Antioch shelves FUA #1 - at least for now

A combination of community and environmental organizations, labor, and public agencies has forced the Antioch City Council to back off from plans for a massive new housing development. On July 14 the Council formally stopped all planning for the development of Future Urban Area # 1.

This was the first significant defeat for pro-growth advocates in the Eastern Contra Costa County cities of Antioch, Brentwood, and Pittsburg, which have seen a burgeoning of population over the past decade.

FUA #1 would have opened up four square miles of greenspace for developing nearly 4,500 homes. It was estimated that at completion the development would have added as many as 70,000 new car trips daily to city streets. The area includes sensitive habitats for endangered species including the vernal-pool fairy shrimp, burrowing owl, California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander, brittlescale, and Contra Costa manzanita.

Fueled by a variety of concerns including anger at stand-still traffic on Highway 4, overcrowding of schools, and the loss of open space, groups including Citizens for a Better Antioch, the Sierra Club, Greenbelt Alliance, Save Mount Diablo, the United Food and Commercial Worker's Union, and the East Bay Regional Park District voiced concerns about the plan for the past two years. Signature-gathering efforts made it clear that there was widespread opposition to the plan among city residents.

The turning point in the campaign against FUA #1 occurred on June 8 when Antioch voters passed Measure C, a referendum overturning the Council's approval of a 240-unit luxury-apartment complex and business park. (The Sierra Club did not take a position on this measure.) The vote has been widely interpreted as signaling community support for slowing growth and tying it to infrastructure development.

Has the City Council now seen the light - or will it revive FUA #1 immediately after the November elections, when three seats are up for contention? The Sierra Club has enthusiastically endorsed Reggie Moore for election to the Council (see article to left). Electing Moore will provide a voice on the Council for sensible control of growth - and a message to other councilmembers that the electorate supports a slowdown.

What You Can Do

Volunteer to help elect Reggie Moore. The campaign needs volunteers to help with voter registration, phone banking, and precinct walking. We have volunteer opportunities planned for both weekends and weekday evenings. To join us contact Nicole Drake at (510) 848-0800, ext. 310, or by

To stay informed about efforts to protect Contra Costa's Urban Limit Line, call Nicole.

Dr. Dale G. Watson, vice president, Citizens for a Better Antioch