A small, quaint California town has been torn apart by an internal war that has culminated in ‘terrorism,’ with residents allegedly deliberately swerving trucks toward each other, spraying enemies with weed killer – and now a bomb squad has been called in.
The battle erupted in the idyllic, historic town called Port Costa, which has a population of 251 seemingly very angry people.
The bitter townsfolk drew lines in the sand in classic ‘not in my backyard’ (NIMBY) fashion after a non-profit organization called the Field Semester expressed their intention to create an environmental school for high schoolers in the town.
In October, a group calling itself the ‘Port Costa Community Alliance’ distributed flyers throughout the town warning about the Field Semester Project in ‘overly dramatic and purposefully misleading language.’
A small, quaint California town has been riven by an internal war over a NIMBY battle that has culminated in ‘terrorism,’ with residents allegedly deliberately swerving trucks toward each other, spraying enemies with weed killer- and now a bomb squad has been called in
The townsfolk drew lines in the sand after a non-profit organization called the Field Semester expressed their intention to create an environmental school for high schoolers on a plot of private lakeside land in the town
Port Costa, located 40 minutes from Oakland, had previously been something of a refuge for different bohemian types and San Francisco transplants.
Before the field semester project appeared, the town had been quiet and the townsfolk had been warm and affectionate toward one another.
‘But all of a sudden, Port Costa’s imploding,’ resident Rhea Carvalho told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Members of the the Port Costa Community Alliance apparently desire the town to remain exactly the way it is. They see an enemy in the Field Semester project, whose mission is to teach teenagers about the environment.
‘A lot of folks in town really like Port Costa just the way it is: the tranquility, the peace, quiet, lack of traffic,’ Billy Vance, the spokesperson for the Alliance, told the Chronicle.
Port Costa, located 40 minutes from Oakland, had previously been something of a refuge for different bohemian types and San Francisco transplants
Before the 251-person town descended into chaos, it was a simple place with a laid-back atmosphere
According to the Alliance, ‘2/3 of the residents are 100 percent against’ the project. The organization claimed the Field Semester would transform their beloved community into a ‘private school hub.’
In addition to the flyers, the alliance posted signs throughout the town that said: ‘Save Port Costa! NO FIELD SEMESTER.’
The organization’s anti-Field Semester petition was signed by 53 out of 85 single-family households they approached. Given that there are 171 total households in Port Costa, it seems like the number of those opposed to the project is substantial.
But those who do support the ecological school claim that they’ve become targets of the association’s wrath.
This month, lifelong Port Costa-resident Aaron Greene placed a letter in residents’ mailboxes that alleged one of the association’s ten members had called a child a homophobic slur.
The town park featured a whimsical dog statue
The organization’s anti-Field Semester petition was signed by 53 out of 85 single-family households they approached
According to the Alliance, ‘2/3 of the residents are 100% against’ the project
Residents were almost always on good terms before the NIMBY battle ratcheted up
But Greene’s letter didn’t end there. The alarmed resident also accused one of the members of spraying his mom, who supports the Field project, in the face with weed whacker while calling her a ‘f****** b****.’
Greene further alleged that a member of the association ‘swerved a truck dangerously close to another person’ who was walking down the street. And he claimed that another member had shouted expletives at people who favor the Field Semester.
Vance rejected Greene’s letter as ‘baseless’ and ‘hurtful.’
In May, things came to a head in Port Costa when a bomb squad had to respond to a call at town-wide garage sale, where it was revealed that a resident had ‘live devices.’
In a statement to contracostanews, Steve Trotter, the Public Information Officer, said: ‘The items turned out to be a military grade grenade and some type of law enforcement grade ammunition used by swat teams.’
In May, things came to a head in Port Costa when a bomb squad had to respond to a call at town-wide garage sale, where it was revealed that a resident had ‘live devices’
Trotter further revealed that the incident caused the fire department to proclaim a community alert for ‘a hazardous condition emergency for Port Costa.’
‘Crews were called to Canyon Lake Drive for reports of two pieces of military ordinance.’
Supporters of the Field Semester have also found themselves slapped with notices of permit violations from the Contra Costa Department – a move that they allege is another form of pressure from those opposed to the project.
The fire department to proclaim a community alert for ‘a hazardous condition emergency for Port Costa.’
Police and other emergency officials were dispatched to the garage sale
Vance, the head of the association, dismissed the idea that permit complaints were politically motivated.
‘We have never advocated for retribution against our neighbors,’ he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
And yet, when the paper examined one of the permit complaints, they found ample reason to believe that it was motivated by the Field Semester, which was mentioned in the letter five times.
‘It seems like if you support or are involved with the group known as ‘The Field Semester’/‘Lake Project’ it is okay to totally ignore the law,’ the complaint said.
The Alliance aims to preserve the town in its current form and sees the project as a threat
The small town is only 40 minutes from Oakland
Many of the town’s residents are artists and San Francisco transplants
One of the people named in a complaint, Sarah Louise Humann, the owner of a plant and crystal shop, was accused of hawking psychedelic mushrooms and drug paraphernalia.
She has passionately denied the allegation:
‘For someone to so heinously attack me and the community space I’ve created, with the motivation to intimidate me and others into thinking twice before supporting Field Semester is, well to be honest, unfathomable.’
Humman said that she had attended a recent Port Costa Community Alliance meeting, during which she was frustrated with how in the dark many of the members were about what the project actually was.
The town boasts many fanciful shops, some of which have closed since the NIMBY fight began
The small town draws visitors who want to experience its rustic charm
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‘There’s so many amazing things about the Field Semester project that seem to get ignored,’ she told the Chronicle.
‘It’s like banging your head against the wall going to those meetings.’
Some of the project’s vehement detractors have accused it of being a multinational-dollar corporation.
The field semester, however, is a nonprofit and it collected $745,320 in donor contributions in 2022, according to publicly accessible tax forms.
Some community members are reportedly worried about the presence of young people in their town, fearing that they might cause trouble.
Yaeir Heber, co-founder of Field Semester, said that at a public meeting one resident even said: ‘I hear you’re going to bring a bunch of gang-bangers from Oakland out here.’
As of right now, the project is making sure that it has all of its ducks in a row before they present their final proposal to the county.
Firefighters had to respond to the bomb call at a Port Coast garage sale
The items turned out to be a military-grade grenade and some type of law enforcement-grade ammunition
Despite the resistance in Port Costa, it seems likely that the project will be approved by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors.
But the Port Community Alliance has shown no sign that they are ready to capitulate. Instead, they are reportedly raising funds for a potential legal appeal.
It seems like longtime resident Aaron Greene’s wish for a return to the old and civil days in Port Costa will be a long time coming.
‘What do you do to bring this back down to a rational level where people … can just be free to walk around town without being sprayed with carcinogens and yelled at?’