Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Levee Project celebration in Richmond Tues. Aug. 29

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Kickoff event involves local youth in North Richmond

September marks the beginning of a significant flood control and water conservation project in North Richmond.  Last winter’s storms heightened the entire bay area’s awareness of the need for creek improvements and level projects, as we saw flooding in places we wouldn’t ordinarily expect it.  The Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Levee Project will raise and improve the existing levee system in the area, reducing the risk of flooding and recertifying flood protection capability for the community.   Contra Costa County is leveraging grant funding to make these improvements.

On August 29th, County and community leaders and volunteers will be on hand at the Urban Tilth Farm near the project site preparing for the work.  The County Flood Control District is partnering with Urban Tilth, a local non-profit organization, to employ local youths to work on vegetation management for this project.  Additional benefits will include protecting and preserving natural creek resources with litter cleanup, the removal of nonnative invasive species, and job training for the local youth.

WHO: Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, Office of Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, Deputy Public Works Director Mike Carlson, community partners and local youth

WHAT: Community Kickoff for the Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Levee Project

WHEN: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 12:00 p.m. (staff onsite until 2:00 p.m.)

WHERE: Urban Tilth Farm, 323 Brookside Drive, Richmond

Young Democrats to host Town Hall meetings with Rep. DeSaulnier, local officials

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High school and community college students will have opportunity to engage political leaders

Contra Costa students will have a special opportunity to meet and engage local elected officials next month for a new series of town halls hosted by the Contra Costa Young Democrats. These forums seek to build a stronger relationship between the officials and the students, while sparking the interest of our next generation’s political leaders. Topics will include current hot-button issues such as immigration, criminal justice reform, education, and whatever else students may ask.

“Politics is about more than just showing up to vote when you turn 18,” said Contra Costa Young Democrats Student Outreach Coordinator N’dea Johnson. “Speaking with and learning from elected officials at a young age can foster a lifetime of engagement, which is critical to our political process. This is about engaging students now in order to build our next generation of leaders.”

The two town halls are currently scheduled for August 24th and September 7th. The first, featuring Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, will be sponsored by Diablo Valley College’s speech and debate team and held on campus for local community college students. Details below:

What: College Town Hall

When: Thursday, August 24, 2017 @ 4pm (Free food at 3:30pm)

Where: Diablo Valley College Cafeteria, Pleasant Hill

**IMPORTANT: You must RSVP to sean@cocoyoungdems.org in advance for this event**

The second town hall on September 7th will be hosted at John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond will feature a panel of local elected officials, currently including El Cerrito Councilmember Gabriel Quinto, Richmond Councilmember Jael Myrick, Former Richmond Planning Commission Chair Sheryl Lane, local education advocate Demnlus Johnson and West Contra Costa School Board Member Mister Phillips. All CCC students, middle college students, and middle school students of West Contra Costa are invited.

What: Back to School Town Hall

When: Thursday, September 7, 2017 @ 5pm (Free food at 4:30)

Where: John F. Kennedy High School, Richmond

Residents call for reforms to Contra Costa animal shelters in Martinez and Pinole

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An online petition requesting an audit of the Contra Costa Animal Services (CCAS) Department was delivered this week to the Board of Supervisors. CCAS maintains animal shelters in Martinez and Pinole.

The petition cites problems of inadequate veterinary care, unsanitary conditions, insufficient staffing, substandard behavior assessments, and cramped conditions that negatively impact the well-being of the housed pets.

Currently the shelters are experiencing outbreaks of highly contagious and often fatal diseases – canine parvovirus and feline panleukopenia. Dogs have been exposed to distemper with wards shut down to the public.

The several thousand petition signors maintain that CCAS and the County have been notified of the severe, chronic problems but have not provided or implemented a meaningful response.

An audit will identify the urgent problems, recommend immediate corrections and provide a roadmap to guarantee that the dogs and cats housed at the shelters receive adequate care.

The petition reads as follows:

“As reported on by the ABC7 Bay Area News Team  on June 1, 2017 at http://abc7news.com/pets/i-team-exclusive-critics-say-contra-costa-co-animal-shelter-overwhelmed/2061936/, Contra Costa Animal Services (CCAS) is drastically failing in its stated mission to provide humane care for the dogs and other animals at its Martinez and Pinole shelters. CCAS is a taxpayer funded local public agency and its failure is both obvious and inexcusable.

