Unnecessary fourth vote by the people could have at the most only stopped 877 homes remaining to be approved; would have downzoned private property by over 97%, from 2 homes per acre down to 1 home per 80 acres – unfair, unAmerican, and an “illegal taking” of land

By Allen Payton

Antioch residents have the opportunity to vote on Measure T on the November ballot because a judge told the Antioch City Council they had to place it there. But, since that ruling, Gov. Newsom signed into law SB330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019.

According to the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, “This bill, until January 1, 2025, with respect to land where housing is an allowable use, except as specified, would prohibit a county or city, including the electorate exercising its local initiative or referendum power, in which specified conditions exist, determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development as provided, from enacting a development policy, standard, or condition, as defined, that would have the effect of (A) changing the land use designation or zoning of a parcel or parcels of property to a less intensive use or reducing the intensity of land use within an existing zoning district below what was allowed under the general plan or specific plan land use designation and zoning ordinances of the county or city as in effect on January 1, 2018.”

What that means is even if Measure T passes, it will have no effect on the remaining four parcels of land on the west side of Deer Valley Road in the Sand Creek Area that have had a 2-home per acre zoning designation since the 1980’s and officially since 2005.

So, why is Measure T on the ballot?

Because in early 2018 out-of-town environmentalists with a few Antioch residents who supported their efforts, pushed forward the Let Antioch Voters Decide: The Sand Creek Protection Initiative. They were trying to stop about 2,000 homes by moving in the city’s Urban Limit Line and downzoning all the property west of Deer Valley Road to just one home per 80 acres – a 97.4% decrease in housing units and devaluation of property.

But the proponents lied to Antioch residents to get them to sign the petitions telling them they could stop 8,000 homes. Yet, they knew that only 4,000 homes were allowed in the Sand Creek Area since the city council voted for that amount in the City’s General Plan in 2005.

The fact is by 2018, 1,174 homes had already been approved on the east side of Deer Valley Road. Plus, another 350 are planned on the eastern edge of the area, 121 homes planned north of Kaiser, and 301 senior homes are planned in a gated community in the hills south of Kaiser, for a total of 1,946 homes. That left only 2,054 homes that the initiative might have been able to stop – because it only affects the west side of Deer Valley Road.

Richland Development, the proponents of The Ranch project with its 1,177 homes on the west side of Deer Valley Road, launched their own initiative to get the voters to approve their project, but also threw their neighboring four properties under the bus downzoning them to one home per 80 acres, as well. Although they gathered enough signatures and the council adopted their initiative in 2018, a judge threw it out. Instead, in June of this year, the city council voted unanimously to approve The Ranch project and the environmentalists did not oppose it. In fact, they praised the project for protecting hillsides and the 250-foot setbacks to Sand Creek. (See related article)

So, that leaves only 877 homes that can still be approved in the Sand Creek area. Not 8,000 or even 4,000.

History of New Homes Planned for the Sand Creek Area

The bottom line is homes have been planned for the Sand Creek Area since the 1980’s when the city council and staff started drawing up plans and communicating with the landowners. Then we the people voted – three times, telling the landowners homes could be built on their property. Developers started making option payments on some of the land as early as 1989.

Beginning in the mid-1990’s 8,950 homes were planned in the Sand Creek Area, then known as Future Urban Area 1 (FUA-1) and 700 homes were proposed for the Roddy Ranch development for a total of 9,650 homes. But that number was reduced to 4,700 homes total by the City Council in 2003.

1990 – First Vote of the People Allowing New Homes in Sand Creek Area

Yet, what they call open space has actually been owned by developers for 20 or more years, since we the people of the county voted in 1990 for an Urban Limit Line and placed it along the ridgeline on the south side of the former Roddy Ranch Golf Club. That vote cut off 65% of the land in the county from subdivision development. The Sand Creek area land is inside the other 35% of the land where it’s allowed.

2005 – Second Vote of the People Allowing New Homes in Sand Creek Area

Then after the Board of Supervisors moved the ULL in and cut out the Roddy Ranch property, in 2005, we the people of Antioch voted to move the ULL back out and establishing Antioch’s own ULL. Known as Measure K, it passed by almost 60% of Antioch voters.

