w a t c h
D I A B L O Save Mount Diablo
Protecting the Mountain Since 1971
Fall 2004 No. 38
232-acre Jones Property Protected
A New Urban Limit Line Is In The Works!
Riggs Canyon Complete !!!
Measure J, The Transportation Sales Tax
If you had driven to the end of Finley Road in 1986, east of Blackhawk, you would have encountered nothing but locked gates. From Camino Tassajara Rd headed north, Finley follows Tassajara creek past stables, a one room school, and residences to the mouth of a large canyon, with chaparral ridges descending to a white gate. Finley was once a County through road, but beyond the white gate it became a dirt road, rising into the canyon.
By Millie Greenberg, Dist. 3 CC County Supervisor Important decisions will be made in the next few weeks. What will they mean to you? How well will a new Urban Limit Line protect East County, the Tassajara Valley and other important open space from sprawl development? Who's making the decisions, and what do you have to say about it?
Few people knew that the canyon is 3300 acre Riggs Canyon, rimmed by equally unknown Highland Ridge, over which Finley drops to Morgan Territory Rd.
On November 2nd Contra Costa voters will have an opportunity to vote on "Measure J," a proposal to continue the Countywide half-cent sales tax that helps fund transportation improvements and maintenance.
Riggs is one of the mountain's most The Measure includes a rugged, isolated requirement that the areas, made up of County and each of its four smaller side nineteen cities have a canyons dropping Riggs Canyon from the Jones Property’s highest point, now protected by a conservation easement. The voter-approved Urban view stretches from the Blackhills past Windy Point to Diablo, east to Highland Ridge (Scott Hein) Limit Line (ULL) in from Oyster, Cave and Windy Points. place in order to Riggs has amazing views, huge cliffs and supports tremendous receive any part of the Measure's $460 million for local projects. wildlife diversity. There were two small uninhabited structures and The new ULL is supposed to be defined by the end of this year. If evidence of ranching and Native American history. Its fire roads Measure J passes, the proposed new ULL will go through an enviwould eventually allow diverse trail loops. ronmental impact report, and then it will have to be approved by voters in November 2006. Jackass Canyon is westernmost of Rigg’s four branches while Tassajara Creek drops down the main branch from Windy Point. The current ULL, which is just a County law, has been a reasonably Two eastern canyons join inside the mouth of Riggs-at a 252 acre effective barrier to leapfrog development and urban sprawl in parcel now known as "Jones", and formerly known as the Mariani County territory, but it has no control over sprawl development Property. inside cities. Also, it does not prevent a city from annexing land outside its border and outside the ULL and then approving urbanAs of July, seventeen ized development on that land. The proposed new ULL called for years after preservaby Measure J could be far more effective because it would bind the tion began in Riggs cities as well as the County and there would be strong economic Canyon, and with the incentives to comply. help of landowners Mark and Shannon Editor's Note: Measure J includes funding vital for transportation Jones, the last of seven projects. Although decisions on the Urban Limit Line have not been parcels making up the made, SMD's Board has endorsed Measure“J”, with reservations. canyon-its very mouthWe'll keep you posted as the process to create a new ULL moves has been protected. forward. Shannon & Mark Jones, July 2004 (Scott Hein) continued on page 12
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