  • Healthy dogs are becoming sick and even dying unnecessarily due to chronically understaffed, insufficiently monitored and inadequate veterinary care.
  • Stressed, scared, shy, anxious and/or untrained dogs are being deemed unadoptable due to invalid and outdated behavior evaluation methods.
  • Dogs are suffering in cramped conditions and are not being provided with adequate walks, exercise, interaction or other stimulation all of which lessens their chances for adoption.
  • Far too many dogs are being euthanized purely due to overcrowding and kennel stress, with inadequate steps being taken to improve or relieve these conditions.

The dog pictured at the top of this petition, Thompson #A872494, is a single example of an animal who arrived at the CCAS shelter in good health in January 2017 then was dying of untreated pneumonia only days later.

Community members, volunteers and other concerned citizens have repeatedly contacted CCAS staff, the county administrator and members of the Board of Supervisors about the severe, chronic problems and shortcomings including failure to properly evaluate animals; failure to provide animals with needed veterinary care and basic humane housing conditions; failure to institute and follow reasonable and appropriate procedures for the care and housing of animals; failure to comply with applicable State of California laws requiring the release of animals to appropriate rescue groups; and euthanizing dogs unnecessarily and arbitrarily.

As signors of this petition, we share these grave concerns about this ongoing, intractable failure to provide an acceptable level of humane treatment to the homeless animals of our county which CCAS is mandated to shelter.

We therefore request that a thorough assessment by a qualified independent third party be conducted forthwith to ensure that all animals in CCAS custody are cared for in a proper and humane manner. This assessment must include a complete audit of CCAS policies, procedures and current practices leading to specific recommendations for change, with mechanisms to ensure that the recommendations will be prioritized, implemented in a time manner and maintained in full effect going forward.

The residents of Contra Costa County need, want, deserve and demand a shelter that takes full advantage of modern methods for animal care and sheltering including appropriate efforts to save the lives of our companion animals. We the signors of this petition insist that our public officials act seriously and expeditiously to bring Contra Costa Animal Services to a place where it will be the same kind of compassionate, transparent, efficient and accountable lifesaving shelter that is being achieved in other jurisdictions.”

The petition and comments can be viewed at https://www.change.org/p/contra-costa-county-board-of-supervisors-request-for-investigation-audit-of-contra-costa-animal-services-martinez-pinole-shelters

Contra Costa Fire holds Line-of-Duty Death Remembrance, Friday morning

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Contra Costa Firefighters perform the HAKA Dance, during the remembrance ceremony, Friday morning. Screenshot of video from ConFire Facebook page.

On Thursday morning, July 21, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District hosted a public ceremony at the Training and Education Division to mark the ten-year anniversary of the Line-of-Duty Deaths of Captain Matt Burton and Engineer Scott Desmond. The two firefighters lost their lives as they tried unsuccessfully to rescue a couple from their burning home in unincorporated San Pablo, July 21, 2007.

A seemingly routine call for help quickly turned disastrous with four lives lost, and left the 300-member Contra Costa County Fire Protection District reeling from the first on-duty deaths in its history. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Capt. Matt Burton, 34, of Concord, Fire Engineer Scott Desmond, 37, of Brentwood, and residents Delbert Moore, 67, and Gayle Moore, 62, died in the blaze.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the District produced a comprehensive report of the factors that lead to the deaths of Burton and Desmond. This report has guided the operations and training of the department, and led to many changes that have improved firefighter safety for current and future firefighters. Now ten years later, the District is drafting a second report reviewing each of the original 115 recommendations, providing an honest assessment of the progress and improvements the department has made, while at the same time identifying remaining items to be addressed.

Contra Costa County is a very culturally diverse community. Many cultures celebrate life and death in their respective ways.

In Polynesian, the Maori culture from New Zealand dances the HAKA. Originally a war dance calling on the spirit of ancestors for strength, the HAKA has evolved into a dance that promotes morale in a community. It is performed at weddings, graduations and celebrations of all occasions.

During the ceremony firefighters honored their family members with the Contra Costa County Fire HAKA. 

To see video of the dance, visit the ConFire Facebook page by clicking, here.

San Pablo man arrested for attempted murder in North Richmond, Thursday

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On Thursday, July 20, 2017, at about 6:22 PM, Office of the Sheriff dispatch received a report of a gunshot victim on the ground near Truman Street and Chesley Avenue in North Richmond. Deputy Sheriffs arrived to find a 12-year-old boy who was shot. He was airlifted to a local hospital and is said to be in stable condition.

