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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

April 14, 2005

Residents protest senior housing proposal

Construction would go on for six years

More than a dozen residents allied with an environmental group made it clear to city leaders Tuesday night that they would fight a proposed project of 1,432 senior units and 50 custom homes on the southeastern edge of Antioch.

The wrangling over Future Urban Area No. 1 (FUA-1) continues. The dispute over the 2,700 acres stretching to the city's southeastern border came to a head in July when public outcry forced city leaders to scrap a masterplan for development of the area.

The City Council gave the Trilogy Community an initial nod, approving the offering of nearly $19.3 million in community benefits to the city and an additional $1.5 million to the schools, which includes a contribution toward the construction and operation of a library at Prewett Family Park as well as to economic development.

The council's decision didn't give the project any entitlements, but city leaders spoke in favor of it. The developers must still return with a more detailed plan and report on environmental impacts.

Opponents said the perks were nice but they wouldn't fix Antioch's traffic, make up for the loss of green space or the impacts of construction. If approved, the development would be built in phases over six years.

"I am concerned about the health effects that six years of construction are going to have on the residents," said Danielle Fowler who lives near the proposed project site. "It's six years of chemicals. It's six years of dust. It's six years of spraying and a lot of other negative effects."

Fowler and others also disputed the contention that the senior housing residents wouldn't be adding to traffic problems.

The Greenbelt Alliance, a San Francisco based conservation group, and Citizens for a Better Antioch have been organizing residents to protest the development.

Council members pointed out that the project would pay the East County traffic mitigation fees -- currently $8,400 a unit.

Council members argued that because all but the 50 custom homes would require that one occupant is at least 55 years old, there would be nearly no impact to traffic or schools.

Mayor Donald Freitas also said that the same residents complaining about losing their views are living in what was recently green space.

"There are some people who don't want any more housing in Antioch. These are the same people who have moved here in the last four to 10 years," he said "That's a very dangerous way of looking at things: 'I have mine. S--- everybody else.'"

The Trilogy Community is a joint venture between Richland Development Corp., Shea Homes and Topaz Creek Investors. The one- to two-story senior houses would be located on about 966 acres behind Deer Valley and Empire Mine roads. It would create its own community with a country club-like facility, that would include a pool, conference center, fitness facility, restaurant, private clubhouse and spa. A housing association would be responsible for maintaining the development's streets and landscaping.

Nell Chadwick, a 20-year resident who lives in the downtown said that the development wasn't just a southeast Antioch issue.

"The quality of life has gone increasingly down. I used to be able to get to work in 20, 25 minutes. Last fall it was 1.5 hours to get to San Ramon," she said.
Reach Sarah Krupp at 925-779-7166 or skrupp@cctimes.co

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