Martinez City Council considers annexation of four adjacent neighborhoods

At a special meeting Wednesday night, the Martinez City Council is set to talk, again, about the merits of annexing four neighborhoods adjacent to city borders, and whether any of those areas is worth bringing into the city.

The areas to be discussed include North Pacheco, Vine Hill, Mountain View and Alhambra Valley. The first three are all off Pacheco Boulevard — North Pacheco straddling Interstate Highway 680, and Vine Hill and Mountain View are off Pacheco Boulevard south of the Shell Martinez refinery. The Alhambra Valley is just outside the southwest edge of the city.

For many years, the City of Martinez has processed applications for out-of-agency water service in these areas in anticipation of future annexation, requiring deferred annexation agreements with property owners.

In May, the City Council identified these annexations as one of the council’s top five goals for the next two years.

Questions to be answered include whether annexation of any/all of these areas is financially viable, whether property owners in these areas would support it, whether the council would want to annex properties outside Contra Costa County’s urban limit line — a consideration for the Alhambra Valley piece — and property tax considerations.

Wednesday’s special-meeting study session begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 525 Henrietta St., Martinez.