Blackhawk Plaza is more than a shopping center,  it is a community anchor, an environmental asset, and a space protected by 40 years of binding legal agreements. Right now, with the property in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, its future is being shaped behind closed doors. Proposals for high-density residential development of 30–75 units per acre are already being discussed, before a single public meeting has been held.

We are here because the law is on our side. Contra Costa County made specific, recorded commitments to this community in 1985 and again in 2004. Those commitments do not expire because a private developer files for bankruptcy. We are calling on the County to honor every one of them, publicly, transparently, and before any plan moves forward.

OUR THREE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
 1. Honor the Deeded Development Rights (Resolution 85/259)
In 1985, the Board of Supervisors approved Blackhawk Plaza under explicit conditions. Condition 3b required that development rights for 8+ acres of the site be formally deeded to the County,  a legal mechanism designed specifically to prevent the kind of densification now being floated.
According to the text of Resolution 85/259, development rights for 8+ acres were to be deeded to the County. We are asking the County to produce the original deed to clarify exactly where those 8+ acres are located, as the public record currently contradicts the County's FAQ.

 2. Enforce the 2004 Traffic Capacity Caps
The 2004 Comprehensive Agreement to Settle Litigation established strict Peak Hour Capacity Caps for the Tassajara corridor, a direct response to community concerns about traffic safety and school commute routes. The County’s recent characterization of intersections as “Level B” does not reflect the reality anyone who lives here experiences every morning.
We are concerned about the impact of new density on the Peak Hour Capacity Caps established in the 2004 Traffic Settlement. We believe current 'average' grades do not reflect the specific congestion during school commute hours that the settlement was designed to protect.

 3. Restore and Protect the Mandated Waterfowl Habitat
Blackhawk Plaza’s water features are not decorative. They are a mandated component of the 1985 environmental approval,  part of what made this site approvable in the first place. Draining these ponds is not maintenance. It is a violation of the site’s permitted environmental baseline, and it degrades a habitat that has been part of this community’s identity for four decades.
The water features were a core component of the 1985 environmental approval. We are advocating for their restoration and formal designation as a waterfowl sanctuary to preserve the site's historical environmental baseline.

WHAT WE’RE ASKING THE COUNTY TO DO
 • Produce and publicly disclose all recorded deeds, CC&Rs, and development conditions tied to this site
 • Evaluate every proposal for full consistency with the P-1 Final Development Plan
 • Recognize the recorded CC&R prohibitions on residential use
 • Hold public hearings before processing any land-use inquiries related to Blackhawk Plaza

Once the identity of this place is fundamentally altered, you cannot get it back. The time to act is now,  while the legal record is clear and the decisions are still being made.

We will deliver this petition directly to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. Every signature tells them: the community is watching. Do it right. Follow the law. Protect our Plaza.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​