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Tours of new regional park at former Roddy Ranch Golf course in Antioch May 7

April 8, 2022 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Hikers during the Open House event at the new regional park at the former Roddy Ranch golf course in Antioch on Sept 25, 2021. Photo: EBRPD

By Eddie Willis, Planner, Planning, Trails, and GIS, East Bay Regional Park District

I am happy to announce that East Bay Regional Park District will be offering guided tours of the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course this spring! It is an opportunity to see the site in-person, learn more about the recently released preferred design concept, and to ask questions and provide feedback to the planning team. The tours will cover about 1.5 miles of former cart paths with various stops along the way to highlight features of the design plans and natural history elements. Registration is required.

Two tours will be offered on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at the following times:

  • 9:30am-11:30am(program #44166)
  • Noon-2pm(program #44169)

Registration will open tomorrow, April 8 at 9am. You can reserve online or by calling 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757), option 2. Please sign up for one tour, with space limited to two participants per reservation.

Of course, please let me know if you have any questions and be sure to go out and enjoy your Regional Parks!

Filed Under: East County, Parks

Save Mount Diablo opens its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve to the public

April 2, 2022 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Students gather around a giant oak at the Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve. Photo: Scott Hein.

First of its kind in Contra Costa County; 207.8-acre preserve available for free to local schools, groups

By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo

On March 30, 2022, Save Mount Diablo opened its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve to the public, the first of its kind in Contra Costa County. People gathered at a special ceremony at the preserve during which Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Save Mount Diablo Board President Jim Felton cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening.

The 207.8-acre preserve is situated between the Crystyl Ranch residential development in Concord and Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek.

Save Mount Diablo’s Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve is available for reservations free of charge to a variety of local schools and community groups, of all ages and backgrounds, pursuing educational purposes. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • environmental science classes
  • nature photography courses
  • yoga classes
  • plein-air artists gatherings
  • addiction recovery groups
  • acoustic music in nature ensembles
  • meditation classes
  • grief counseling support groups
  • church groups
  • homeowners association groups
  • hiking, trail running, and mountain bike clubs

Interested groups can submit a request to reserve the property for a day up to six months in advance by utilizing the online form on Save Mount Diablo’s website. The size of a group must be at least three people to no larger than 100 people. The preserve is day-use only (no camping). Location and access will be provided upon reservation. A docent will be on-sight to provide access, an overview of the property and any assistance.

The preserve includes grassland, stream canyons, blue oak woodland, chaparral, and oak savannas.

It’s home to rare species such as the northernmost stand of desert olive, rare Hospital Canyon larkspur, and threatened Alameda whipsnake. Deer, coyote, burrowing owls, kestrels, and lots of other wildlife live here too.

The preserve’s high ridgeline provides views of most of central Contra Costa County and to Marin, Sonoma, and Solano counties.

As you move away from the staging area of the preserve and into the open space along Galindo Creek and up the ridgeline, the sounds of cars and radios fade. They become birdsong and gentle breezes rustling through trees.

Here you will find you are transported into another space where senses are heightened and connecting to nature is inevitable.

About Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission

to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

Filed Under: Central County, News, Parks, Recreation

Park District presents design of new regional park on former Roddy Ranch golf course in Antioch

March 30, 2022 By Publisher 1 Comment

Roddy Ranch regional park Preferred Concept Birdseye View and location map. Source: EBRPD

By Eddie Willis, Planner, East Bay Regional Park District

Greetings Regional Park supporters!

I am very excited to announce that the East Bay Regional Park District and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, in partnership with Restoration Design Group, have developed a preferred design concept for the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course. The preferred design concept is based on feedback received from the public, project staff, US Fish and Wildlife Service, CA Department of Fish and Wildlife and other stakeholders, and shows the projected trail alignments, staging area set-up, and restoration features that will be best suited for the future park.

