Antioch Council to consider location for five FEMA trailers for homeless Tuesday night

The five trailers currently stored in the City’s maintenance yard. Herald file photo.

Planning Commission recommends using state owned Contra Costa Event Center (fairgrounds) instead of one of three city owned properties.

By Allen Payton

During their regular meeting this next Tuesday night, June 23, the Antioch City Council will finally have the opportunity to decide where to locate the five Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers donated by the state to help with the homeless crisis. The City received the trailers on March 2, just two weeks before the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order was issued by the county, which according to Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts has delayed the matter. (See related article) The matter was also delayed because the council wanted to hear from the Antioch Planning Commission on the matter, first.

City staff has offered three different city owned properties for locating the trailers, including one on Fitzuren Road next to Highway 4, between Contra Loma Blvd. and G Street; one on W. 10th Street in the parking lot of the Rivertown Resource Center, and one on Wilbur Avenue in the industrial part of the city. However, the Antioch Planning Commission opposed each of them for various reasons. See full city staff report, here: Emergency Shelter Trailers Location Options ACC062320

The commissioners heard the matter on June 3 and according to the city staff report, “passed a resolution recommending that the City Council make the proposed text amendments but did not recommend that any of the proposed sites be rezoned to include the ES (Emergency Shelter) Zoning Overlay. The Planning Commission sited concerns about each of these properties. On the Fitzuren (Road) site, the Commission expressed concerns about the proximity to Highway 4 and the associated noise and pollution. On the (West) 10th Street site, the Commission was concerned about the loss of parking for the adjacent community center. At the Fulton Shipyard (Road) site, the Commission felt that the shared use with heavy City operations and the associated truck traffic was inappropriate for family housing, along with the lack of nearby services. The Planning Commission suggested that staff pursue use of the Contra Costa County Event Center (fairgrounds) RV Park for these trailers.” (See map and information on each location, below).

The City has issued a request for proposal to hire a non-profit organization to oversee the management of the trailer program and needs that contract in place before moving anyone into the trailers. The target population for the trailers are homeless families with children attending Antioch Unified School District schools.

The matter is item 6 on the agenda. The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. and can be viewed livestream on the City’s website or on Comcast Local Cable Channel 24. To submit a comment for this or any other item for Tuesday’s council meeting agenda, please use the form on the city’s webpage, here.


the attachments to this post:


FEMA Trailers City Property 3


FEMA Trailers City Property 2


FEMA Trailers City Property 1


Emergency Shelter Trailers Location Options ACC062320


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