The development site is approximately 4.6 acres of land owned by the County and located on the northwest corner of Marsh Drive and Solano Way on the north side of Buchanan Field Airport. The parcel is commonly referred to as “Parcel C” and is designated for non-aviation use on the Buchanan Field Master Plan. The parcel is partially (approximately 20%) within the unincorporated County and the balance (approximately 80%) is within the City of Concord. As such, on July 20, 2016, the Board approved an agreement between Contra Costa County and the City of Concord regarding the entitlement process for development of this parcel and the apportionment of tax revenues.
On December 6, 2016, the Board authorized Airports Staff to negotiate lease terms with another entity. Unfortunately, the other entity was unable to proceed with its proposed development and they withdrew its development interest on March 9, 2018.
On March 13, 2018, the Contra Costa County Public Works – Airports Division proactively solicited and advertised for development interest in the 4.6-acre site. The competitive solicitation process was consistent with the FAA Airports District Office’s guidance for airport property use. The Airports Division received seven (7) letters of interest from private parties to develop the subject site.
On April 16, 2018, Airports Division staff distributed a RFP to select a master developer to the seven interested parties. The proposals and a $25,000 development deposit were due on May 25, 2018. The Airports Division received two complete proposals, one from Montecito Commercial Group, LLC and a joint proposal from StoragePRO, Inc. and the Deutscher Properties Corporation.
A Selection Committee comprised of Airports Division staff, a member of the Aviation Advisory Committee, and a City of Concord staff member was convened to review and rank the two proposals. The ranking outcome was the proposal submitted by StoragePRO, Inc. and Deutscher Properties Corporation was unanimously ranked first and the proposal Montecito Commercial Group, LLC was ranked second. They have been meeting with the City of Concord to proceed through the environmental process. On June 26, 2018, the Board authorized County staff to negotiate a lease and development terms with the respondents in ranked order.
Development of this 4.6-acre vacant parcel for commercial use would expand economic development activity at Buchanan Field Airport and lead to increased revenues for the Airport Enterprise Fund. This development will also facilitate the growth and development as identified in the adopted Buchanan Field Airport Master Plan. A business proposal must be consistent with the Airport Master Plan and General Plan for consideration.
The Claremont Companies, LLC has replaced StoragePRO, Inc. in the development partnership with Deutscher Properties Corporation.
Geotechnical work has been performed on the site. The project site plan, design, landscaping, and other development application components are underway. The team submitted a development application to the City of Concord in October 2019, and the application is proceeding through the entitlement process County staff has negotiated lease and development terms with the development team. The project has been reviewed and approved by the City of Concord’s Design Review Board The project proponent has been working with the City of Concord staff to address land use and aesthetic issues.
The project was reviewed by the City of Concord’s Planning Commission on September 1, 2021, and it was carried over to their October 6, 2021, meeting to provide the developer additional time to determine if it was feasible to install a Class II bike lane along the entire parcel perimeter. The Marsh Bridge project design, however, impacts a large portion of the westerly parcel perimeter on Marsh Drive and the project cannot be delayed to accommodate a redesign for a Class II bike lane in the impacted area. The Planning Commission voted to approve the project at their October 6, 2021 meeting.
The Board of Supervisors reviewed and approved the lease at their February 1, 2022 meeting. The lease has been fully executed and the effective date is February 1, 2022.
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