2007 – Third Vote of the People Allowing New Homes in Sand Creek Area

Then in 2007, the county had another vote on the Urban Limit Line to confirm its location. The line remained in the same place. So, once again we the people voted to allow new home construction in the Sand Creek area.

Land is Owned by Developers, It’s Not Open Space

That’s why for over 20 years the land in the Sand Creek Area has been owned by developers, waiting for the right time in the market to get their projects approved and build their voter allowed new home subdivisions.

But they missed the market, twice and faced the 2008 economic downturn. Yet, in the meantime, Highway 4 was widened through Antioch, the Highway 4 bypass/extension was built to Balfour Road in Brentwood and BART opened in our city. All the internal major streets in Antioch and highways were designed with 12,000 homes planned for the Sand Creek Area and south. Yet now that the Roddy Ranch is permanent open space, so those 700 homes planned for half-acre lots inside a gated community on 900 acres inside the ULL, will not be built.

11th Hour Effort to Stop the Sand Creek Area Homes

Then, just as three of the remaining five property owners were ready to move forward with their plans for final approval by the City Council, the environmentalists tried to stop them with their initiative. Worse, even though the Zeka Ranch was ready to submit plans in 2017, they were advised by City staff to hold off until The Ranch project on the east side of the old Empire Mine Road submitted their plans, so they could coordinate on road alignments. So, The Zeka Group held off. In the meantime, the two initiatives moved forward, and both gathered enough signatures to be placed on the ballot. Instead the five members of the City Council chose to adopt both initiatives instead of placing them on the ballot.

Why Can Brentwood Have Nice Homes & Gated Communities, But Not Antioch?

They didn’t stop the nice, upscale, senior and gated communities, and even million-dollar homes from being built in Brentwood. But they don’t want Antioch to have them? Why not? People who live in Antioch want to live here, move up to a nicer home, or to a senior community and not have to move out of town, like some of our former city leaders have actually done – to Brentwood.

Plus, the homes in the Sand Creek Area on the west side of Deer Valley Road won’t be built for five to 10 years, because the sewer line has to be extended from the east end of the valley. Also, all the homes will pay the regional traffic impact fee of $15,000 each, and a new, annual police funding assessment, yet they won’t have the impact on crime and police services as other parts of Antioch. That’s just a fact.

The best part is that the types of homes planned for the Zeka Ranch project will attract business owners and executives to Antioch to bring their companies and jobs to the 200-acre area near Laurel Road, that the city council I was a part of set aside in 1998 for employment and commercial uses.

Here’s What’s Really Been Going On

The environmentalists and the East Bay Regional Park District lust for the Zeka Ranch and its 640 acres adjacent to the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. Although they could build 1,280 homes on the property based on the two homes per acre zoning designation, The Zeka Group, owner of the Zeka Ranch, originally planned about 1,100 homes. The park district threatened to sue the City of Antioch if they allowed that, so Zeka chose to be a good neighbor and reduce their total to 750 homes. But that wasn’t good enough. Park district representatives drew an arbitrary line on Zeka’s property and said they could build homes in that area. (See map top). The Zeka Group, led by Antioch homeowner Louisa Zee Kao, chose not to fight and scaled down her project again, this time to just 337 units on 200 of her 640 acres. Yet, that’s still too many for the environmentalists and what they’ve written into Measure T which would downzone the property to just eight homes, total! Why? So, the park district can buy it for pennies on the dollar. That’s what the environmentalists tried to do a few years ago by asking The Zeka Group to sell their land at a deep discount to another developer to be used as open space, at a price much lower than the $30 million they’ve spent to purchase it, as well as the costs for creating the plans and going through the city approval process.

