Posted on July 4, 2017
Local residents are encouraged to attend a public hearing in Point Richmond next month regarding significant plans to enhance the nearby Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline.
The meeting, which will take place July 19 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will take place at the Point Richmond Community Center at 139 Washington Ave. There, residents will learn more about amendments to the project since 2013 that have led to a Land Use Plan Amendment and changes to the environmental impact report.
A number of recommendations have been made to enhance physical fitness opportunities, interpretive programs and recreation at the 295-acre bayside park in the Brickyard Cove neighborhood.
Recommendations included in the plans:
Ferry Point Planning Area Recommendations: Located at the southern tip of Miller/Knox, the plans suggest developing a promenade connecting the Ferry Point Pier to the Lagoon Planning Area through the Bray Oil Property Planning Area.
Also, plans call for enhancing the existing grassland open turf area, providing additional picnic areas and benches, rehabilitating the existing historic pumphouse building for passive interpretive use and demolishing the existing historic warehouse building while maintaining the development footprint of the demolished building for future reuse.
The plans additionally call for developing additional permanent parking adjacent to the existing parking area.
Bray Oil Property Planning Area Recommendations: This area is located between the Lagoon Planning Area and the Ferry Point Planning Area. Recommendations are to incorporate the Bray property into the whole of Miller/Knox by developing trails and interpretive elements, creating native plant enhancement areas, developing an Interpretive and Recreational Facility for outdoor education, interpretive programs, and volunteer activities, and providing a green-waste composting area for park operations and public education.
Also, the proposal calls for creating an area for lagoon maintenance dredge disposal.
Lagoon Planning Area Recommendations: This is the center of the park that currently includes the lagoon, trail, group and individual picnic areas with barbeques, children’s play area, large lawn for unstructured play, three parking areas and restrooms.
To enhance all of that, plans call for establishing a new trail on the east side of the lagoon, refurbishing existing picnic tables, barbeques and restrooms, developing a “Fit Core” course, and ultimately breaching the lagoon to establish tidal connection to San Francisco Bay.
Bay Shore Planning Area Recommendations: This area connects Keller Beach and Ferry Point Beach along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. The proposal here is to establish a trail connection along the shoreline and formalize access between the Bay Shore and the Lagoon Planning Areas.
Ridgeland Planning Area Recommendations: Located on the east side of Dornan Drive, this area features hiking trails in open grassland intermixed with patches of brush and trees.
Proposals for improvements include developing new staging areas off Dornan Drive and off Canal Boulevard, developing new trailheads and vista points, repairing trails damaged by erosion, decommissioning trails too damaged for repair, and implementing prescriptions in the District’s Wildfire Hazard Reduction and Resource Management Plan.
Those who cannot attend the meeting, your written comments are also welcome, and will be considered part of the NOP process if received on or by July 28. Written comments can be emailed to me at mjulene@ebparks.org or mailed to the East Bay Regional Park District, PO Box 5381; Oakland, CA 94605-0381.
Source: The Richmond Standard
