James and Jaine Nejedly maintained the property off Tice Valley Road and helped keep the late senator there, rather than sending him to a nursing home, up until his death in 2006 at age 91. The property currently has one single-family home on a knoll (the late senator's) The couple would like to keep that home there, and subdivide the remaining property into three parcels for three additional homes. The new parcels would be about one acre each.
This land was the subject of a bitter family dispute among Nejedly's three children. On one side were James Nejedly and his sister, the Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho. On the other side was their older brother, John T. Nejedly, a Contra Costa Community College trustee who has recently declared his intent to run for county assessor against incumbent, Gus Kramer. This summer, the lawsuit over the estate came to a close with John T. Nejedly, deciding to drop his case.
Nejedly purchased the property in 1951 (not far from where I grew up and now live). Senator Nejedly, in his trust, sought to maintain the rural nature of the land; he also wanted to repay his his son, James, and James' wife, Jaine, for taking care of the estate as he was ailing.
The couple are now moving forward with plans that seem headed for approval. According to a staff report prepared by Zoning Administrator Andrew Smith, the proposed subdivision, together with its design and improvements, is consisent with the General Plan and single-family zoning policies for that area. The community development director also found that the project would cause no substantial adverse environmental impacts.