The suspect vehicle was seen leaving the area and was stopped by Deputy Sheriffs. The suspect was arrested. He is identified as 20-year-old Javier Flores of San Pablo. He was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and participating in a gang. He is being held in lieu of $570,000 bail.

The investigation into this case is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 313-2500. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Sheriff gets green light to build $95 million West County jail project

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The white topped buildings show the approved expansion of the West Contra Costa Detention Facility.

Supervisors consider Grand Jury Report on East Contra Costa Fire Protection District

By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston exited the County Administration Building in Martinez the victor on Tuesday when county supervisors voted 4-1 to spend $25 million in general funds towards the construction of the controversial West Contra Costa County Reentry, Treatment, and Housing Facility in north Richmond. Only District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond voted no.

As the Sheriff left the building, a cluster of opponents to the project, chanted, “We Shall Overcome.”

Supervisors had agreed to spend county funds of which $15 million comes from the General Fund Reserve, $4.5 million from the Sheriff’s Plant Acquisition Account, and $2.5 million from the 2011 Local Revenue Fund upon learning the county was awarded $70 million in Senate Bill 844 Jail Construction funding from the California Board of State and Community Corrections on June 8.  In addition, $3.2 million of 2011 In-Kind Match Land Value funds will be allocated for the project.

Two years ago Livingston was unsuccessful in securing SB 844 funding for the jail project when the county’s application was disqualified by the state corrections agency, but this time around the county’s application sailed through without difficulty, he told supervisors.

“It comes as no secret that I will vote no on this project,” said Gioia.  “Spending $15 million of general fund money is inappropriate.”

The supervisor said this jail project has started a movement to “shift money from enforcement to prevention” in the community, a statement a number of community speakers had pleaded supervisors do numerous times over the past several months.

See the Sheriff’s presentation to the Supervisors, here: West County Detention Facility expansion presentation

Obviously, the community push to spend county public money on community health programs instead on a county jail project that would provide mental health services for inmates fell apart.

Board Chair Federal Glover of Pittsburg disagreed with Gioia, saying, “I’m always on the prevention side.  This will give those in our jail a pathway.  They need programs where they can get another opportunity and find necessary tools to make it in the world when they are released.”

“We need to find ways to prevent and divert people from going to jail,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood.  “People want services, not jail cells.  I understand that.”

Even then Burgis decided to spend the general fund money to construct the jail addition in north Richmond.

For five minutes District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville read a list of community based behavioral health organizations such as the North Richmond Center for Health, West County Health Center, Bay Point Family Health Center, Pittsburg Health Center and Willow Pass Wellness Centers which all receive a piece of the $253 million in public funds that the board of supervisors spends each year.

While Andersen listed the county backed mental organizations, opponents turned their backs to her in protest.

“I want you to know I have been out in the community,” said Andersen,” I’ve talked to people on both sides of the issue.  There are many people who want this project to move forward, but are not here to speak.  Those of you with your signs don’t want to listen to the truth.”

District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff concurred with Andersen.  “I’ve been in public office 14 years,” said  Mitchoff, “We have been listening.  This board has been putting millions of dollars into mental health programs in our communities.”

Mitchoff also said the board of supervisors had nothing to do with the April 2015 closure of Doctor’s Medical Center in San Pablo, a topic that infrequently popped up sporadically during the public hearings.  The San Pablo hospital closed in April 2015 when a parcel tax measure placed by the hospital’s owner, the nonprofit West Contra Costa Health Care District, failed to gain a two-thirds voter approval in a May 2014 ballot by mail election.

There were plenty of speakers voicing disapproval over the jail project.  Sixty-five of the 70 speakers opposed the jail project.  Some speakers urged supervisors to delay making a decision over concerns the supervisors were being influenced to approve the funding because Sheriff Livingston had secured the SB 844 funding from the state.

Supervisors did not elaborate, but they said they were not swayed by the Sheriff-Coroner Office to approve the local funding portion for the jail project.

Gordon Miller insisted public money should be spent on mental health programs outside the jail.  “It’s like putting lipstick on a pig,” he said in reference to the planned West Contra Costa County Reentry, Treatment and Housing Facility project.

“I want to understand why four out five of supervisors are on the wrong side on this issue,” said Kaiser nurse Susie Riley.  “Mental health is the civil rights issue of our time.”

But County Mental Health Commissioner Karen Cohen of Walnut Creek, a mother of a mentally ill child, called on supervisors to approve the $25 million allocation so that the county can build the 416-bed jail expansion.  “Do the right thing and move the project forward,” she said.

