YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 20, No. 29
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Father of suspect shares his story by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
Tracy Redmond couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling on the morning of July 3, and when text messages to his wife, Marta, and adult son, Matthew, went unanswered, his apprehension grew. The previous night had been a difficult one for the Redmond family. Matthew, 29, showed up on a neighbor’s property saying he was looking for someone. The neighbors were not close with the Redmonds, and they did not recognize Matthew as being from the neighborhood. No one knew the person for whom he was looking. Matthew was asked to leave and did so without incident. Around 9 p.m., he returned, and this time neighbors called the police. Just before 1 a.m., the same neighbors observed Matthew standing at their front door, and the police were called a sec-
Photo courtesy of Tracy Redmond
Tracy and Marta Redmond, seen in an undated photo. Marta was found murdered in her home on July 3. Her son Matthew is in custody and has been charged in her murder. ond time. “It was just an odd string of events and certainly unsettling to have him at my door at 1 o’clock in the morning,” said neighbor
Rochelle Wagner. “When I told him through the window to leave, he did. And we followed the instructions we had been given (by the police).”
Lt. Walter O’Grodnick of the Brentwood Police Department said officers investigated the disturbances involving Matthew and determined they did not rise to the level of a criminal complaint or arrest. During their first visit to the Redmond home that night, officers from the Brentwood Police Department told Matthew to stay away from the neighbors, and that appeared to be the end of the incident until several hours later when police returned to the Redmond home. “I thought that it was done,” said Tracy. “Then at 1:30 in the morning, the doorbell rings, and the police are back saying that he had gone over there again. He was down here, and Marta got out of bed and I’m like, ‘What’s going on, Matt? They told you to stay away. Why did you go back?’ He really didn’t have anything to see Suspect page 22A
Controversial golf course on hold by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The Brentwood Planning Commission has delayed plans to consider a controversial development project involving the Shadow Lakes and Deer Ridge Golf Clubs at the request of the project applicant. In its advisory role to the city council, the commission was going to consider the project. It calls for the courses to be consolidated into one 18-hole facility and two age-restricted or memory care facilities up to three stories high (totaling 560 units), placed on 32 acres of closed holes near single-family homes. But SunCoast Properties requested that the meeting be continued for unknown reasons. SunCoast Properties did
“ Staff has considerable concerns that placing high-density housing in these established neighborhoods of single-family homes would have a substantial adverse impact on their nature and character.
not respond to requests for comments as of press time. “The item was continued to a date uncertain,” said Brentwood Planning Manager Erik Nolthenius, who added that SunCoast Properties did not provide a reason for its request. “Since that was the case and there were no other items on the agenda, the meeting was canceled.”
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Planning commission documents released prior to the canceled meeting indicate that city staff members were going to recommend that the commission deny the project because of concerns that it could adversely affect the surrounding neighborhoods’ character and residents’ privacy. The project could also elicit negative environmental impacts,
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including noise, traffic and stress, on the already burdened East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, according to the project’s environmental impact report. “Staff has considerable concerns that placing high-density housing in these established neighborhoods of single-family homes would have a substantial adverse impact on their nature and character,” wrote Nolthenius in a city staff report. “Both Deer Ridge and Shadow Lakes were planned and constructed with the intent of low-density, low-impact use. Introducing high-density housing into these neighborhoods – with no buffer between the disparate densities – would fundamentally alter the see Golf Course page 22A
West Nile Virus www.thepress.net/news/webextras
Mosquito & Vector Control reports West Nile virus found on Holland Tract.
July 20, 2018
Becoming Your Best Self
The Press’ special section is filled with tips for staying healthy, fit and looking your best. Page 1B
2018’s Artist Of The Year
Oakley artist Nancy Roberts receives Brentwood Art Society’s top honor. Page 11A
Major League Debut
Liberty High School graduate gets the call from the New York Mets. Page 15A Breaking News...................7A Calendar.............................23A Classifieds..........................20A Cop Logs.............................19A Entertainment..................11A Food.....................................10A Kid Scoop ............................9A Milestones.........................12A Pets........................................ 8A Sports..................................15A
Health Officer
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Dr. Christopher Farnitano is the new Contra Costa County health officer.