Notable features of the preferred design concept include:

  • Approximately 4 miles of new trails, including a 1.6-mile accessible loop
  • Dedicated equestrian and bus parking
  • An interpretive pavilion and shade structure
  • An upper and lower picnic area
  • Two acres of enhanced seasonal wetlands and vernal pools
  • 7 miles of channel restoration/creation/enhancement

Roddy Ranch regional park Preferred Concept Plan. Source: EBRPD

These design documents can be directly viewed on the project webpage, and here is a brief summary of each:

  • Preferred Concept – Video Overview: a short video explaining the main elements of the preferred design concept.
  • Preferred Concept – Map: The preferred concept focuses on maximizing wetland habitat and drainage channels by directing water to existing wetlands and by creating new vernal pool and pond features. Runoff at the top of the watershed will strategically flow along the surface and underground toward the wetlands at the base of the hills. Recreational improvements are concentrated toward the east and allow the open landscape to be experienced toward the west. A short accessible loop welcomes users at the entrance and is paved with concrete, reminiscent of the former golf course cart paths. The trail network also includes an additional accessible trail, as well as overlooks and longer earthen trails that lead visitors through a variety of experiences.
  • Preferred Concept – Bird’s Eye View: This is a perspective view of the preferred trail alignments and restoration features of the future park at the former golf course. The view is looking northwest toward Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in the distance. The future staging area is at the bottom center of the image.
  • East Overlook – Rendering: This image shows the reuse of a former golf tee box as an informal overlook. Mt. Diablo is not visible from all locations onsite, but it is from this overlook. Informal multi-use trails are shown meandering across the hillside in the background.
  • Staging Area – Rendering: This image shows the new multi-use accessible trail and the shade pavilion in the background with the new parking lot/staging area marked by the grove of trees to the far right.

If you have any comments or questions on the preferred design concept, the project team would be happy to receive them through the project page’s Comment Box here.

Thank you for supporting the Park District and Habitat Conservancy’s efforts to develop this 230-acre former golf course into Antioch’s newest Regional Park, and please feel free to reach out to me directly at ewillis@ebparks.org or 510-544-2621.

 

Filed Under: East County, News, Parks, Recreation

East Bay Park District lifeguards wanted for 2022 swim season

March 9, 2022 By Publisher 1 Comment

Photo: EBRPD

By Jen Vanya, Public Information Specialist, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

Monday, March 7, 2022 (Oakland, CA) – The East Bay Regional Park District is actively seeking 50 new lifeguards for the 2022 swim season at its 10 East Bay swim facilities, which include lakes, lagoons, and pools. All new lifeguard positions are seasonal, full-time positions from May through September. Anyone 16 and over before April 23, 2022, are encouraged to apply. Starting pay is $20.17 per hour.

There are six different testing dates scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays during the last three weekends in March. Participants will be asked to swim 550 yards in under 10 minutes, carry a rescue board 50 feet, retrieve three dive rings under 4-7 feet of water, tread water for two minutes using only their legs, and retrieve a 10-pound brick from under water. There will also be a short informal interview after successful completion of the swim test on the same day.

Participants who pass the tests will be invited to the Park District’s Lifeguard Academy beginning Saturday April 23rd, 2022, where they will receive paid training and certification in open water lifeguarding. The Lifeguard Academy takes place over five consecutive weekends in April and May, with the swim season beginning in late May for most facilities.

“Promoting water safety and educating park visitors on how to safely recreate in, on, and around the water is paramount in what a lifeguard does,” said East Bay Regional Parks District Aquatics Manager Pete DeQuincy. “Working as a lifeguard is one of the few ways a young adult can give back to their community and learn about public service.”

Lifeguards can work at any of the Park District’s swim facilities throughout cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, such as Antioch, Concord, Livermore, Hayward, Castro Valley, Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley.

Testing Schedule

  • Saturday March 12th, Buchanan Pool, Pittsburg
  • Sunday March 13th, Buchanan Pool, Pittsburg
  • Saturday March 19th, Mills College, Oakland
  • Sunday March 20th, Mills College, Oakland
  • Saturday March 26th, Granada High School, Livermore
  • Sunday March 27th, Granada High School, Livermore

More Information and How to Apply: bit.ly/2022EBRPDLifeguard

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Filed Under: Jobs & Economic Development, News, Parks, Recreation

Save Mount Diablo protects almost 154 critical open space acres on Mount Diablo

January 14, 2022 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Aerial view of the nearly 154 acres of open space on Mount Diablo’s North Peak, owned by the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association, which has been permanently protected. Credit: Cooper Ogden.

