Supervisor Federal Glover, who represents District V (including Martinez), unveiled a plan Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting to unite business, political and other leaders of the waterfront cities from Richmond to Oakley to consider future development of the shoreline.
“When it became clear to me that the new District V boundaries were going to encompass most of the northern waterfront, I asked county staff to assess its potential for economic development,” said Glover, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
The plan is called the Northern Waterfront Development Initiative. It calls for the county to convene a forum of industry, business and political leaders of the “working waterfront,” to explore the possibility of forming a political alliance that could be a force to be reckoned with. Bringing such diverse interests together, however, is hardly a given.
The areas to be studied would not include parks, open space and wetlands, which are all protected from development. The recreational part of the shoreline takes up about 60 percent of the waterfront.
The remaining waterfront area is mostly devoted to industrial uses established near the beginning of the previous century. Those industries make Contra Costa the second largest industrial area in the state, second only to Los Angeles County.
“We want to see if there are some common interests and goals shared by the industries, cities and businesses that can be accomplished more effectively if we speak with one strong voice,” said Glover.
“We want to strengthen our assets and make the area more attractive for new businesses that will provide good-paying jobs to improve the quality of life for our residents. The Northern Waterfront Initiative could be a major kick-start to Contra Costa County’s economy.”
