Bill Olsen
Aug 9, 2022
Your Alamo Neighbors have this to say
IF YOU LOVE ALAMO – FIGHT FOR IT!
Alamo is a truly a beautiful place to live and raise a family. We all should be grateful that we live here! However, proposed changes to our downtown will destroy Alamo. If we don’t fight now, changes will be put into place that will impact our schools, roads, crime, home values, fire and police services. Without your action, the changes to Alamo’s downtown will become permanent in January, 2023, and the changes will be enacted without a vote. Please join the fight to stop the destruction of Alamo!
County of Contra Costa has concocted a new general plan called “Envision Contra Costa 2040” with major changes proposed to Alamo’s land use designations, primarily in downtown. The proposed land use change of the Alamo Plaza Shopping center and adjacent real estate will change the existing designation of Office (OF) and Commercial (CO) to Mixed Use Medium (MUM) with combined commercial and residential dwelling units. MUM allows for up to 75 dwelling units per net acre. MUM construction typically requires midrise buildings with up to five levels towering about 55’ high. 60% of the new residential development should be affordable to families of low and moderate income.
Currently, there are about 5,433 dwelling units in Alamo and about 16,301 residents. The proposed changes in land use designations in downtown Alamo could add 3,003 dwelling units and 9,009 residents including 3,003 children to downtown Alamo, an increase of 55% of Alamo’s current total population. When completed, 36% of Alamo’s total population will live in the downtown midrise buildings. 3,003 vehicles will also likely be added and will make traffic congestion which is already bad, substantially worse.
The largest of the downtown parcels designated MUM includes the Alamo Plaza shopping center. This parcel alone is about 50% of the total MUM land, and has a total size of about 22.2 net acres. This parcel could add 1,517 new dwelling units, 4,551 new residents including 1,517 children, and 1,517 vehicles. Recently EDENS, an out of state owner, operator and real estate developer purchased the majority of this parcel which includes Safeway, Rite Aid and the Bank of America. One has to suspect that EDENS is counting on developing the property for a huge profit.
There are numerous problems with the “Envision Contra Costa 2040” downtown development and include:
1) Alamo schools are already impacted. New schools will be needed for the 55% population increase.
2) Danville Boulevard already has an accessibility problem for current Alamo residents and will likely need to be expanded to 4-lanes to accommodate the 55% traffic increase.
3) There is likely not enough distance between the Stone Valley and I-680 interchange and the proposed MUM dwelling units to accommodate the traffic queues that will be generated from the additional vehicles of the downtown Alamo residents.
4) Existing water and sewer systems may not be adequate to support the 55% increase.
5) Increased crime such as seen in Walnut Creek will likely adversely affect Alamo.
6) New demands will be placed on the police and fire departments to support the 55% increase.
7) There will be serious impacts to area hospitals and existing social service.
8) Alamo may need to become a City or merge with a neighboring city. In either case, taxes will go up.
9) Alamo home prices will be negatively affected. Especially for those unfortunate enough to live on the west side of downtown Alamo whose views of Mount Diablo will be blocked.
10) Alamo will lose the essence of being a small town.
11) Of course many of these problems come with a hefty price tag. And at this point, we do not know who will pay for them.
Contra Costa County is obligated to establish its zoning such that, over the eight-year cycle of 2023-2031, 7,610 additional housing units would be permissible. However, the State Legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law SB9 that requires Contra Costa County to permit as a matter of right, the division of one lot into two lots to accommodate more affordable housing and to permit duplexes or two homes on single family lots. SB9 is intended to assist local governments in achieving their respective the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Since Alamo has about 5,433 existing dwelling units that could be divided, it should minimize the amount of permissible dwelling units to only 2,177. Certainly Envision Contra Costa 2040 should be able to find 2,177 additional permissible housing units somewhere else in the county without destroying Alamo.
IF YOU ARE WILLING TO FIGHT TO PROTECT ALAMO – PLEASE CALL, WRITE AND/OR EMAIL THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU’RE OPPOSED TO “ENVISIOIN CONTRA COST 2040”CHANGES TO DOWNTOWN ALAMO.
Candace Andersen – Supervisor District 2 309 Diablo Road; Danville, CA 94526
(925) 655-2300
supervisorandersen@bos.cccounty.us
Will Nelson - Principal Planner, Envision 2040 30 Muir Road; Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 655-2898
Also, please plan to attend the “Envision Contra Costa 2040” Alamo Town Hall meeting on September 8, 2022 from 6:00 pm – 8 pm. This may be the only time you will have a chance to question Candace Anderson and Will Nelson in person regarding this mess.
Alamo is a beautiful place, PLEASE fight to keep it!