Potential bureaucratic obstacle may reduce green space in Contra Costa

Contra Costa County, once full of orchards and ranchlands, is now becoming more urbanized, with cities, highways, and encroaching developments.

One way to slow the spread of urban sprawl is through a little-known law that provides tax relief to landowners who commit to keeping their land as open space or for agricultural use.

This law, known as the Williamson Act, was passed in 1965 to discourage the premature conversion of open space to urban use.

However, a civil grand jury report found that the program in Contra Costa County has been essentially abandoned, which could have serious consequences for open space in the county.

The Williamson Act provides property tax relief to landowners, allowing them to produce their products or maintain their land without going out of business.

With the increasing demand for housing and development in the state, land is being converted for these purposes. Contra Costa County has experienced a doubling in population since 1970 and a loss of hillsides to housing developments.

The Williamson Act offers significant property tax reductions of up to 20% to 75% to landowners who commit to preserving their land. However, processing and approval of agricultural contracts under the act in Contra Costa County have been significantly delayed.

In fact, the last successful agricultural contract was processed in 2018, according to the civil grand jury report. The report also highlighted the high application fee of $2,000 for an agricultural contract.