Taking of Land

That’s what is called an illegal taking of land. That’s why The Zeka Group won in court twice and both The Ranch initiative and the environmentalists’ Sand Creek initiative were thrown out in 2019. The judge said the council couldn’t adopt The Ranch initiative the way it was written. He also said the Let Antioch Voters Decide initiative, (which is ironic, since the environmentalists got the five council members to decide by adopting it in 2018, circumventing the voters) had to be placed on this November’s ballot. (See related articles, here and here)

SB330 Makes Moot Measure T

But the initiative is moot – has no meaning and will have no impact – due to the language in SB330. Even if Measure T could go into effect, it’s just wrong, unfair and frankly unAmerican. How would you like it if you followed the rules, bought some property, spent money on plans within the limits allowed and just as you’re ready to get your approval to build, the rules are changed on you and now your property is worth 2.5% of what you paid for it? I doubt you would like it or think it’s fair. But, that’s what Measure T is attempting to do to four property owners in Antioch.

Fortunately, that can’t happen and the Yes on T campaign is really a waste of time and their supporters’ funds. Yet the environmentalists are still trying to deceive the voters of Antioch hoping that you’ll vote for Measure T to send a message to future council members to not approve the remaining 877 homes. However, if a future council votes against the Zeka Ranch project or any others on the remaining parcels in the next five years, the City will be on the hook for having to purchase the land at the fair market. That could cost Antioch taxpayers millions of dollars. So, save our tax dollars, don’t take their land, and vote No on Measure T. To learn more, visit the No on Measure T page on this website.

In an email on Sunday, the Antioch Police Officers Association sent out the following message to Antioch residents:

Voters may have received a mailer from Mayor candidate Lamar Thorpe claiming he is for greater law enforcement efforts in Antioch. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

There is a reason the Antioch Police Officers’ Association has endorsed the re-election of Mayor Sean Wright and NOT Lamar Thorpe. Mr. Thorpe’s vision for the future of Antioch will INCREASE CRIME, increase our HOMELESS POPULATION and lead to further blight in our City. Here’s what we know:

Lamar Thorpe is the leader in the effort to DEFUND the Antioch Police, which would be devastating to our effort to fight crime in our community.

Lamar Thorpe initiated the proposal to turn the Executive Inn Motel on E. 18th and Cavallo into permanent housing for the homeless. This motel is 1/4 mile from 4 Antioch Schools and the Antioch Youth Sports Complex. We think this will only attract more crime to this vulnerable area.

Lamar Thorpe voted against accepting a Department of Justice yearly grant of $750,000 to return School Resource Officers to 6 Antioch schools where we need them most.

In contrast, Mayor Sean Wright has added 20+ new police officers (we’re now at 118) to the Antioch Police Department. He opposes Lamar Thorpe’s homeless motel and voted to accept the grant to further protect our students.

What happens this election is extremely important for the future of Antioch. Please join us in supporting Mayor Sean Wright’s re-election. Thank you.

Antioch Police Officers’ Association

Dear Editor,

I have followed the Antioch City Council for years (and I am certainly no stranger to the public comment podium). Experience teaches that the important issues facing our city are surprisingly complicated. Success requires being open minded, communication, intelligent decision making, and experience seeking solutions that are right for Antioch. Taking into account these vital qualities, and in light of the challenges facing our city, I am certain that the right person for Mayor of Antioch continues to be Sean Wright.

Sean Wright’s only political ambition is to be Antioch’s mayor; he is not using our city as a steppingstone for future political aspirations. In other words, he puts Antioch’s interests first. Mayor Wright is not beholden to any political party bosses, hence we need not worry about our city becoming a hobby horse for outside interests that will force Antioch down failed paths and someone else’s agenda. I have always been impressed with Mayor Wright’s in-depth knowledge of the issues, no doubt the product of his ability reach out and listen to people. His livelihood is here in Antioch, his children attend Antioch public schools, active in the Chamber of Commerce – these are just a few examples of how Sean Wright is deeply rooted in Antioch and committed to its success.

Especially important in these difficult times is that Sean Wright is transparent. There are no hidden agendas, no backroom deals, no maneuvering to pack the City Council with allies or employees, and no smear campaigns promulgating lies. Such antics will only serve to divide our city and call into question the motivations of their perpetrators.

I am voting to re-elect Sean Wright as Mayor of Antioch. With all sincerity I ask that you vote for him too. I guess you could say, “I like Wright.”