Purchases land, uses conservation easement

By Queenie Li and Ted Clement, Save Mount Diablo  

In December 2019, Save Mount Diablo and the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association (CMDTRA) signed a two-year option agreement, giving Save Mount Diablo time to raise over $1.04 million to permanently protect almost 154 acres of open space on Mount Diablo’s North Peak with a conservation easement.

Save Mount Diablo raised the necessary funds. And on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, the parties closed escrow, with Save Mount Diablo successfully purchasing the conservation easement and thereby forever protecting this highly strategic land.

“We are so happy and grateful to start 2022 by permanently protecting almost 154 acres on Mount Diablo! The land that we just conserved is contiguous with Mount Diablo State Park and other lands protected by Save Mount Diablo. I want to thank our terrific Save Mount Diablo supporters and our wonderful partners at Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association for making this possible,” said Ted Clement, Save Mount Diablo’s Executive Director.

This Mount Diablo open space land that was protected by Save Mount Diablo on January 11 had been vulnerable. More than 15 houses and other buildings had been constructed near the approximate 154 acres just conserved with a Save Mount Diablo conservation easement.

A conservation easement is a perpetual legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization, like a nonprofit land trust or government agency. It restricts future activities and development on the land to protect its conservation values for the benefit of the public.

The newly protected land will continue to be owned by the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association with Save Mount Diablo overseeing its conservation easement with annual monitoring.

“It is with great happiness and a sense of future vision that the Conservation Easement Agreement between the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association and Save Mount Diablo is signed. This agreement will assure that future generations will be able to fully enjoy the natural beauty of this area of California without the threat of development. Save Mount Diablo took into consideration the history of our equine needs while sculpting the agreement,” said Diane Jorgensen, CMDTRA Board member.

“It is almost surreal that after more than 15 years in the making, we are finalizing the Conservation Easement between Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association and Save Mount Diablo. This agreement affords us the security of knowing that a beautiful piece of the mountain will be forever protected from urban development without sacrificing land ownership,” said Elaine Baker, CMDTRA Board President. “The heritage of horses on Mt. Diablo can continue indefinitely. We are eternally grateful that Save Mount Diablo has been so supportive and patient, tirelessly navigating us through the entire process. I hope that other landowners will follow in our footsteps to protect their land too.”

“I would like to thank Ron Brown, Seth Adams and Ted Clement for their patience, determination and love for Mt Diablo that facilitated the formation of the unique Save Mount Diablo/CMDTRA Conservation Easement,” said Chris Barnhart, CMDTRA Board Treasurer. “This partnership allows all of us to protect this vital, beautiful piece of Mt Diablo for perpetuity while allowing CMDTRA to retain ownership and the right to use the property as we always have in the past and will in the future. This agreement took over 15 years to finalize. Save Mount Diablo was very supportive of the needs of CMDTRA and are a wonderful group of caring and dedicated people who are dedicated to preserving Mt Diablo in perpetuity for future generations to come. It is with pride and love for Mt Diablo that CMDTRA has agreed to place the Conservation Easement on 154 acres of CMDTRA land.”

The $1.04 million needed to purchase this permanent conservation easement, along with additional transaction costs, was raised through Save Mount Diablo’s Forever Wild Campaign, which was completed in 2021.

The mile-wide property is part of the “Missing Mile,” a square mile of privately owned open space land on Mount Diablo’s North Peak. The property is adjacent to Save Mount Diablo’s Young Canyon property and our North Peak Ranch project and is also surrounded by Mount Diablo State Park on three sides.

It rises from 1,100 feet to 2,010 feet with views from the Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay to Lassen Peak and the Sierra Nevada Range.

The property’s rich biodiversity is due to the complicated geology of Mount Diablo’s main peaks, including serpentine soils that host dozens of rare plant species like the Mount Diablo globe lily.

 

The now protected property will help secure the extremely important Mount Diablo high peaks area local ecosystem and preserve the scenic value the mountain affords to countless numbers of people.

The Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association will keep a separate approximate 47 acres where the association’s buildings are located, next to the almost 154 acres of open space just conserved with Save Mount Diablo’s conservation easement.

