Event center discussed

By Jake Menez Staff Writer

“Acquisition of the Finley Road Ranch property will preserve forever one of the largest remaining pristine open spaces adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park,” said Park District Board President Dennis Waespi. “The California Coastal Conservancy grant provides vital funding toward the purchase of the property. Preserving the property is also a key step toward the state’s 30x30 initiative of conserving 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030.”

Longtime Board member Beverly Lane announced the pact Sept. 10 at Save Mount Diablo’s 50th anniversary Moonlight on the Mountain gala.

“I’m retiring this fall after 28 years as an elected member of the East Bay Regional Park District board of directors,” Lane reflected last fall. “I do feel that it’s been an honor to be on this board. The Park District has really helped ensure that the natural beauty that we have all around us is protected. In a lot of ways this is my opportunity to say goodbye to the Park District with another great success.”

“The Coastal Conservancy is delighted to support acquisition of this 768-acre property and further the state’s 30x30 goals by protecting this important conservation property while also providing greater access to existing parkland,” said California Coastal Conservancy Executive Director Amy Hutzel.

“We very much appreciate the California Coastal Conservancy for its leadership in preserving natural lands and shorelines throughout the state and providing this critical funding,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “We thank the state, our partners, and staff for their contribution toward the acquisition that supports our mission and the state’s 30x30 goals see Space page 22A

BRENTWOOD see Event page 22A

The Vineyards at Marsh Creek Amphitheater, a project that has been in development for years, may soon face the music as Brentwood officials plan to vote on the project’s merits following the completion of an environmental impact report.

The project was discussed during the Feb. 21 meeting of the Brentwood Planning Commission, with the final agenda item for the evening being labeled as a “scoping meeting” for the amphitheater. This scoping included an overview of the project and an explanation of the upcoming environmental report.

The report would attempt to determine the potential negative side effects of the amphitheater, including pollutants such as greenhouse gasses as well as noise and traffic concerns, according to Nick Pappani, who presented the topic to the commission. Pappani is the vice president of Raney Planning and Management, a contractor hired by the city to create the environmental report.

“We’re not preparing an entirely new analysis,” Pappani pointed out. There was a previous environmental report done in 2004 when the proposal for a 1,000-seat amphitheater was first brought before the city. According to Pappani, the goal of the new report is to use that report as a baseline and then examine any changes to the area and to the scope of the project that could affect the findings of that report.