Sobrante Valley Community Organizations
Canyon Park Friends of Open Space (CPFOS) is a group of Canyon Park neighborhood residents who are concerned with the proposed Clark Road Project (CRP) and similar proposed El Sobrante hillside developments because of the impacts on the residents, schoolchildren, hikers, wildlife and open space. For more information, visit saveelsobrantehills.org or email cpfos@saveelsobrantehills.org.
County Service Area R-9 Citizens Advisory Committee (R-9). The county has given oversight of the El Sobrante parks and recreation areas to R-9. They advise the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on how to spend county park funds. Meetings are held at the El Sobrante Library on the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Don Bastin (DonaldBastin@comcast.net).
El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce. Composed of the business owners and operators in our community, this group works to create a better business environment. For more information, call 223-0757.
El Sobrante Greens (ESG) This informal group of "green-minded" El Sobrante activists are active in local grassroots groups that are working for livable communities, social and economic justice, peace, and the preservation and restoration of our environment. The ESG is not officially affiliated with the Green Party, but its members share the key values of the party. For more information, visit www.richmondgreens.net/esgreens/esindex.htm or email Howard Sodja.
El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Council (ESMAC). Formed in the mid-1990s, this elected body is the closest thing El Sobrante has to a city council, but without a budget or legal authority. However, they are an influential advisory group that works closely with Supervisor Gioia. Meetings are at the El Sobrante Library on the second Wednesday of the month, at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.home.earthlink.net/~boysgames/ESMAC/index.htm or email Barbara Pendergrass at esmacwebmaster@earthlink.net .
El Sobrante Redevelopment Project Advisory Committee (PAC). This committee oversees the downtown redevelopment project. Monthly public meetings were held to allow community input. Currently, this project is on hold. For more information on future meetings, who is on the board, and what is being proposed, go to:www.ccreach.org/redevelopment/redev-elsobrante.cfm. The project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) can be found at ccreach.org/redevelopment/redev_el_documents.cfm.
El Sobrante Valley Legal Defense Fund (ESVLDF). Were it not for the hard work of ESVLDF in saving our hillside, our scenic valley vista would now be a solid wall of tract homes. For details on some of the many development projects they have legally challenged, visit saveelsobrantehills.org. For more information email cpfos@saveelsobrantehills.org.
El Sobrante Valley Planning and Zoning Advisory Committee (P&Z). All building permits for subdivisions, buildings, home additions, and variances in the El Sobrante Valley are evaluated by the P&Z. As an El Sobrante advisory committee, their recommendations are normally accepted by the planning departments in Richmond and the county. Meetings are held at the El Sobrante Library on the second Thursday of the month, at 6 p.m.
Friends of Garrity Creek. Residents have joined together to preserve and restore Garrity Creek, which begins east of Hilltop Drive, near Manor Road. Because of overlapping goals and memberships, they have allied with the Hilltop Neighborhood Association. For more information, visit www.geocities.com/hilltopcreek/ oremail hilltopcreek@yahoo.com.
Hilltop Neighborhood Association. Residents from the Hilltop Drive and neighboring valley hillsides have joined forces to prevent inappropriate development of their local community. They also work to halt the neighborhood’s ecological degradation and restore it when possible. For more information, visit www.geocities.com/hilltopcreek/ or email hilltopcreek@yahoo.com.
May Valley Neighborhood Council. This neighborhood includes the area from Sheldon School to the top of Painted Pony Rd. to Morningside Dr. The council provides information on and advocates for issues of concern to their area. They are a Richmond City Council advisory group. For more information, call Eleanor Loynd at 223-6398.
Richmond Greens (RG). As a local of the Contra Costa Green Party (CCGP), the RG works in Richmond and the surrounding area for livable communities, social and economic justice, peace, and to preserve and restore our environment. To learn about Richmond Greens' vision and activities, go to: www.richmondgreens.net/index.htm. For more information, email Howard Sodja.
San Pablo Watershed Neighbors Education & Restoration Society (SPAWNERS). Their mission is to protect the San Pablo Creek Watershed and inspire community appreciation and stewardship through advocacy, education, and habitat restoration. For more information, visit www.spawners.net or email Juliana Gonzalez ( juliana@thewatershedproject.org ).
The monthly El Sobrante Greens Community Calendar lists all meetings and events held by the above groups. To subscribe, email elsobrantegreens@richmondgreens.net