With Kind Regards,

Dr. Jeffrey Klingler

Antioch Resident (22 years)

Filed felony looting case, refers low-level drug cases to behavioral health care system for treatment

Dear Antioch Residents:

“The most dangerous untruths are truths slightly distorted.” Recently, Sean Wright, the Mayor of Antioch has made repeated distorted untruths about the District Attorney office policies, and about my record as your District Attorney. To have an elected official, make distorted truths, and then hide his head in the sand and refuse to learn the true facts is troubling to say the least. I take transparency and accountability very seriously, as any elected official should.

Facts matter. First, the Mayor bought a political smear hit piece from a biased website about looting. He never reached out to me to find out what my office guidelines actually require.  The guidelines do not prohibit the filing of any looting case – in fact, just recently, we filed a felony looting case. The truth is, my office guidelines assist prosecutors in making the distinction between thefts and burglaries that merely happen while we are in the pandemic, and lootings which are substantially motivated by a state of emergency. The guidelines are on the District Attorney website. I encourage you to read them. (See related article)

Second, your mayor attacked our office policies regarding low-level, stand alone drug cases. (See related article) What he fails to mention is that initially these cases are referred to the behavioral health care system for treatment. Please do not forget the failed policies of the War on Drugs. Arresting citizens for possession of small amounts of drugs, taking them to jail, and releasing them without treatment ensures that these individuals will soon be arrested again, and so the cycle continues. The aim of my office policy is to stop chronic patterns of arrest, to connect individuals to behavioral health services, to reduce the burden on the court system and law enforcement, and to allow prosecutors to focus on more serious and violent crimes. Of course, repeat offenders can be charged, diverted or suffer additional consequences.  As the chief law enforcement officer for the county, I take my oath seriously to protect the public. However, clogging our criminal justice system with low-level crimes does not deter crime nor find equitable solutions for our community. I am focused on common-sense solutions that are fair and equitable, and good for the entire community. 

Here are some items to keep in mind during this election season. We cannot let lies get in the way of the truth, even during campaign season. The mayor is making this a political attack against me in order to bolster his campaign for re-election, and to take swipes at his East Bay Times endorsed opponent, Lamar Thorpe. Stand on our own record Mr. Mayor, and please stop trying to bolster your platform by making distorted claims about our office policies. During the election season, we hear from elected officials about their vision for their community. Unfortunately, despite his message of unifying the community, your Mayor is trying to divide Antioch and use our office as a foil and create a controversy when none exists. Examine the facts. Facts matter.

Sincerely,
Diana Becton

District Attorney, Contra Costa County

Dear Editor:

The following letter was sent to our mayor and councilmembers in time for their next meeting, Tuesday night.

Mayor and Councilmembers:

In an effort to support and assist our restaurant owners in Antioch, I am proposing the City Council immediately adopt an emergency ordinance to support our small business restauranteurs.  How?

I am proposing that the City limit the amount that third party food delivery companies can charge our restaurants to 15% of the sales amounts.  Currently, food delivery services can charge as much as 30% to provide this service to people ordering from our restaurants.  This temporary measure will help support our local restaurants, cost the City zero to adopt and implement and help during this pandemic time as some people continue to order food delivered to them, instead of venturing out for pick up.

Large conglomerate restaurants can usually negotiate a smaller delivery charge, but our local business owners are at the mercy of the delivery firms, and their high charges.  Our local small restaurants are often dealing with a 20% to 30% charge

Longevity for this ordinance?  Why not have the ordinance terminate when the City Council and County lifts emergency orders related to the pandemic.  Restoration of normalcy seems vague at this point, and the ordinance to support our restaurants should not terminate prematurely.

This is a quick way to support our restaurants in Antioch.  As we approach the fall and winter, we need to be proactive in supporting our business community.  I am available to share my research with you, and expect our City leaders to be responsive in helping our small businesses, restaurants in particular.

Manny Soliz, Jr.

Former Mayor Pro Tem and Councilmember

Current candidate Antioch City Council District 1

P.S. I also support waiving late fees on Antioch business licenses, this year to help all businesses in our city.

