By Lisa Vorderbrueggen
Contra Costa Times

Published Wednesday, May 7, 2003, in the Contra Costa Times

Bay Area developments ranked 'smart,' 'dumb'

In a quest to show the difference between smart and dumb growth, an 
environmental group has issued the region's first "Best and Worst 
Developments of the Bay Area" report.

Smart growth, says the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, places 
jobs, homes and shops near public transit, which helps preserve open 
space, provides a wider choice in housing and eases traffic 
congestion.

Dumb growth, the group says, consists of auto-dependent suburbs, too 
many single-family houses and the segregation of jobs and retail 
centers.

"The whole region is grappling with trying to figure out what smart 
growth is, and so we felt we needed to put out examples that will 
help frame the debate," said coalition director Stuart Cohen.

In Contra Costa, Coggins Square in Pleasant Hill won the smart 
growth nod. It is a blend of affordable apartments and market-rate 
townhomes near the BART station and Iron Horse Trail.

"It's a model of where Contra Costa County needs to go in the 
future," Cohen said.

Antioch's plan to build 5,000 houses and a business park on its 
southwestern edge -- called Future Urban Area 1 -- earned the 
coalition's dumb growth award.

Fremont garnered both the best and worst for Alameda County.

The Benton, a 377-unit apartment complex with ground-floor retail 
next to the Fremont BART station, has helped enhance the area near 
the civic center and library.

A Wal-Mart proposed next door to the future Warm Springs BART 
extension will severely restrict smart growth development around the 
new station, Cohen said. The retail giant's application goes before 
the Fremont City Council next week.

Critics contend that few people will ride BART to Wal-Mart but will 
drive instead.

"Every time BART opens a low-ridership station, passengers end up 
subsidizing the cost with higher fares," Cohen said. "Fremont begged 
for this $634 million extension, but building a station next to a 
big-box store is not good use of regional transportation money."

Delta Cove's live-work units in Suisun City won coalition support as 
Solano County's best example of smart growth. A plan to build luxury 
homes and a golf course in Lagoon Valley in Vacaville earned the 
dumb growth spot.

BREAKOUT

The full report on "Best and Worst Developments of the Bay Area" is 
at http://www.transact.org

Lisa Vorderbrueggen covers transportation and growth issues. Reach 
her at 925-945-4773 or