Residents campaign for Urban Growth Boundary in Antioch

Citizens for a Better Antioch (CBA) has created a community-written Urban Growth Boundary initiative for Antioch.

Contra Costa's Urban Limit Line has been a bone of contention pitting residents and community groups against developers and their allies. Measure J, Contra Costa's Transportation Sales Tax mandated that local governments develop voter-approved Urban Limit Lines. Ideally, towns and cities would work with the Board of Supervisors to develop a countywide Urban Limit Line that most people could agree to.

Unfortunately, pro-growth politicians from East County have hijacked the process, threatening to block any countywide Urban Limit agreement that doesn't include all the growth included in their General Plans. Some irresponsible politicians from Central County have joined this expansionist effort.

CBA, with help from Greenbelt Alliance and Sierra Club, has taken the first step to break this logjam - and towards saving some of the most threatened of Contra Costa's glorious open space and fertile farmland. Their Urban Growth Boundary initiative is exciting news for county residents concerned that once again the forces of uncontrolled growth would dictate to the rest of the county, creating traffic jams, overcrowded schools, and lost open space and farmland.

What You Can Do

The residents of Antioch will need both your time and financial support to fight this political campaign against much-better-funded developers. To help, contact Mike Daley at (510) 848-0800, ext. 304, or by email mdaley-at-sfbaysc.org

Mike Daley, Chapter conservation director