On Tuesday Oct. 28, the Brentwood City Council voted to authorize Mayor Bob Taylor to sign two letters requesting the City be kept in the loop by regarding the future Los Medanos College campus in Brentwood and eBART extension.
According to the staff report, plans for the College District to proceed with planning and design for the new LMC Brentwood Center have recently been delayed, as the Governing Board has undertaken a study to consider an alternative site located in Planning Area 1, adjoining State Route 4 near the Mokelumne Trail.
The draft letter (shown below) requests the College District to keep the City updated during the site assessment process
Mayor Bob Taylor explained he thought it was imperative a letter be sent to the College District.
“I felt that it was imperative that we let the citizens of Brentwood know that we are concerned and to also we wish to work with both sides of the fence. I felt the issue to the college that we entertain their thoughts and the city is always been a willing participant and the letter kind of states that. I just wanted to re-enforce that,” said Taylor.
Councilman Steve Barr echoed the Mayors thought saying the Council is interested in the Direction the College District is headed.
“I think it really clarifies things where our position and our role in the site selection is. It’s good to let our residents know and to pass it along to the Board that our residents are interested,” said Barr.
With regards to the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) who recently completed the “eBART Next Segment Study” which evaluated the State Route 4 corridor for a possible future eBART extension in Brentwood. This conceptual study recommended a site for a future station in PA-1 adjoining SR 4, south of Lone Tree Way and abutting the Mokelumne Trail.
To date, the BART Board of Directors has not proceeded with a plan for either acquiring land or establishing a capital improvement program for this recommended station explained Community Development Director Casey McCann.
McCann further shared that BART President Joel Keller has recently public ally proposed that the future Los Medanos College Brentwood campus be constructed in the same general vicinity as the recommended eBART station site.
The Mayors letter is recommending that a letter be sent urging the BART Board to, in the near future, approve a strategy to either acquire land or establish a capital improvement project for this future station.
Barr asked during their recent general plan discussions if they ever received updates from BART about the location of a possible future stop.
McCann explained the BART staff were in contact with staff and the consultant during the general plan discussion process.
“We had a very good connection in terms of sharing information,” said McCann. “They were certainly aware during the process for Priority Area 1 and were aware that ultimately the city council when it adopted the general plan that they recognized the possibility of either a future eBart station or related transit facility. So yes, they were in the loop, but during those discussions there was no talk of any substantive next steps in terms of commitment by BART to proceed with the future station.”
He said it continues to be in the highly conception stage, explained McCann.
“I surely would like to see some type of commitment from BART,” said Barr. “As we already in Land Use Development are already looking at projects in that area. We would like to know if we are headed in the right direction. If we are not, right now is the time to change before we are so committed and a BART station even planned in the very distant future doesn’t materialize.
Vice Mayor Joel Bryant asked about BARTS estimated timeline saying he had heard up to 30-years of being able to move forward on this.
McCann says that timelines are speculative at this time from 15-to-30 years.
“Whether its five years or thirty years, it’s all conjecture,” said McCann. “I don’t think we know and are unsure if BART has said anything publicly.”
Community College District Letter
