Watchdog: On the Antioch citizens initiative for downtown park and event center

Watchdog-LogoIn June, the Antioch City Council unanimously approved a plan for downtown that envisions a balance of housing (2,173 homes) and commercial construction (575,000 sq. ft. of new retail and office space).

Council however had butted heads with some residents who disagreed with the three options Council considered for the vacant lot, formerly known as the Beede Lumber yard, across from the old Antioch Lumber Company building, which now belongs to a realtor.  The city’s proposed options were:   1) housing – 18 units per acre instead of the 37 unit limit originally planned;  2) a combination of residential or commercial and/or a park;  3) turn the area into a park with space for an event center.

Option 3 runs counter to staff’s recommendation to convert Waldie Plaza into a venue for concerts, festivals and other gatherings.  Note: The city’s general plan designation for the “Yard” is “Rivertown/Urban Waterfront”, which encourages the maintenance of sufficient waterfront amenities in the original downtown (aka “Rivertown”) to attract visitor trade.

Council may already be aware, or shortly will learn about an initiative ordinance to turn the Beede Lumber Yard into a town square. (The parcel is located between E Street, West 2nd Street and West 3rd Street)

The  ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH DESIGNATING THE OLD BEEDE LUMBERYARD SITE AS A TOWN SQUARE was submitted to the City Clerk on January 26th, the intent being that it go to the public for a vote at the next regularly scheduled election, once the necessary signatures are gathered, which would be this November.

As a former member of the Antioch Waterfront Commission, I know there were big plans for that area and I don’t mean high density housing.  Condos were voted down before.


2 Comments to “Watchdog: On the Antioch citizens initiative for downtown park and event center”

  1. Wayne Harrison says:

    To learn more about this effort or to join us by volunteering and/or donating, go to http://www.savetheyard.com

    • Michael Amorosa says:

      This is a must have! The new Antioch Marina took away one of the only parks the Rivertown area had. This proposal would reinstate not only a park and create a true event center, but would aesthetically improve the A/2nd Street gateway into historic Antioch, give the Rivertown residents & businesses the golden opportunity to showcase their beautifully preserved area on the San Joaquin River, and would enhance the environment as a whole, for the far and near. Its a no brainer!

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