Dana Estates Neighborhood in Concord, CA

Sunrise on Lynwood Dr. Looking Southeast along Lynwood Drive in Concord, CA.

Dana Estates Neighborhood

The Dana Estates neighborhood is located on the eastern border of Concord. The neighborhood is bisected by Landana Drive. Willow Pass Road forms the areas northwestern border. Dana Estates' southeastern border is Concord Boulevard.

Read about Dana Estates below.

Hike the Naval Weapons Station

January 4, 2024 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

moon rising over the concord naval weapons station — Moon rising over the CNWS by Peter Maclennan

Hike the Concord Naval Weapons Station with Discover Diablo!

Calling East Bay nature enthusiasts! Mark your calendars for March 2nd, when Discover Diablo unlocks the gates to the enigmatic Concord Naval Weapons Station for a unique hike.

This moderate, 4-5 mile adventure winds through rolling hills and forgotten meadows, offering stunning panoramas and a unique chance to explore a rarely accessible past.

Open to all ages and fitness levels, this free hike is perfect for solo adventurers, families, and friend groups seeking a shared moment of discovery. Discover Diablo champions open space preservation, and this outing is no exception – it’s about appreciating history, connecting with nature, and forging lasting memories.

Here’s what awaits you:

Unprecedented access: Explore a landscape steeped in history and natural beauty, usually closed to the public.
Moderate challenge: Enjoy a well-maintained trail suitable for most fitness levels.
Community connection: Meet fellow adventurers and share the thrill of discovering this hidden gem.

Ready to conquer this unique adventure? Simply follow these steps:

Mark your calendar: The hike takes place on March 2nd.
Gear up: Wear sturdy shoes, bring water and snacks, and dress for the weather.
Register for free: Visit the Discover Diablo website to secure your spot.
Embrace the spirit: Come prepared for an invigorating blend of exercise, discovery, and community.

For further information or inquiries about upcoming Discover Diablo hikes, visit their website or social media pages.

City of Concord Clean Up Day

October 4, 2023 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

Concord Residents, do you have additional junk that needs to be disposed of? Missed dumpster day this year?

Good news from the City of Concord:

In partnership with Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery (MDRR) and the Toyota Pavilion at Concord, the City is holding its annual cleanup on the first Saturday in November, Nov. 4. The event will be held at the Pavilion and open to all Concord residents.

There will be one drop-off per household. New for this year will be mattress recycling. To avoid long wait times, Concord residents can pre-register and select a timeslot. Residents who do not pre- register will need to show proof of residency upon arrival. No Concord resident will be turned away. A notice to residents will be sent in the October bill insert and signups will open Monday, Oct. 16.

The Toyota Pavilion at Concord is an ideal location as it allows for quick and easy transport of full bins to the MDRR transfer station and delivery of empty bins at the Pavilion. The Pavilion also allows for clear entry/exit and sufficient space for heavy equipment and debris bins.
Per Councilmember Edi Birsan’s latest email

The only downside to this event is that you have to find a way to transport your trash across town to the Toyota Pavilion at Concord.

Seller Home Preparation

Decluttering and cleaning your home before selling it is one of the best things you can do to increase your chances of a quick and successful sale. Here are a few reasons why:

Buyers are more likely to make an offer on a home that is clean and clutter-free. A study by the National Association of Realtors found that 92% of buyers said that a home’s cleanliness was important to their decision-making process. ConsumerReports estimated that decluttered homes could be listed for an average of 3%-5% more than cluttered homes.
A clean and decluttered home is easier to stage. When buyers walk into a home that is clean and clutter-free, they can more easily imagine themselves living there. This is because staging is all about creating a space that is inviting and appealing to potential buyers. And it’s hard to do that when a home is full of stuff.
A clean and decluttered home is easier to show. When you have a lot of stuff in your home, it can be difficult to keep it clean and organized. This can make it difficult to show your home to potential buyers on short notice. And if your home is not clean and organized, buyers may be less likely to make an offer.

If you’re thinking about selling your home, here are a few tips for decluttering and cleaning:

Start by getting rid of anything you don’t use, need, or love. This may include old furniture, clothes, books, and other belongings. You can donate, sell, or trash these items.
Deep clean your home from top to bottom. This includes cleaning the floors, walls, ceilings, windows, and appliances. You may also want to hire a professional cleaning service to help you get your home in tip-top shape.
Stage your home to make it as appealing as possible to potential buyers. This may involve decluttering, rearranging furniture, and adding fresh flowers or plants.

One of the complimentary items we offer to our selling clients is a professional home cleaning service. They will come in to wash all surfaces and make the house sparkle.

If you are considering listing your home and need help on the decluttering or cleaning process, please call Peter Maclennan @ 925-385-8798.

