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Contra Costa outlines East County Service Center planned for Brentwood; residents seek town hall and traffic data
Summary
Contra Costa County presented plans for a ~117,000 sq. ft. East County Service Center in Brentwood that would house roughly 440 county staff across eight departments and include solar shade, geothermal HVAC and a public plaza. Residents pressed for traffic studies and a town hall; staff said the mitigated negative declaration is expected to be published imminently.
Contra Costa County officials on Jan. 27 presented a detailed update on a proposed East County Service Center planned for a nearly 8‑acre site on Technology Way in Brentwood.
Eric Angstaedt, the county’s chief assistant county administrator, told the Brentwood City Council the project envisions a three‑story, roughly 117,000‑square‑foot building that would ultimately house about 440 county employees and bring together divisions from eight major departments, including Employment & Human Services, Health Services, Clerk‑Recorder‑Elections, veteran services, and several public safety‑adjacent units.
“The site allows for a large public plaza, shaded parking and the potential to cover a significant portion of parking with solar so that we can generate enough power to power the building and have it be net‑0,” Angstaedt said during the presentation. He also described plans for geothermal heating and cooling, mass‑timber construction to lower the building’s carbon footprint and a separate electrical system designed to allow part of the building to operate as an emergency cooling or refuge center during outages or periods of heavy wildfire smoke.
Residents used the council Q&A and public comment period to press county representatives on traffic impacts and community engagement. One council member requested that staff notify council when the county’s mitigated negative declaration is published; county staff said the environmental document should be available by the end of the week or the following Monday. Residents asked why the site entrance would face Technology Way — a more residential street — rather than Brentwood Boulevard. County staff said site geometry and a reserved future Brentwood‑facing parcel informed that decision and that standard streetscape improvements touching the public right‑of‑way will be coordinated and permitted with the City of Brentwood.
Angstaedt said construction would incorporate project labor agreements and apprenticeship opportunities for trades during construction. On operations, the county’s Workforce Development Board would provide job counseling and training resources and local Clerk‑Recorder services would reduce the need for residents to travel to Martinez for election‑related business.
Council members and members of the public urged the county to hold a town hall to address neighbors’ concerns about traffic, site layout and construction impacts. Several residents said the county should proactively meet with neighbors; the county responded that it would consider a town hall and coordinate with city staff on outreach.
Next steps: staff said the mitigated negative declaration (environmental review document) should be published imminently; once available, the council and public will be notified so commenters can review and respond during the formal period.
