By Dick Schneider
The signature drive to qualify the Sand Creek Initiative is halfway done on the calendar, but we’re running slightly behind the pace needed to guarantee qualification for the November election. To sign up to help, click here. To qualify for November, we need to submit signatures by May 23. That means just 6 weekends left for collecting. (While we have 180 days to collect the necessary number of signatures to qualify, we’re doing it in half that time in order to get on the November ballot. Delaying until 2020 means several huge subdivisions will likely be approved before voters have a say in the decision.)
If you can put in a couple hours on a weekend or two in April or May, everyone in the campaign will sincerely value your help. All that’s required is that you be 18 years or older. We’ll pair you with a veteran collector if you’ve never done this before, and you'll be stationed in a popular place like the entrance to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve (where you can take a hike before or after your shift). People are friendly and usually willing to sign if they’re Antioch voters. They don’t want more development to despoil natural lands, and Antioch residents especially don’t want the additional traffic that massive sprawling development brings.
More details about the area to be protected, including a gallery of pictures and the threats from development can be found at www.LetAntiochVotersDecide.org.
If you can help, please contact Dick Schneider at richs59354@aol.com, 510-926-0010, or sign up on the campaign website, www.letantiochvotersdecide.org/take-action.
About the Initiative
The Sand Creek area in south Antioch, located in eastern Contra Costa County, encompasses 1,850 acres of ranch and farmland. It is habitat for San Joaquin kit foxes, California red-legged frogs, tiger salamanders, burrowing owls, and a variety of sensitive plant species.
Unfortunately, the Sand Creek area is at imminent risk of development. A Southern California land development company has submitted an application for 1,300 houses on both sides of Sand Creek. If approved, this massive development would destroy the natural qualities of the area and lead to even more sprawl development adjacent to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.
The Protect Sand Creek Area initiative would zone the area for rural residential uses, agriculture, and open space. This will preserve the natural qualities of the Sand Creek stream corridor, vernal pools, scenic views of Mount Diablo and its foothills, and the habitat for the many plants and animals that live there.