17 Jul East Bay Regional Parks District Approves Point Molate Sale

(Harika Maddala / Bay City News)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

Trustees of the East Bay Regional Park District unanimously agreed Tuesday to enter an agreement with Richmond and the Guidiville Rancheria of California to acquire the 80-acre Point Molate property located on the Point San Pablo Peninsula in Richmond.

The Richmond City Council voted unanimously on the letter of intent Friday.

The park district will spend $40 million on the property near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, $36 million of which will come from a state grant.

Half of the sale’s proceeds would go to Guidiville Rancheria of California, the tribe that more than two years ago entered an agreement with the city to develop a casino at the site.

The tribe had five years to find a developer or the property reverted back to the city. At one point, there was a casino development deal on the table that fell through. At another point, there was a plan for housing at the site.

New City Council members have since decided to cut its losses and not spend millions on infrastructure for development. The city has spent about $1 million annually on security and maintenance of historic buildings at the site.

The park district said in a statement that the acquisition ensures the historic land — a former Navy property — will be preserved as open space and supports its mission of habitat preservation and providing recreation and public access for all.

“Today, we are one step closer to bringing Point Molate into the Park District’s impressive portfolio,” said park district general manager Sabrina Landreth. “People love this place and we are proud to be part of securing it as a public open space for the community for decades to come.”

The letter of intent is a precursor to the purchase and agreement, which would transfer the property to EBRPD no later than Jan. 15. The district said the $40 million price is supported by an independent appraised valuation.

The district said, combined with the extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail already scheduled for construction along Point Molate’s shore, the land is on track toward public ownership “and to provide the type of open, outdoor space the community has come to expect from the park district.”

“The tribe and the park district share a common vision of establishing a world-class park at Point Molate,” Guidiville tribal chairman Donald Duncan said in a statement. “The park to be fully funded by the tribe was the centerpiece of the tribe’s original proposal, first accepted but then later rejected by the City of Richmond. There have been no better conservationists of land in this country than Native Americans, having lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years. Our stewardship practices are rooted in deep respect for the environment and a commitment to preserving it for future generations.”

The park district’s 2013 Master Plan and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s San Francisco Bay Plan both have called for a regional park at Point Molate. The district said few opportunities remain to create significant parkland in the Bay Area, especially in the Richmond region.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who the district and city of Richmond credited for securing $36 million from the state, said it was a great day for the East Bay and all of California.

“I am thrilled that Point Molate’s 80 acres will now and forever be preserved as parkland and open space,” Skinner said in a statement. “The acquisition of Point Molate, with its breathtaking views along San Francisco Bay, continues the East Bay’s decades-long mission to protect our bay shoreline. Securing Point Molate within the East Bay Regional Park District is not only an incredible environmental victory, it will also reawaken the area’s significant cultural history, which includes Native sacred sites, a historic Chinese fishing camp, a historic wine port and America’s last whaling station.”

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