 

Only candidate to offer a vision for the people – The Bridge to a Brighter Future

Today, Thursday, October 8, 2020, Gabe Makinano, in fulfilling the slogan “Vision With Action” for his campaign for Mayor of Antioch, presents his Vision 2020 for Antioch to show what our city can have and become in the very near future, and what he will take action on during the next four years following his election. Vision 2020 Antioch by Gabe Makinano for Mayor

“It’s a leader’s job to provide the vision for the people to know the direction we are all heading, together and to take action to make it a reality,” said Makinano. “These are the items – many I find very exciting – that I will work to make happen, some of which build on plans that have already been in place for several years.”

“The problem is the two incumbents have been talking about doing things to make Antioch better, but they haven’t taken the necessary action,” he continued. “That’s what I offer, action. We must stop the foot dragging, playing political games and get things done that our people need, want, and will benefit them.”

“It will produce an upward spiral, not downwards as we’ve been on for the past four years,” Makinano added. “I’m releasing this vision on 10/8 because we must be ‘ten-ate-ious’ when getting things and not give up until they are. If you want action, not just talk, then I need your vote.”

Makinano’s vision includes a variety of items under the five areas he is focusing on during his campaign and will work on once elected: Increased Public Safety; Local, Quality Jobs; Education; Housing; and a Revitalized Rivertown – Antioch’s Historic Downtown.

Makinano will take his leadership skills, community connections and what he’s already been working on, along with the rest of the city council and staff to make the items in his vision a reality.

Vote Makinano for Mayor, the only candidate with a vision for a brighter future for Antioch and a plan to make it happen.

Gabe Makinano for Mayor of Antioch

The Bridge to a Brighter Future!

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18

It’s a Leader’s Job to Provide the Vision for the People to Know the Direction

We are All Heading, Together and to Take Action to Make it a Reality!

 

VISION STATEMENT

To ensure Antioch is a clean, safe, vibrant and diverse community

where all residents can live, learn, work, worship and play in

a positive, encouraging environment of unity and

to serve as an example of the type of City others desire to be.

 1. Increased Public Safety

Work with community leaders, law enforcement agencies, and all residents of our community to create a safe environment for all citizens in Antioch.

a. Hire More Police using Measure W funds as the people voted for to get to 2 Officers per 1,000 Population.

b. Require Diversity Training for each officer before being hired.

c. Bring back Community Policing with Officers on the Beat on foot or on bicycles in Highest Crime Areas of Sycamore and Cavallo. Include it in the field training of new officers to get to know the people they’re working to serve and protect.

d. Body Cameras for Every Officer.

e. Strengthen Role of the Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission.

2. Local, Quality Jobs

Work with Antioch Economic Development Commission, Economic Development Director, Antioch Chamber of Commerce Economic Development & Government Affairs Committee, and the private sector to follow and implement Antioch’s Downtown Specific Plan and County’s Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Strategic Action Plan.

a. Antioch Tech Center – Create master plan to attract businesses for the 200-acre site set aside in 1998 near the Laurel Road/Highway 4 interchange between Slatten Ranch Shopping Center and the Antioch BART Station, for employment, including commercial office and high-tech businesses creating a Green Technology Cluster including Advanced Transportation Technologies. – Get our residents out of the commute to spend more time with their families and in our community.

b. Convention Center, Art Gallery and Visitors & Convention Bureau – work with private sector to build a hotel and convention center and establish a visitors and convention bureau to host business and art events and conferences in Antioch. Build a rotating restaurant on the top of the hotel with views of the river, hills and Mt. Diablo for a unique feature in our city.

c. Bring Back Manufacturing to Antioch for more, quality, high-paying jobs. Clean industry, using the reclaimed water from the Desalination Plant and the excess electricity generated by the solar-powered transit system extension to BART. Establish an Advanced Materials & Diversified Manufacturing Cluster, a Food & Beverage Processing Cluster, and a Biomedical/Biotechnology/Life Sciences Cluster.

d. Antioch Gateway Port deep water facility – take advantage of the Stockton Deep Water Channel and the BNSF railroad line, along the Wilbur Avenue corridor for shipping goods in and out of Antioch to and from all over the world, creating well-paying dock and shipping jobs. Truly making Antioch the Gateway to the Delta and World!

