Shall Richmond's General Plan Support Shoreline Parks and Open Space?

CESP looks forward to a time when all Richmond residents will have access to their entire shoreline. A rare opportunity exists now for the City to envision and plan for greatness. Richmond's 32-mile shoreline could be planned for public ownership and become one of the dazzling jewels in the Bay's necklace of shoreline parks.

In 2008, the City Council set forth a range of land use options to be studied for the General Plan Environmental Impact Report. The City Council is now finally looking more closely at the document and making land use recommendations.

At a recent City Council meeting, we saw one small victory - The Council recommended mostly park and recreation land uses for the derelict Terminal 4 at Point San Pablo, which will open the way for this former industrial site to be a public park.

And, at the last City Council meeting, we almost saw the North Richmond Shoreline protected in a similar way. We need ONE MORE VOTE on City Council to ensure that this spectacular shoreline will be used primarily for parks and recreation.

It is essential that the Council and Planning Commission hear from the public about the environmental, economic, social, and recreational values of protecting the Richmond Shoreline!

North Richmond Shoreline. CESP is committed to preserving the waterfront as open space by preventing any further development. The North Richmond shoreline, where Rheem Creek flows into San Pablo Bay, is home to millions of migrating birds. Its 500 acres of tidal marshes and 800 acres of mudflats shelter many threatened and endangered species. Just off shore is the largest eelgrass bed in SF Bay - important feeding, escape and breeding habitat for many species of invertebrates, waterfowl, and fishes. Preserving this shoreline corridor as open space offers a unique opportunity to create a visible edge to the city with stunning long views in every direction. Specifically, CESP supports creating a new land use for the North Richmond Shoreline adjacent to the Richmond Parkway: (1) Open Space, (2) Parks and Recreation, (3) Public, Cultural and Institutional and (4) Agriculture into a Mixed Use called "Community Low Intensity Commerce and Recreation."

Pt. San Pablo Peninsula, including Point Molate. San Pablo Peninsula separates San Francisco and San Pablo bays. Chevron is on the east and beautiful views are to the west. Pt. San Pablo was the site of the last operating whaling station in the U.S. and is a great candidate for future parkland and trails. Pt. Molate's scenic 5 miles of shoreline include a tranquil beach, open space, historic buildings, stunning views of Mt. Tam, and populations of native fish offshore and grasses on shore. CESP recommends: This area should be protected as a preservation and recreational area to the maximum extent possible. Implement the San Pablo Peninsula Open Space Study, including designating Point San Pablo former site of Terminal 4 as Recreation lands for a regional shoreline park and completing the planned Bay Trail route.

South Richmond Shoreline. North of Pt. Isabel Regional Park and south of Marina Bay, the Zeneca/Campus Bay site is an integral part of the South Richmond Shoreline, offering great views of SF Bay and hosting a stretch of the Bay Trail. It is also one of the most toxic sites in California. Despite the clean-up challenges, CESP envisions the shoreline of the Zeneca site becoming an extension of the adjacent Eastshore State Park. CESP recommends: The Zeneca, UC Field Station should be preserved as open space until an appropriate clean up is done. Hoffman Marsh should retain its current land use designation as Preservation/Resource Areas-Salt Marshes and Mudflats. Land west of Hoffman Marsh should retain its current land use designation and not changed to a Regional Commercial District (higher intensity uses). The Pt. Isabel Regional Shoreline Park and the adjacent peninsula should be preserved for Parkland and Recreational Use.

You can help preserve a legacy of shoreline open space and access for all.
  • Write or call Richmond City Council (contact information on bottom of page)
  • Attend Planning Commission Study Sessions. Check City website www.cityofrichmondgeneralplan.org/ or send CESP your email address so we can alert you when they are scheduled: pjones@eastshorepark.org.
  • Share our information with your neighbors and urge them to participate in the general plan process.
  • Volunteer to call and write to residents of Richmond
  • Donate money to support our effort to save the shoreline!

The general plan must include policies that firmly state and assure specific measures to prevent damage caused by development, including:

  • Any mitigation money should be spent in Richmond.
  • Any shoreline properties with commercial designations should be zoned with the lowest intensity possible under the law.
  • The City should adopt a comprehensive "Transfer of Development Rights" ordinance to enable property owners to transfer development rights from shore-line properties to inland lands better suited to development.

Richmond City Council meets Tuesdays, 7 pm
Council Chambers, City Hall, 440 Civic Center Plaza (@ 27th between Barrett Ave. and MacDonald Ave.), Richmond
Televised on KCRT, Channel 28

Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Gayle_McLaughlin@officeofthemayor.net
ph: 620-6503, fax: 412-2070, City Hall @ 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804

COUNCIL MEMBERS

PLANNING COMMISSIONERS CITY STAFF

City of Richmond General Plan web sites:
http://www.cityofrichmondgeneralplan.org or http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=840

 

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