­­­­­About Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association (CMDTRA)

Nestled on the northeast slope of Mt. Diablo, you’ll find one of the best kept secrets in the East Bay—the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association. CMDTRA is a family-oriented nonprofit organization founded in 1941 dedicated to horsemanship, land preservation, and fun! In 1959, CMDTRA purchased more than 500 undeveloped acres on Mount Diablo and began building trails, a clubhouse, residences, and other horse-related recreational facilities. In 1965, CMDTRA sold 312 acres to Mount Diablo State Park and retained about 200 acres. Learn more at https://www.cmdtra.org/.

About Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission

to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

Filed Under: Environment, News, Parks

Park district turning Black Friday green with FREE Park Day

November 23, 2021 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Special Visitor Center activities planned

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

For the past seven years, the East Bay Regional Park District has celebrated Green Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, as a healthy outdoor alternative to Black Friday holiday shopping. To encourage time in nature, the Park District is again making Green Friday a FREE Park Day, meaning all District fees are waived for park entrance and activities, including parking, dogs, horses, boat launching, fishing, as well as entry to Ardenwood Historic Farm.

“Time in nature improves physical and mental health and is a great way to relieve holiday stress,” said Park District Board President Dee Rosario. “The day after Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to get outside and spend time with family and friends.”

The fee waiver does not include State fees for fishing licenses and watercraft inspections for invasive mussels or privately operated concessions such as the Tilden Merry-Go-Round and Redwood Valley Railway steam train.

The Park District’s Green Friday is part of the “#OptOutside” movement that started in 2015 when REI closed its doors on Black Friday and encouraged its employees and the public to explore the outdoors instead of shopping. Millions of people and hundreds of organizations now participate in #OptOutside each year.

Visitor Center activities planned for Green Friday include:

  • Feast Your Eyes On Nature Hike at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, 9-11:30 a.m. (Registration Required)
  • Post Thanksgiving Hike It Off at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, 9-Noon
  • Ojo De Dios at Ardenwood Historic Farm, 12:30-2:00 p.m.
  • Animal Feeding at Ardenwood Historic Farm, 3-3:30 p.m.

To find a park or activity, visit www.ebparks.org/parks.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Filed Under: Bay Area, News, Parks, Recreation

Free entrance, parking at East Bay parks for active and retired military on Veterans Day

November 9, 2021 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The East Bay Regional Park District honors active and retired military members on Veterans Day with free access and parking at the regional parks, including Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. Fee waiver only covers parking and park entry. Fee waiver DOES NOT include dog fees, boat launch or inspection fees, fishing permits, or concessions, such as merry-go-round, train, etc.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Filed Under: Holiday, Military, Parks, Veterans

East Bay Regional Park District honored with 2021 Global Citizen Award

October 25, 2021 By Publisher Leave a Comment

By Dave Mason, PIO, East Bay Regional Park District

The East Bay Regional Park District has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Global Citizen Award by the United Nations Association USA, East Bay and Silicon Valley Chapters. The virtual Award Ceremony was held on Sunday, October 24, 2021 as part of the 16th annual UN Day Celebration. Park District Board President Dee Rosario and General Manager Sabrina B. Landreth will be accepting the award on behalf of the Park District.

“We are honored to be recognized for our contribution to physical health, stress relief, and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Park District Board President Dee Rosario. “Parks have provided an essential public service. We are proud that when the public needed us most, we answered the call and kept parks open and safe. During this time, we have continued to restore habitats and marshlands and even opened two new parks – Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline in Oakland and Dumbarton Quarry Campground on the Bay in Fremont – to better serve the 2.8 million residents in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.”

The award recognizes the Park District’s leadership role in providing essential services during the pandemic as well as our alignment with the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a roadmap to build a world that is more equitable, inclusive, safe, and sustainable for all peoples. Since the Park District’s founding in 1934, the District has steadfastly enhanced the quality of life for residents in the East Bay as well as for the natural environment and wildlife.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information visit www.ebparks.org.

