Thank you to all the community members from Rodeo who provided input in this second round of outreach as part of Envision Contra Costa 2040! We also want to thank the Rodeo Senior Center for their hospitality. Over 20 people attended the meeting and shared a range of opinions and perspectives on the draft Guiding Principles that articulate the values, priorities, and aspirations for the future of Rodeo. Participants were very engaged and had a constructive conversation about the issues facing Rodeo residents and potential solutions. Some ideas emerging from the conversation included:

• Establish a comprehensive, long term strategy that coordinates efforts from all regulatory agencies to mitigate the Phillips 66 refinery’s impacts on the community.
• Encourage a community market or grocery store to locate in Rodeo so that Rodeo does not become a food desert with the eventual departure of Safeway.
• Improve the safety of Bayo Vista residents living along the refinery fence line.
• Revitalize downtown while keeping its character to attract shoppers from Hercules and increase sales tax revenue.
• Promote waterfront access and development to bring in more retail and restaurants.
• Prioritize safety for pedestrians with better maintenance, lighting, and complete sidewalks, especially near bus stops like the one on Willow Avenue just west of I-80.
• Provide access to recreation with a rec center and/or well-maintained parks.
• Attract and support clean, green industry through zoning revisions.
• Reinvest a greater share of the taxes collected from the refinery back into Rodeo to benefit the community that bears the brunt of the refinery’s impacts.
• Improve code enforcement to address blight throughout the community.

Community members in attendance had shared concern that the Philips 66 refinery is the biggest threat facing Rodeo on multiple fronts. There was a particular emphasis on two issues: the effect the refinery has in decreasing property values, thereby discouraging development and investment, and a conviction that the County Industrial Safety Ordinance and Hazardous Materials Ordinance hazard scoring system are not stringent enough to protect residents’ health from refinery emissions.

Be sure to check back into the website often for upcoming meetings and more feedback opportunities!

Link to presentation

Link to Draft Guiding Principles for Rodeo