Regional Park on CNWS Receives Funding

November 17, 2022 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

The Martinez Tribune is reporting that the East Bay Regional Park District is receiving $3 million in state appropriations to begin construction of a staging area for the new Thurgood Marshall Regional Park on the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).

“The new staging area, along with a planned visitor center, will help connect the public with the park’s important human history and the natural history and outdoor recreational opportunities of the land,” added Lane. “Establishing public access to Thurgood Marshall Regional Park is a major priority for the Park District.”
Martinez Tribune

The Park’s Name Origin

The Thurgood Marshall Regional Park was named in honor of NAACP civil rights attorney and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. Marshall helped to defend the 50 black sailors accused of mutiny after the Port Chicago Naval Magazine blast in July of 1944.

The Park

The park will encompass over 2,687 acres of land on the former CNWS. It will stretch along the hills from Willow Pass Road, south past Bailey Road.

Map of Thurgood Marshall Regional Park — Thurgood Marshall Regional Park from (www.ebparks.org)

Concord Seeking New Developer for Naval Weapons Station

April 2, 2021 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

Moon rising over concord naval weapons station photo by peter maclennan — Moon rising over Concord Naval Weapons Station by Peter Maclennan

The San Francisco Business Times is reporting that the City of Concord is on the hunt for a new developer for 2,300 acres of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).

The city has put an accelerated timeline on the RFQ process. With the RFQ slated to be released on April 16th and responses due by potential developers by June 16th.

The City has some stringent demands for any potential developer:

In the new RFQ, the city stipulates that bidders have to honor Concord’s 40% local hire policy; pay prevailing wages on all construction to avoid driving down area wage standards; and utilize a training and employment program for military veterans. Respondents also must explain how they intend to maximize business opportunities for local companies.
SF Business Times

The requirements of local hire and prevailing wage (union wages) will likely increase the costs to any potential developer.

As well, “The city expects the selected developer to rehabilitate a number of community facilities and build two new ones on land set aside for a veteran’s facility,” likely adding additional costs to the project.

The East Bay Times reports that the transfer won’t take place until the Navy has completed their cleanup.

The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, will be responsible for cleaning up toxic chemicals that may have built up at the site over its years as a weapons station. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently assessing the site’s soil for PFAS, a highly toxic fluorinated chemical.

Hopefully, this process is smoother and without the ugliness of the previous process.

Flowers of Dana Estates

May 20, 2020 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

Flowers of Dana Estates

Not only does the Dana Estates neighborhood have some wonderful real estate. It is home to some wonderful gardeners as evidenced by the beautiful flowers that abound.

All of the photos have been taken while walking around the Dana Estates Neighborhood under the Shelter-in-place.

Unfortunately, I don’t know all the names of the flowers. If you know the names, would you share them in the comments below?

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and ensure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

homes for sale in concord ca — Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

“No Deal” on Concord Naval Weapons Station

March 25, 2020 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

At a video meeting on Tuesday March 24, 2020 the Concord City Council voted against extending the exclusive negotiating agreement with Lennar to be the Master Developer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).

According the the SF Business Times:

The city and the Contra Costa Building Trades Council have been at loggerheads with Lennar for several months over how much union labor the developer would use on the $5 billion project.
SF Business Times

It is unclear what the path forward will be after this vote.

By refusing to extend an exclusive negotiating agreement with Lennar that expires next week and rejecting demands the developer made in January, the council effectively sent the project back to the drawing board.
EastBayTimes.com

The City is going to review the impact of COVID-19 on the city’s finances and also on the Bay Area economy.

Help Decide the New Regional Park Name

February 7, 2020 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

As part of the Concord Naval Weapons Station redevelopment, a new park is being formed. The City of Concord and East Bay Regional Park District is seeking input on the new name for the park. It is currently being called the Concord Hills Regional Park.

Concord Residents can take the survey here that will help the Park District determine the permanent name for the park. Voting is open until March 9, 2020.

About the Concord Hills Regional Park

The new park, will encompass approximately 2,540 acres when completed. It will include future amenities such as a visitor center, staging areas, public access points, and miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking, and nature viewing.

In July of 2019 a ceremony for the transfer of 2,216 acres from the Navy to the Park Service occurred. Currently, the park is in land bank status and not available to the public.

The East Bay Regional Park District has made a brochure on the draft plan for the park available.

The full EIR plan is also available from the East Bay Regional Park District.

Update – Concord Naval Weapons Station News 1/9/2020

January 9, 2020 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

We wrote earlier this week that the stalled negotiations between Lennar and the Building Trades Council were going before the Concord City Council regarding the amount of union labor to be used on the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

According to the East Bay Times, the City Council approved a motion to have the two sides return to the negotiating table. The issue remains unresolved and it remains to be seen whether Lennar will stay involved in the project or will decide to withdraw.

