Today, the East Bay Regional Park District removed the flag barn façade at Vasco Hills Regional Preserve and transferred it to the City of Brentwood for future display at the Brentwood Municipal Services Center or in a city park.
Park staff have evaluated the structure multiple times and determined that the structure was unsafe, in disrepair, and at risk of collapse, especially given the upcoming fall and winter seasons. The Park District acquired the land where the barn is located in 2010 in partnership with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy for habitat preservation. It was determined at that time that the barn was beyond repair. Additionally, repairs and construction are also prohibited by a conservation easement established when the property was purchased.
The Park District has been working with the City of Brentwood over the past year to preserve the flag façade, which has become a landmark for drivers on Vasco Road. The Flag Barn was painted in 2001 as a symbol of American patriotism in the time period following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“This project reflects the strength of community partnership. The Flag Barn façade has deep meaning for many residents, and we are proud to work with the City of Brentwood to preserve this piece of local history,” says Max Korten, Deputy General Manager at the Park District.
The Park District is funding the dismantling and transportation of the Flag Barn façade to the City of Brentwood. Lumber not associated with the façade will be reused by the Park District.
The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area
Editors Notes
According to City Manager Darin Gale, the City of Brentwood, through direction from the city council, worked with to preserve the flag so it could be used for future services. Staff worked to find a fit of where to display the flag once it put back together. This morning, Brentwood had 5 staff members on scene to ensure proper preservation of the flag.
At its January 28 meeting, the Brentwood City Council took up the item requesting the city collaborate with the East Bay Regional Park District to repurpose the flag barn – the item was requested by Mayor Susannah Meyer. At the meeting, there was a total of 15 public comments.
Meyer said she brought the item forward at the time after speaking with a East Bay Regional Park District director who said the barn was on parks land is dilapidated and falling apart.
“The park district is not willing to invest time, effort or money into rebuilding the barn. So, he was questioning whether Brentwood might be interested in relocating it,” said Meyer who added “a lot of people would just like it to stay there and a lot of volunteers who are interested in rebuilding, paining or donating but really this discussion is around finding a place in Brentwood to move it to see if there is some way to support their efforts or even advocate to the park district what is possible on their end.”
Meyer added the barn is on park district property, built in 1920 with the painting of the flag occurred after 9/11 when a police officer from San Jose took the time to paint the flag.
Vice Mayor Pa’Tanisha Pierson was all for the efforts saying, “there is something when driving passed it that if feels like a big giant hug.”
Ultimately, the council directed staff to spent time on the item.
On Monday, Brentwood issued the following statement:
Today, City of Brentwood staff joined the East Bay Regional Park District on Vasco Road as the dismantling of the historic “Flag Barn” began. To ensure the American flag panels were not lost, staff stepped in with specialized tools and equipment to carefully remove and preserve the barn’s siding.
With support from CWG Hauling, the preserved panels were delivered to the City of Brentwood for storage until future restoration can be considered.
This careful process was done to protect an important piece of Brentwood’s history and community pride. The City will explore future reconstruction or display plans in coordination with community partners and stakeholders.
