Tell Ironhouse Sanitary District not to extend the contract for their developer who wants to build 450 sprawling single family homes outside of the Urban Limit Line on a sinking island at risk of sea level rise.

On December 19th, the Ironhouse Sanitary District will be making its final decision to determine if they will be extending the contract for Montezuma Water on the proposed 450 single family home development on Jersey Island and we need your help to ensure this project stops here. Currently, Montezuma Water (developer) has requested a 12-month extension because they have been unable to get Contra Costa County on board to support this project. Contra Costa County has indicated that they will act in the best interest of their residents and not support this project so more time would not make a difference. Tell Ironhouse Sanitary District not to extend the contract for Montezuma Water. This proposal has already taken up valuable staff time and no amount of time will change Contra Costa County's decision. We need to move forward with an alternative plan.

Currently Jersey Island is owned by the Ironhouse Sanitary District but in order to build this project they would like to bring this project into the sphere of influence of the City of Oakley in Contra Costa County. In order for this project to move forward, Contra Costa County would need to support it but there are a myriad of reasons why that will not happen. Reasons why Contra Costa County is not in support of this project:

• Outside of the voter approved urban limit line (ULL). The ULL was designed to direct growth to existing urban areas to protect open space, wetlands and parks. In fact, the General Plan states, “...construction of private residences or private commercial uses and subdivision of land are not considered compatible with this designation.”

• Does not align with the Goals of the Delta Plan. The Delta Plan has two goals: 1) TO provide a more reliable water supply for California, and 2) to Protect, restore and enhance the Delta ecosystem. In the Delta Plan, Jersey Island is designated as a Public/Quasi Public Land use and identifies Jersey Island as subtidal land used for agriculture.

• Does not align with Delta Protection Commission’s Land Use and Resource Management Plan. This plan includes a series of goals and policies to protect and enhance natural resources, agriculture, water and levees.

Background

Jersey Island, is a 3,500-acre island in the Delta in Contra Costa County outside of the urban limit line. In 2021, the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board of Directors passed a resolution approving a development including 450 new single-family shoreline homes along with a hotel, a sports and rec center, and a wild animal park). As a result, Montezuma Water, the developer, is pursuing the inclusion of Jersey Island into the City of Oakley’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) over the next year.

This proposed development includes 450 new single-family homes along the waterfront of Jersey Island. Placing homes on an island with minimal access to jobs and no transit connectivity will increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Locating homes here will set the County back on both climate mitigation goals and sea level rise adaptation. Simultaneously, without adequate protection from flooding and sea level rise, the long-term safety of residents will be threatened and will likely require costly protection measures from climate hazards in the near future.

The interior and northeast portion of the proposal shows roughly 800 acres of “wildlife and habitat refuge” including “significant visitor opportunities, including Safari tours of the rehabilitation and re-wilding centers and overnight stays with the animals.”

This is just the first step towards annexation of Jersey Island into the City of Oakley—a multi-year process—which would be necessary for the existing proposal to move forward. Ultimately, Oakley residents will have to vote to extend the city’s Urban Limit Line—a boundary that marks the outer limit beyond which urban development will not be allowed—to allow for annexation.

Greenbelt Alliance knows the value of habitat and restoration to restore natural systems and rebuild the Bay Area’s vital coastal ecosystems—but the existing development proposal does not reflect these values. Instead, it would introduce exotic non-native species to the island and further disrupt the essential habitat of existing species through development, increased traffic, and ecosystem disruption from new invasive species.  

This is not the climate-smart development that Contra Costa County needs. Proceeding with this development will increase climate-related risks at the detriment of existing natural assets the area’s habitat, carbon sequestration, and associated ecosystem services provide.