According to the East Bay Times article:

Lennar has already stopped work on it, having halted in October the $37,000 per month it was paying city staff for the redevelopment planning.

In an earlier article , the East Bay Times had reported that the City of Concord is having to pay out of pocket the staffing costs that were associated with the development of this project.

Because Lennar in October refused to continue paying for city staff to work on the project’s draft specific plan and environmental impact report until the project labor agreement issue is settled, the city staff who was working on the project have been redirected to work on other city things, where possible. But the city has to pay the $37,000 per month to sustain them while Lennar has halted funds.
Additionally, the city has to bear the cost to respond to three requests that the Building Trades Council made under the public records act for information about the project’s financial feasibility model and other documents and communications. So far, the city has spent about $50,000 to search, review and produce documents for the public records act requests.

If you were on the City Council, how would you have responded? Enter your comments below.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Concord Naval Weapons Station News – 01/06/2020

January 6, 2020 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

Concord Naval Weapons Station News

The Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) is back in the news and on the agenda for the Concord City Council.

The main issue is the negotiation of a labor agreement between the developer, Lennar Concord, and the Contra Costa Building Trades Council.

The Problem

According to SFGate.com:

With the lead developer for the Concord Naval Weapon Station re-use project at an impasse with a labor consortium over construction labor agreements, the Concord City Council will soon have to decide whether that developer is living up to terms to have those agreements in place.
SFGate.com

Developer’s Perspective

According to a report written by City of Concord staff:

Lennar believes that it cannot afford the level of union labor sought by the Building Trades Council for the first phase of the project, while the labor representatives insist that previous city councils committed to including all the trades in a project labor agreement and that Concord would benefit economically from an agreement that commits the developer to hire locally and to provide training for veterans.
Eastbaytimes.com

Lennar may decide to resign as the master developer if the expected costs exceed any potential profit. Which could cause delays:

Creating a new development plan, which would likely have to happen if there is a new developer, would cost “significant” additional time and more tax dollars, according to report prepared by Guy Bjerke, the city’s director of community reuse planning. It also could complicate the transfer of the land from the Navy for the redevelopment.
EastBayTimes.com

Labor’s Perspective

Aram Hodess, retired business manager for Business Manager at Plumbers and Steamfitters 159 who has been working with the Building Trades Council on negotiations, said Lennar is going back on its promises to hire union labor for as much of the project as it previously said.
“If an enormous project like this is built non-union, it will result in lowering of wages in Contra Costa of organized workers,” Hodess said. “It couldn’t help but do that.”
EastBayTimes.com

Ramifications

It appears have already caused delays with the Navy’s transfer of the property to the City of Concord:

The Navy is awaiting a resolution of the project labor agreement issue, and progress on a draft specific plan on the former weapons station land, to resume negotiations with the city of Concord for formal transfer of the land to the city.
SFGate.com

The City Council will be tasked to try to resolve the impasse:

At its Tuesday Jan. 7 meeting, the City Council is scheduled to address this impasse between the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council and Lennar Concord, LLC, the chosen lead developer of the Concord Community Reuse Project.
Patch.com

News Sources:

We would love to hear your comments below. What do you think the City Council should do?

Get Ready for the Rainy Season | Dana Estates Real Estate

October 15, 2019 by Peter Maclennan Leave a Comment

Don’t get all wet. Prepare for the rainy season while it’s dry.

According to USClimateData.com, Concord, CA and Dana Estates average over 16 inches of rain per year. The majority of that rainfall arriving between November and March each year.

We know. The last thing you are thinking about at the summer barbecue is preparing for the stormy season. But it really is worth taking a look around your house during fair weather, because finding out you have a problem during inclement conditions is at best inconvenient and at worst very costly.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Benjamin Franklin, 1736

Tips to Get Ready for Rainy Season

Check your rain gutters.
Clear them out and make sure they are in good working order to prevent damage to the roof or house.

Look at your roof.
If you see loose or damaged shingles, get them repaired. Look for tears and buckling on flashing. Check the chimney and look for damaged bricks, cap or cracked joints. Don’t forget the flashing there too.

Check indoors for signs of roof leaks.
Look for discoloration and peeling paint on ceilings and walls. Check in the attic for damp rafters.

Check the trees.
Trim back branches and cut sections that could fall in a rainstorm.

Check doors and windows.
Make sure there are properly insulated with weather stripping.

Look for water collecting at the base of the house.
Redirect water with trenches or drains away from the foundation of your home.

Keep sandbags on hand.
If your area is prone to flooding, keep them filled and at the ready.

Check for erosion.
This is important if you live near a hillside. Shore hillsides up if necessary.

If I can connect you to a professional to assist with any of these tasks, please reach out to me.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Dana Estates Neighborhood in Concord, CA