Filed Under: News, Parks

Governor signs Senator Glazer’s three key local proposals

October 8, 2021 By Publisher 1 Comment

Small wineries can open two off-site tasting rooms     

Local governments gain new tools for overseeing short-term rentals

Thousands of acres of East Bay wilderness to be preserved

By Steven Harmon, Policy Analyst/Communications, Office of Sen. Steve Glazer

State Senator Steve Glazer (D-7-Orinda)

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three long-standing proposals advanced by Senator Steve Glazer, (D-SD7), that will have a direct impact on residents of Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

“It’s very gratifying to see important legislative priorities for my district signed into law,” Senator Glazer said. “These are bills and proposals that I’ve been working on with partners, in some cases, for years. I’m thankful to Governor Newsom for ushering them across the finish line with his signature, a nice reward for all the hard work put in by key allies and friends.”

The three proposals that Gov. Newsom signed were:

Winegrowers: Offsite Tasting Rooms (SB 19)

SB 19 will allow licensed winegrowers or brandy manufacturers to operate two off-site tasting rooms under their winegrower licenses. This bill will particularly help small and family-owned wineries to operate as California continues to recover from the Pandemic.

Approximately 55 wineries are located in Senator Glazer’s district, including in Livermore, Oakley, Brentwood, Byron and Moraga.

“Small and family-owned wineries have struggled the most among wineries, because they rely heavily on visitors and direct sales,” said Senator Glazer. “With tourism taking a terrible hit from the pandemic and consequences of the wildfires, I’m glad that Governor Newsom recognized that these wineries are in need of that additional outlet to provide tastings and sales to their customers.”

Prior to the current tasting room closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many wineries viewed additional off-site tasting rooms as a significant benefit. This was even more pressing for many small wineries looking to expand business opportunities, especially those wineries that produce their wine in an agreement to use the facility and equipment of a second (usually larger) winery.

Steven Kent Mirassou, owner and winemaker of Steven Kent winery, part of the Livermore Valley Wine Country Association, said SB 19 will make a difference to the industry, but also to wine enthusiasts.

“The ability to take care of people – which is the true center of hospitality and wine – is important at all times,” Kent Mirassou said. “It is especially crucial during the pandemic when we are all striving to maintain connections with our larger circle of friends and patrons, that small wineries remain open and thriving. I am so appreciative of the hard work and perseverance that Senator Glazer and his staff have shown in helping us continue to add joy and richness to peoples’ lives.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic, tasting rooms have been required to either close or significantly alter their operations for tastings, but can continue to operate sales for curbside pickup or delivery. Tourism has become almost nonexistent and is not expected to recover for several years. As a result, the impact from COVID-19 to the wine industry is estimated to be $5.9 billon, with a $3 billion loss in tasting room sales.

In addition, the 2020 wildfires had a substantial impact on the wine industry. According to the Wine Institute, the estimate of damage from 2020 wildfires amounts to $3.7 billion, including a loss of $41 million in tasting room sales and $57.6 million in lost winery structures.

Allows Increased Fines on Short Term Rental Violations – to Rein in House Parties (SB 60)

Under SB 60, cities and counties can now impose increased penalties on short-term rental hosts who violate local property rental laws – an attempt to rein in house parties, sometimes violent, that have been occurring at short term rentals because of lax oversight of these properties. SB 60, which took effect immediately, authorizes localities to impose fines up to $5,000 for a violation of a short-term ordinance.

“These large gatherings have made some short-term rental properties the sites of underage drinking, brawls, noise complaints, and violence,” Senator Glazer said. “I’m grateful to Governor Newsom for signing this bill so that local governments have the tools to ensure the safety of those who want to continue to use short-term rentals, and of our residents who live nearby these properties.”

The legislation was sparked by a spate of violence at short-term rental properties, most notably a mass shooting in Orinda, where five people were killed. Other abuses at short-term rentals occurred in Los Angeles and other locales in Northern California, including a party at a Sunnyvale rental where a teenager was shot and killed in August after violence erupted at the gathering. (See related articles, here, here, here and here)

Smaller fines were proving to be ineffective in deterring violations. Hosts were able to charge so much rent for big houses that the fines, if they occurred, were just seen as a cost of doing business.

“Violence and destructive behavior at short term rentals has become a true public safety issue in cities throughout California, as residents of Orinda know all too well,” Orinda Mayor Amy Worth said. “I am thankful that mayors like me will now have the ability to impose fines at a level high enough to get the attention of property owners who operate short term rentals to ensure the safety of our residents. Senator Glazer has been a true champion of this issue, and we are thankful for his hard work on making this California law.”

