Grassroots victory for Pittsburg!

Council rejects sham Hillside Ordinance

On April 7 the Pittsburg City Council rejected the eviscerated Hillside Ordinance drafted by the city's Planning Commission. In a stunning rebuke to the commission, the Council asked city staff to redraft the ordinance and to send it back directly to the Council, bypassing any role for the commission in further deliberations.

The commission's ordinance would have allowed for 3,000 housing units and estate mansions to be built on our hillsides. The Council asked staff to take into strong consideration the various recommendations from the Council and community. Councilmember Nancy Parent voiced her concern that the draft ordinance would apply only to lands above 500 feet in elevation. She suggested setting the line at 300 feet.

The reversal is clearly the result of over a year of grassroots organizing efforts by the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations, bringing out hundreds of residents to speak out for true protection for our hillsides. Over 60 hillside supporters and members of Friends of Pittsburg/Save Our Hills were at the April 7 City Council meeting. Councilmember Will Casey said it clearly: with not a single person speaking in favor of the proposed guidelines, the Council could not ignore the will of the people.

Another factor influencing the Council's decision was the revelation by Save Mount Diablo that developer Albert Seeno had engaged in massive grading on the upper parts of the city's ridgelands without required permits.

The City Council will discuss the revised Hillside Ordinance in the early summer. It is vital that we keep reminding the Council of the need for a truly strong and effective ordinance.

WhatYouCanDo

Write to the Pittsburg City Council at:

65 Civic Ave.
Pittsburg, CA 94565.

Thank the Council for rejecting the Planning Commission's inadequate Hillside Ordinance, and ask for a strong ordinance that truly protects the hills.

Save Mount Diablo is sponsoring a series of hikes to give everyone the opportunity to see the amazing landscapes threatened by Pittsburg development. (These hikes are not sponsored by the Sierra Club.) Join Troy Bristol, Save Mount Diablo's land-conservation associate, on a hike to the top of Lougher Ridge, with breathtaking views of the Los Medanos Hills, stories about Black Diamond Mines' rich history, and discussion of Save Mount Diablo's campaigns to protect eastern Contra Costa County.

The next hikes will be on Sun., May 18; Sun., June 14; and Sat., July 19; starting at 10 am. Distance is about 2.6 miles, with 516 feet of elevation gain/loss. Time will be 2 - 2.5 hours. Meet at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve headquarters, at the Sydney Flat staging area on Somersville Road, just past the first ranger booth ($5/car fee). For more information and for RSVP (appreciated) contact (925) 947-3535 or email smdinfo -at- savemountdiablo.org

To get involved in the Sierra Club's ongoing efforts to protect the Pittsburg hills, contact conservation organizer or call (510)848-0800, ext. 306

Christina Armor