The project will provide 416 beds of which 320 beds will be for high security prisoners and 96 beds for behavioral health inmates, Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston told supervisors.  The new facility will replace 420 beds in the existing Martinez jail.

While informing supervisors his department does not conduct United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps or participate in any other ICE activities, Livingston said his department has since 1992 provided beds for ICE arrestees.

“We receive $6 million a year in revenue from the federal government for that ICE contract and I won’t walk away from that kind of money,” Livingston said.

Grand Jury Report on East Contra Costa Fire Protection District

County officials will respond to at least two recommendations and one finding the Contra Costa County Civil Grand Jury has requested the board of supervisors respond to concerning the financially troubled East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

Supervisors accepted the report at Tuesday’s board meeting, but did not comment on the report.

After closing five of the eight fire stations under the ECCFPD’s jurisdiction in 2009, the grand jury listed nine recommendations of which the county is responsible to respond to two recommendations.

One recommendation states: “The County should consider adopting a policy to collect impact fees from all developers of residential and commercial properties to fund capital improvements that will be needed to open future stations.”

The second recommendation the county needs to respond to states, “The County should consider adopting a policy to enter into agreements with all developers to establish Community Facility Districts to provide operating revenue for ECCFFD.”

The Grand Jury also wants the county to respond to a finding, “The County does not always require developers of residential and commercial properties establish Community Facility Districts.”

Former Antioch Police Officer and Wife, a Pittsburg Teacher Plead Guilty in Tax Fraud Scheme

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Ana and Gary Bostick. Photo by www.nicolebartonphotography.com

Pittsburg residents face up to 20 year prison sentences; eight others including three more Contra Costa County residents also indicted in conspiracy

OAKLAND – The U.S. Justice Department’s Northern District of California announced, today, Thursday, June 15, 2017 that former Antioch police officer Gary Bostick and his wife, Ana Bostick, pleaded guilty to their respective roles in a scheme to illegally obtain money from the United States announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf.

Also indicted in the conspiracy were nine others, including three other residents of Contra Costa County. The indictment, unsealed on Dec. 9, 2015, charges the following additional defendants:

  • Hugh Robinson, of Richmond
  • Devonnie Davison, of San Pablo
  • Brandon Robinson, of El Cerrito
  • Ronald Blake, of Fort Worth, TX
  • Kyadrian Dennis, of Fort Worth, TX
  • William Odom, of Berkeley
  • Jamia Lewis, of Fairfield
  • Janel McDonald, of Los Angeles
  • Everardo Laurian, of Daly City

According to the indictment, from at least August 21, 2013, through April 27, 2015, the defendants conspired with one another to commit offenses against the United States, including theft of government money.  The scheme involved obtaining the names of deceased individuals, filing false tax returns in the names of the individuals, obtaining false identifications, and illegally cashing U.S. Treasury checks.

(Related press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/eleven-defendants-named-seventy-one-count-indictment-charging-conspiracy-commit-theft)

Gary Bostick, 39, and Ana Bostick, 37, both of Pittsburg, pleaded guilty to their respective roles the conspiracy.  The Honorable Jeffery S. White, United States District Judge, accepted Ana Bostick’s guilty plea on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, and accepted Gary Bostick’s guilty plea this morning. 6/16/17 UPDATE: Gary Bostick worked for the Antioch Police Department from July 30, 2007 to April 29, 2015 according to Nickie Mastay, Director of Human Resources for the City of Antioch. Ana Bostick is listed as a teacher at Black Diamond High School in the Pittsburg Unified School District. But there is no photo or information about her on the school’s webpage. On Friday morning, June 16, 2017, Nicole Mora, District Communications Public Relations Specialist said she had “learned about this, this morning”, was “looking into it” and waiting to speak with the principal and others before commenting. Please check back later for more details.

Then, in a later email received Friday afternoon, Mora released the following statement from the district: “Ana Bostick is employed by Pittsburg Unified School District as a teacher. Her current employment status for the 2017/2018 school year is a personnel matter and we have no other details to release at this time.”

