City agrees to delay meeting over Naval Weapons Station
CONCORD: Move gives council, military more time to discuss site and possible sale of land

By Tanya Rose
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Rep. George Miller, who weeks ago begged the U.S. Navy not to yank planning authority over the shuttered Concord Naval Weapons Station from local leaders, is now asking Concord to support a Navy-requested delay.

What's more, Mayor Mark Peterson announced at Tuesday's City Council meeting that the city has agreed, despite the fact that it will put off the city's planning efforts for one more month.

Miller, whose district includes the base, asked that the city support a 30-day extension on the Navy's "surplusing," which is the process deeming it formally closed and available for development. That decision was supposed to happen Dec. 21, and now it will happen Jan. 22.

That date triggers the city's legal ability to move forward with its next planning and public outreach phases. Until it happens, Concord is in a sort of planning limbo, officials have said in the past.

Peterson and City Manager Lydia Du Borg said the extension, supported by the Navy, will give the city and the Navy more time to volley written questions and answers back and forth regarding the 5,170-acre base -- and the Navy's recent announcement that it might sell the base to a private company.

"This will give us all more time to collect information," Peterson said.

On Nov. 13, the Navy announced it was considering trading the base to the Louisiana-based Shaw Group in exchange for about $1 billion in military construction projects elsewhere. City officials -- along with Miller and Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo -- were outraged, saying a sale at this point in the base closure process would circumvent Concord's federally mandated planning role. Usually, a sale of base land doesn't happen until the surrounding community has put together its blueprint -- in Concord, likely a mixture of open space, housing and businesses.

Along with the information exchange that will happen between Navy officials and city staff during the next month, Peterson said a personal meeting will take place between him, Vice Mayor Bill Shinn and Navy officials. After that, the full council, Navy officials and the public will meet.

Councilwoman Helen Allen said she'd like all meetings to happen publicly, with the entire council.

"I trust the mayor with all my heart, but I'd like to hear the information with my own ears," she said. "I want to make sure there's no misinterpretation, and this is such an important issue."

This will be the second time the Navy has put off the surplus determination. The first date was Nov. 9.

Reach Tanya Rose at 9250943-8345 or trose@cctimes.com.