Accusation stalls choice of developer in Concord
Concord officials have delayed a decision on who should develop the sprawling former Concord Naval Weapons Station site after one of the two competing firms accused the other of illegal lobbying and demanded an investigation.
The City Council was scheduled to choose a master developer on Tuesday — either Lennar Urban or Catellus Development Co. But Thursday, an attorney for Catellus sent a letter to Concord City Manager Valerie Barone alleging illegal lobbying and demanding an immediate investigation.
Barone decided to indefinitely postpone the decision while the city staff evaluates the letter.
Development of the site, a 5,000-acre former military base complete with missile silos, bunkers and an uninhabited small town, has been debated for more than a decade. The city and community came up with an overall plan in 2009. It envisions a mixed-use development with residential, commercial and office space around the North Concord/Martinez BART station, with greenways and parks separating development clustered into villages.
The eastern section of the property is proposed to be transferred to the East Bay Regional Park District.
In 2014, the city began the process of selecting a master developer.
Part of that process included an agreement not to lobby council members. In the letter, Catellus attorney Andrew Giacomini alleges that persons connected with Lennar may have violated that agreement by making contributions to Mayor Tim Grayson’s Assembly campaign and engaging in discussions about the naval weapons station.
“We believe these activities have unfairly influenced the selection process, which by contract was to focus on the merits of the master developer candidates and be free from political influence,” Giacomini wrote.
Lennar officials were angered by the accusation.
“Lennar has not engaged in any discussions, negotiations, or lobbying prohibited under its agreement with the city, and has prohibited its consultants from doing so,” said Kofi Bonner, president of Lennar Urban. “We are sorry to see that Catellus has chosen to smear the city of Concord in an apparent last-minute desperate act aimed at sabotaging the selection process.”
Protests are not unusual when government agencies award highstakes contracts, but they typically come after the contract is awarded. Concord has not yet selected a master developer. The staff report to the council says that both companies are capable of carrying out the development and makes no recommendation.