According to the Bosticks’ plea agreements, between January and April of 2015, the conspiracy involved filing false federal income tax returns in order to obtain fraudulent federal income tax refunds and cashing stolen U.S. Treasury checks at Walmart stores throughout the United States.  Specifically, Gary Bostick admitted that in January 2015, he assisted in filing false tax returns with the IRS in the names of deceased individuals.  The defendants obtained names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers from websites such as www.rootsweb.ancestry.com and www.ssnvalidator.com.  In order to receive payment, the conspirators directed the IRS to mail the fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks to addresses he and his co-conspirators could access.  The conspirators cashed the U.S. Treasury checks at various Walmart stores.

Ana Bostick admitted that she aided her co-conspirators by, among other things, cashing two U.S. Treasury checks.  Ana Bostick admitted she requested another co-conspirator to send her photos of the two U.S. Treasury checks so that she could use the information on the checks to obtain fake identification that matched the names.  After obtaining the fake identifications, Ana Bostick cashed the two checks and kept the corresponding funds.

Gary Bostick’s participation in the scheme included traveling with two co-conspirators to Los Angeles to obtain stolen U.S. Treasury checks and then to Walmart stores in various areas, including Kentucky, to cash the checks.  The former police officer acknowledged that he supervised other individuals in the scheme, including managers and runners, who were responsible for cashing the fraudulent or stolen U.S. Treasury checks.  In sum, the conspiracy involved $720,530.40 in stolen U.S. Treasury checks.

On November 15, 2015, a federal grand jury indicted Gary Bostick, Ana Bostick, and their co-conspirators.  For her part in the scheme, Ana Bostick was charged with conspiracy to commit theft of public money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; two counts of theft of public money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641; and two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A.  She pleaded guilty to all charges.  For his part in the scheme, Gary Bostick was charged with conspiracy to commit theft of public money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; four counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and four counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A.  He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and to the wire fraud charges.  Pursuant to the plea agreement, the identity theft charges were dismissed.

Judge White scheduled Gary Bostick’s sentencing for September 19, 2017, and Ana Bostick’s sentencing for November 14, 2017.  The maximum sentence for conspiracy to commit theft of public money is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  The maximum sentence for theft of public money is ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  The maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  The maximum sentence for aggravated identity theft is a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Newman and Jose A. Olivera and Trial Attorney Gregory Bernstein are prosecuting this case with assistance from Jonathan Deville of the Tax Division.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.

County to begin repairs to Alhambra Valley Road washout, June 12th

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Contra Costa County Public Works Director awarded a contract to Flatiron West, Inc. to repair the section of Alhambra Valley Road near Castro Ranch Road and Pinole Valley Road intersection that was washed out during the 2017 winter storms. The work will start on June 12 and is anticipated to be completed by the end of September. The work includes installation of a 60-foot long bridge that will have shoulders for bicycles and pedestrians.

The new bridge over Pinole Creek replaces the 1930’s era 9-foot steel pipe culvert and will allow for unimpeded fish passage, specifically steelhead, in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

For project updates visit the Public Works website at: http://www.cccounty.us/pwdmap.

Protests build against $95 million West County Detention Facility

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Fail to sway Supervisors

By Daniel Borsuk

One-by-one, 64 speakers paraded up to the podium’s microphone, during the board meeting on Tuesday, June 6th, calling on the Contra Costa County Supervisors to overturn their February decision to build the controversial $95 million expansion to the West County Detention Facility in Richmond.

Did the speakers, mostly voicing the need to spend public funds on mental health services outside of jail facilities, convince supervisors to reconsider their action of four months ago?

The answer is most likely not, even though District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of El Cerrito, who was absent at Tuesday’s meeting, had cast the one negative vote in February.  At that time, supervisors had voted 4-1, with Gioia in dissent, to spend $25 million in county funds for the application for the state prison grant.

Supervisors have yet to approve the $70 million grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections.  They could accept the state grant at their meeting later this month, provided the state funding is approved by then.

“Yes, you’ve made up your mind a long time ago,” said Judy Weatherly, a Courageous Resistance of Richmond organization leader.  “I am committed to speak out against you for the rest of my life. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“A jail is not an appropriate place for providing mental health services,” protested Gordy McCoy of RUBICON of Contra Costa County.  He said mental health services need to be provided outside a jail environment where 90 percent of a jail’s population is of color.

A number of other speakers said the county would be better off spending public funds on desperately needed mental health services in the community instead of in a jail facility.

Board Chair Federal Glover of Pittsburg was the only supervisor to speak at the end of the two-hour public comment session.  “The Sheriff is an independently elected office. We only have control over the budget,” he briefly said.

District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville did release to the Contra Costa Herald a copy of an email she has sent to critics about why she supports the jail expansion.

