Park district moves ahead with Concord Hills

After more than 20 years of community involvement, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) accepted 2,216 acres of former Concord Naval Weapons Station land on July 13 from the Navy for a future regional park. An additional 327 acres are set to transfer to the park district later.“This is a proud moment for the park district and shows the great power of persistence and working together with the community,” said Beverly Lane, who has represented Concord on the EBRPD board since 1994. “The U.S. Navy, National Park Service, city of Concord and Save Mount Diablo have been tremendous partners in this effort,” she added.

On July 2, the park board authorized EBRPD to accept conveyance of the property and fee title ownership. Transfer of ownership should take six months.“Park development is expected to take several years and will require significant financial resources. There is no timetable on development,” said general manager Robert Doyle. “The public will have access to great future park amenities, including a visitor center, staging areas, access points and miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking and nature viewing,” he noted. EBRPD is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning. More than 25 million people visit annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties.