diapers,” Newsom added.
This new effort will be known as Golden State Start, as California uses its bulk purchasing power to obtain 40 million high-quality diapers in hopes of easing financial strain for families and supporting infant health by helping parents maintain an adequate supply of clean diapers.
“The first days at home with a newborn should be focused on the love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about affording diapers,” said Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. “This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with greater stability and peace of mind.”
The program is expected to start at the beginning of this summer in participating California hospitals. The list of participating hospitals was not released at the time of publication, but Newsom noted that the state was in talks with at least 60 hospitals across California.
During the first year of the program, CalRx and Baby2Baby noted that they would prioritize hospitals that serve large numbers of Medi-Cal patients to ensure low-income families benefit early from the program. The state plans to scale the program to additional hospitals and birthing centers over time.
Newsom noted that this program is expected to grow: In 2027, the state is set to purchase 80 million diapers from manufacturers, with the goal of eventually purchasing up to 160 million.
“California families deserve to feel supported during one of life’s more exciting, yet vulnerable transitions,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the first partner, said in a press release. “Golden State Start will deliver immediate relief, allowing parents to focus on what matters most — caring for their newborn. Together with Baby2Baby, we can ease the financial burden on California parents while supporting healthier outcomes for babies and their mothers.”
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
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