“The unfortunate truth is that when individuals commit crimes they sometimes need to be incarcerated for either their protection or society’s,” she wrote, “and we do not currently have the facilities to treat them and provide the services needed to help them get well and successfully reenter society.  It is impossible to provide these same services in our current jail facilities.”

Supervisor Andersen also cited how the new West County re-entry treatment facility will improve mental health services for inmates by providing comprehensive mental health services to inmates, including for serious offenders requires a higher security setting.

The supervisor also stated the new facility will have a dedicated visitation center separate from the rest of the West County facility and that no “new beds” or new jails are being created.  She wrote 416 beds for West County are replacing 420 beds in the Martinez Detention Center that are being eliminated because of overcrowding.

“Absolutely NO beds are being added for ICE holds,” she wrote

Noisy Animal Ordinance Passes

Supervisors demonstrated they are searching for new streams of revenue in unusual ways by passing a Noise Animal Ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting.  The ordinance was adopted as a consent item.

It’s estimated the new ordinance will draw less than $100,000 in revenue during its initial year of enforcement.

The new ordinance, that goes into effect July 6, means the Contra Costa County Animal Services can cite the owner of a dog in unincorporated Contra Costa County that incessantly barks for more than 30 minutes or intermittently more than 60 minutes day or night.

The fine will be $100 for the first violation, $250 for the second violation, $500 for each violation of the same ordinance within one year.

The ordinance will also apply to owners of roosters and “other noisy animals.”

The ordinance calls for the development of an appeal process.

Supervisors turn focus to high-end housing

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By Daniel Borsuk

The push to build affordable housing in Contra Costa County took a detour when supervisors took two separate actions Tuesday to shore up the county’s housing stock for those with lofty incomes and capable of living in the leafy environs of Lafayette and Kensington.

It was only last month, supervisors had approved a 193-unit, $60 million affordable income apartment development in unincorporated Bay Point at the intersection of Port Chicago Highway and Willow Pass Road.

Lafayette In-Fill Project

Supervisors brushed aside the appeal of Lafayette residents Bruce Last, Hanna Cervenka and Prem Cervenka over the proposed development of nine split level houses on lots in a hilly part of unincorporated Lafayette that would require the removal of 16 trees and 18,000 cubic yards of soil.  Each residential development is projected to sell in excess of $1 million.

The 7.5 – acre site is located at Taylor Boulevard and Gloria Terrace Court.

With lots measuring from 22,600 square feet to 73,301 square feet each, Last, who lives nearby the proposed Gloria Terrace Estates, a joint development of co-owners Gloria Terrace and H. F. Layton, said the hill’s steep slopes presented fire safety access problems for Cal Fire.

“This development presents a fire safety issue with Cal Fire regulations because of the steep slopes where these homes will be constructed,” Last said.

Last also said the split-level design of the proposed new houses are out of character with the area’s single level houses.

Supervisors were informed each house will include sprinklers to minimize fire hazards in the area.  In addition, the hill top will be lowered so that it won’t present privacy problems for those living down the hill.

County Senior Planner Francisco Avila told supervisors since February when the Gloria Terrace Estates was presented to the county planning commission, the developers have agreed to plant 24 new trees because 16 trees will have to be removed for the development.

In addition, the developers, Avila said, agreed to provide six on street parking spaces to help resolve parking problems.  The developers had already agreed to provide three to four guest parking spaces per lot.

New Law Gets Test in Kensington

Some residents in the tony unincorporated community of Kensington are not pleased county supervisors adopted the state’s new law that replaces the term second unit with accessory dwelling unit.

Signed into law, earlier this year, to spark the construction of more housing throughout the Golden State by lowering or eliminating altogether parking requirements while boosting the accessory dwelling unit floor space 30 percent to 50 percent of the attached dwelling unit, the new ordinance is getting its first Contra Costa County test in Kensington, and some residents don’t like what they see coming down the road.

Concerned about potential parking impacts, visual impacts and overcrowding impacts, Kensington resident Joseph Holsom said, “I think this is a step backwards.”

Barbara Holsom predicted there will be other single-family houses like the one she lives across from that will become an Airbnb rental once the county adopts the ADU ordinance that provides more incentives than the old ordinance.  “The owners don’t live there anymore.  The house is used as a motel, “she complained.

Supervisors approved a bulk of the ADU ordinance with the understanding some technical points will be brought back for board action at a later date.