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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.

Concord Seeking New Developer for Naval Weapons Station

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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

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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?

  • Bottle Brush Plant
  • Wonderfully Colorful Succulents
  • Yellow Roses
  • Multi-colored rose
  • A rose garden in bloom
  • A mix of yellow and white roses

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.

Search for the newest homes for sale in Concord by map (click the map below):

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

“No Deal” on Concord Naval Weapons Station

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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

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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

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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.

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.

Search for the newest homes for sale in Concord by map (click the map below):

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

Concord Naval Weapons Station News – 01/06/2020

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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

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Get Ready for the Rainy Season photo

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.

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.

Search for the newest homes for sale in Concord by map (click the map below):

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

PG&E Planned Power Outage

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Map Showing PG&E's planned outage beginning October 9th, 2019.
Map Showing PG&E’s planned outage beginning October 9th

Based on the map from the MercuryNews.com website, Dana Estates may be affected by a power outage on Wednesday 10/9 starting at midnight.

Unfortunately, PG&E’s website has also gone down, but check there for updates.

Below is a graphic from PG&E with information on what to plan for with the power outage.

Good luck neighbors!

PG&E to Hold Wildfire Safety Open House

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On Thursday, July 11, PG&E will be holding an open house to address wildfire safety in response to growing concerns over recent fires.

The open house will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gardens at Heather Farms, Camellia Room, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94598.

Contra Costa residents are welcome to “drop in any time between 6 and 8 p.m. to meet with PG&E representatives, ask questions and share feedback.”

View more information on the PG&E Wildfire Safety Open House here.

Topics discussed at the Open House will include:

  • Expansion of the Public Safety Power Shutoff program
  • Accelerated safety inspections of electric infrastructure
  • Hardening the electric system for the future by replacing equipment and installing stronger and more resilient poles and covered power lines

Visit the Selling Dana Estates Real Estate Blog for more news and tips for residents of Contra Costa County.

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

Is Concord Naval Weapons Station a Prospective CSU Campus Site?

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According to a recent CBS report, the former Concord Naval Weapons Station is currently under consideration to be the newest campus location for California State University. Concord was announced on Tuesday as one of five potential CSU locations by California Assemblymember Timothy Grayson (D-Concord) and state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda).

Concord has been granted $2 million by the state of California to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed location. The city has already established 120 acres in the northeast corner of the base for public higher education, making the CSU campus an ideal geographical fit for the location. Locations competing with Concord for the CSU bid include San Mateo, Stockton, Chula Vista and Palm Desert.

Want to stay in the loop? Follow our Concord Real Estate blog for updates on the Concord Naval Weapons Station and other local real estate news.

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