Location in Antioch:

e. Job Center at 18th & A Streets using the fiber optic cable network hub located there.

f. No More Cannabis Businesses – four is too many. No expansion citywide. It’s bad for other business and the city’s reputation to attract major employers and causes more police impacts.

g. Complete the BART Extension to Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Byron, Byron Airport, Mountain House and Tracy, connecting Antioch to Livermore and Pleasanton and the California High Speed Rail system. Using a smaller, quieter, solar-powered electric system that can move commuters during the day and evening and move goods in and out of Antioch at night.

h. Complete the widening of Highway 4 (bypass/extension) to four lanes from Balfour Road to Marsh Creek Road for greater safety for commuters and trucks.

i. Build Route 239 – the long-planned 4-lane highway from the end of Highway 4 (bypass) and Vasco Road to Interstate 5 in Tracy, connecting Antioch to the rest of the Bay Area and Golden State, and for trucking products in and out of East County creating more local jobs and completing the beltway around Mt. Diablo. It’s been on the books for over 60 years. It’s time to work with our state and federal representatives to secure the funding and get it built. I will work to get Antioch a seat on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, again.

j. Expand Byron Airport – for more commercial and freight flights, getting products manufactured in Antioch to the statewide, national and global marketplace quicker.

3. Housing

a. Homeless – Identify and implement long-term solutions to combat homelessness in Antioch, to get them off the streets, out of the encampments, out of the cold and wet of winter and heat of the summer. Work with the Community Outreach Center on E. 18th Street and other churches and non-profit organizations. Use all of the $500,000 the Council set aside last year. And no more hiring consultants!

b. Increased Home Ownership – Partner with both the private and public sectors to create a clear and achievable path for greater home ownership in Antioch.

c. Sustainable Development – Take decisive action to create sustainable housing and community development. Transit Villages surrounding and near the BART Stations, preserve hillsides, and protect habitat and the Sand Creek corridor.

d. Complete Mix of Housing Types – Ensure Antioch has a complete mix of housing types so our residents can remain living in our city throughout their lives.

 4. Education

My first-hand experience working with local school campuses has given me unique insight to the issues facing our students and teachers on a daily basis. My plan is to establish regular meetings between city council, school board, and parents to collaborate on safe and academically-enriched opportunities for all students. Identify new resources to generate education-related programs, such as civic engagement activities including intern/extern/apprenticeship programs for eligible students. An improved education helps students, improves our economy and home values.

a. 4-Year Private College in Antioch – raise the education level in our community, improving the educational opportunities for our youth in a multi-disciplinary, 4-year, private, liberal arts college, while improving the culture as well as property values.

b. Job Training – work with local businesses and Los Medanos College for job training and retraining for Antioch workers.

c. Antioch YES – Youth Employment Services – for after school and summertime jobs, internships and apprenticeships with local businesses and at City Hall. Work with Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Central Labor Council to establish a website and database for local businesses and students to use to offer or apply for and fill the positions.

d. Teach Antioch History in our schools. Work with the Historical Society Museum.

e. After School Education Programs – like Math Intensive Program and mentoring programs for students.

5. Revitalized Rivertown – Antioch’s Historic Downtown

Find creative ways to procure long-term investment and revenue to enhance the development of the waterfront. Seven ferry boats, historical artifacts and vessels, family attractions, and beautification programs. These changes aid to the creation of an infrastructure that attracts business.

a. Remove the Dilapidated House on the Water at the end of A Street. It’s Rivertown not Shantytown!

b. Sell the 9 City-Owned Parcels that are part of the exclusive negotiations with one developer for the past 5 years, including the old lumber company lot. Get it done!

c. High-End High-Rise Condos with river views on the former Cannery Site next to A Street on the east end.

d. Rezone Property on West 2nd Street between I and L Streets for high-rise condos and apartments with river views.

