The East Bay Regional Parks District recently announced that there is going to be a new park in Pittsburg, March of this year. The District has reached out for community input regarding the parks future name through an online poll that features 11 name options, and a space to add suggestions as well.

The park, currently named the Concord Hills Regional Park, spans the 2,543 acre property formerly known as the Naval Weapons Station of Pittsburg, CA. An additional 327 acres are set to transfer to the Park District at a later date this year.

“I’m so excited there’s a park opening up near LMC because I love to hike and it’ll be convenient to go before or in between classes,” said student Melissa Arguello. “I think it’s cool that they’re asking the community to help name the park too.”

The new park, along with a planned visitor center, will “integrate the human history of the Concord Naval Weapons Station site with the natural history and outdoor recreational opportunities of the land,” according to the East Bay Regional Parks District.

Opening the park completely is expected to be a several year process, as the Parks District works to acquire the necessary funding for its development. Public access is expected to come first to the southern portions of the park between Bailey Road and Kirker Pass Road.

According to the City of Pittsburg website, “after many years of planning, the U.S. Navy began conveyance of the parks portion of the property to the East Bay Regional Park District in July 2019.”

As a result of the board’s July 2 action, the Parks District can now take full ownership of the vast land bank that is to become the new public park. 

It has since been in the planning process, and the Parks District recently began construction of the park in an effort to open it to the public as soon as possible.

The Park District Board of Directors will be selecting the name of the new regional park later this Spring with the date to be determined. 

The name options listed on the website include Concord Hills, Concord Naval Weapons, Delta Hills, Delta View, Diablo Creek, Diablo Valley, Diablo Vista, Los Medanos, Meridian Hills, Monte Del Diablo, Pacheco and Todos Santos.

While not all of the names options have significant meaning behind them, a few of them do. Both Los Medanos and Meridian Hills are based on the geographic name for the hills on site. 

Furthermore, Monte Del Diablo represents an 1834 Mexican land grant and ranch, owned by Don Salvio Pacheco, and the name option Todos Santos represents the original 1869 township name of what is now considered Concord. 

The Parks District is looking to the community in Pittsburg to vote for a new name for the park before the poll end date, March 9 at 5 p.m. The poll can be found on the City of Pittsburg website, at http://www.opentownhall.com/8310