Whither Richmond's shoreline?

General Plan process teeters between protection and development

Richmond's new General Plan could present a grand vision for preserving open space along the shoreline - but pro-development forces are making moves to highjack the process.

Throughout a series of community meetings, Richmond residents have called for preserving the shoreline. Then, contrary to community input, the planning staff directed the city's planning consultant to map major areas of the shoreline for future development and not open space or current uses. This instruction has been overruled by the city attorney, but it worries us that it was ever given.

The Sierra Club has called for protecting the Richmond shoreline as open space and parkland for future generations.

In North Richmond the East Bay Regional Park District is already moving ahead to acquire Breuner Marsh. The rest of the undeveloped lands south of Point Pinole Regional Park and northwest of the Richmond Parkway, all the way south to the county waste-disposal site, should also be protected as open space and parks, including the coastal-upland portion of the Breuner property. This will provide a sizable uninterrupted block of habitat and parklands. Southeast of the parkway the small "Pannatoni property" can be added as a gateway.

At Point Molate the Sierra Club opposes either a casino or luxury housing. The site should be protected as much as possible, and the old Winehaven site should be developed in accordance with the community plan of 1997.

As for the Zeneca property, it has been contaminated by years of industrial use. This site needs to be thoroughly and properly cleaned and then evaluated for appropriate future uses. If the site can not be certified as completely safe, it should not be developed for residential uses.

As for the UC Field Station, a major study is needed to determine the hazards before considering future uses.

The Club is committed to ensuring the integrity of community input to the General Plan.

WhatYouCanDo

Contact the Richmond City Council:

c/o Sierra Club Bay Chapter
2530 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702.

Tell the Council to make sure that the General Plan preserves the Richmond shoreline as park and open space, and to make sure that the draft includes an alternative that does this.

To join in the Sierra Club West Contra Costa Group's efforts to preserve the Richmond shoreline, contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 307

Norman La Force, chair, Sierra Club West Contra Costa County Group