e. Obtain Ownership of the Hard House from the State – for a non-profit to revitalize the home of Antioch’s first mayor on First Street.

f. Implement Antioch Downtown Specific Plan – expanded park at Waldie Plaza, and allow new buildings facing the river, etc.

g. Antioch Sesquicentennial Celebration – 150th Anniversary of Cityhood 1872-2022. Re-establish the City Council subcommittee recently dissolved for events and activities celebrating our city’s rich history in Rivertown and citywide, all year long.

h. Bring Back July 4th Fireworks to Rivertown – shoot them from a barge on the river like used to happen. Work with Celebrate Antioch Foundation.

i. Rename Streets to Rivertown – as in the 1996 Antioch Economic Plan to promote Rivertown on Highway 4 with such names as Rivertown Drive, Smith’s Landing Way, Marina Parkway, or Veterans Blvd. in time for July 4, 2022.

j. Arched Entranceway Signs – 3 signs at A & W. 6th Streets, L & W. 10th Streets, and 4th and Auto Center Drive.

k. Smith’s Landing Pier-39 type attraction over the water from H to F Streets, with an outdoor amphitheater, Ferris wheel, carousel, shops and food vendors.

l. New East Antioch Marina at Roger’s Point and the former Tommy’s Harbor with big boat berths.

m. Historic Boats for rides throughout the Delta and to and from San Francisco and other stops in the Bay Area.

n. Ferry Stop next to Riverview Lodge and Amtrak Station – part of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transport Authority (WETA) for commuter line to Martinez, Richmond and San Francisco. – From the WETA 2016 Strategic Plan: “changes in technology and the limited ability to build out other modes may warrant reconsideration of ferry service in the future in communities such as Martinez, Benicia, Rio Vista, Antioch or Discovery Bay. Demand for these services is steadily increasing, and WETA is prepared to work with regional stakeholders to identify and develop cost-effective options for serving travelers in these corridors.”

 

George Young III for Antioch School Board, Area 1

Current Position: Staff Sergeant, United States Army Reserves, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC) – Trainer / Team Lead

georgeyoung4change.com

Facebook: georgeyoung4change

george.young4change@gmail.com

925.783.5663

Students First: providing students with the resources they need to be successful in their current education and career paths for their future.  This includes restoring bilingual staff at all school sites to assist families with translation so that all community members can access the school’s resources for their children.

School Site Safety: Creating organizations on Middle School and High School Campuses that are comprised of students, teachers, aand SROs.  This organization will be tasked with creating a safety/security plan that students can be a part of, gain future job experience, and take an active part in their school security, resulting in pride and ownership of their schools.

Community Voice: Bringing a    community voice to the board, creating a gateway for parents, students, school staff and teacher’s voices to be heard, and the confidence to know their needs are truly being considered as the board makes the decision for their schools, that will affect students not only today but for future years to come.

Parent Schooling Choice: Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated, be it public, private, charter, or homeschooling. Parents should also have a say and be an active part of their child’s success.

Alexis Medina for Antioch Unified School District Trustee, Area 1

Top Priorities – Culturally Responsive Community Engagement & Partnership

The most effective school boards actively engage their stakeholders and aim to cultivate student centered, asset-based collaborative solutions. They respond to unique and shifting educational needs, demonstrating thoughtful and clear rationale to the communities in which they serve.

As a Board Trustee, I will take an asset-based approach to development, amplifying both capable and exemplary people, places, and programs, and providing technical and material-based support to strengthen existing opportunities and programs for students and staff members.

Top Accomplishments

I am a first-generation college graduate and a return Peace Corps volunteer. I have over 15 years of experience in K-12, as an after-school program lead, classroom teacher, and instructional coach.  I have also worked in community development as a program coordinator, building relationships with a variety of community stakeholders and developing programs.

I have the experience and technical expertise required to excel if elected.  More importantly, I have a deep pride and respect for the families, students, staff and community of Antioch and it would be an honor to serve as your representative.

www.medinaforantioch.com

Facebook: @medinaforantioch

medinaforantioch@gmail.com

(925) 948-6670