The use of short-term rentals has skyrocketed by 105 percent over just the past three years, according to vacation rental data compiled by AirDNA. Though short-term rentals offer a way to improve tourism and earn owners some extra money, their recent proliferation has allowed bad actors to use the platform to advertise and secure homes for large parties, oftentimes in violation of local ordinances.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in people using short-term rentals to evade public health restrictions on large public gatherings. Noise complaints as a result of parties have tripled since the start of the pandemic, according to Host Compliance, which tracks legal compliance among short-term rentals for 350 cities and counties in the U.S.

In the last half of 2019, 42 people were shot inside or just outside a short-term rental property nationwide and 17 people died.

East Bay Regional Park District 2013 Master Plan Map designating Tesla site (yellow area) as a potential regional preserve. Source: EBRPD

Tesla Land Preservation (Budget)

Thousands of acres of East Bay wilderness threatened by the expansion of an off-highway vehicle park will instead be preserved. (See related article)

The legislation, approved in the Governor’s recent budget bills and took effect immediately, ends plans to expand the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area into the 3,100-acre Tesla parcel in the southeast corner of Alameda County, which scientists have described as a biologically unique habitat and Native Americans have long considered to be a sensitive historical site.

That land will now become a new state park closed to motorized recreation. The state will reimburse the Off-Highway Vehicle fund for the purchase price of the land, its appreciation in value, and the money spent planning the expansion, which was opposed from the start 20 years ago by nearby residents and public agencies. That money will go toward the purchase and development of an off-road park at another location.

“Our community and region will preserve this natural and cultural treasure, leaving it pristine for future generations to enjoy,” Senator Glazer said. “Meanwhile, off-road enthusiasts will be able to keep their current park and receive funding to develop another park on land that’s more suitable to that kind of recreation. I appreciate the hard work that so many key individuals played in moving this critical environmental and cultural issue to the Governor’s desk, and, of course, for the Governor to work with all the players to sign this important agreement.”

Senator Glazer partnered with Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, the Sierra Club, Friends of Tesla Park and other environmental organizations and individuals in getting the final approval from the governor’s office. Earlier, former Assembly member Catharine Baker worked with Senator Glazer on the same issue.

Nancy Rodrigue, a leading member of the Friends of Tesla Park steering committee and Livermore resident, said she was proud that years of hard work and persistence paid off.

“A very special thank you goes to Senator Glazer and Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan for the many years of work on this special project,” Rodrigue said. “Tesla Park will now be a reserve with no motorized recreation. Instead, the future holds Tesla as a protected native landscape for hikers, history buffs, nature lovers, researchers and educators.

“Saving Tesla Park has been a long, difficult, and now a rewarding journey, and we are grateful for the tremendous work of so many for saving Tesla as a legacy for future generations,” Rodrigue continued. “We are looking forward to planning the next phase of Tesla Park as a nature and cultural preserve, providing passive recreation and education to the community of the Bay area, the San Joaquin Valley, and Northern California.”

 

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business, Legislation, News, Parks

Open House at Roddy Ranch for new regional park Saturday, Sept. 25

September 19, 2021 By Publisher Leave a Comment

By Eddie Willis, Planner, East Bay Regional Park District

Greetings, park supporters:

I am excited to announce that East Bay Regional Park District and East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy will be hosting a free, on-site OPEN HOUSE EVENT at the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course in Antioch the morning of Saturday, September 25. This is an opportunity to see the site in-person, walk along a section of former golf cart paths, and learn about park planning efforts, design ideas, and habitat restoration for the future Regional Park. Capacity is limited, so registration is required. Face coverings and/or social distancing may also be required per local health orders.

When: Saturday, September 25*, 2021 from 9:30am – 11:30am

*If September 25 is canceled due to wildfire smoke or other issue, an alternate date of Saturday, October 9 will be offered.

Where: Former Roddy Ranch Golf Course at 1 Tour Way, Antioch (entrance off Deer Valley Road)

Registration required: visit [t.ly/4Axy]t.ly/4Axy or call 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757) and reference program #41871

Please pass this invitation along to any community members, civic leaders, family, or friends you think may be interested in learning about the new park. For general questions, I can be contacted at ewillis@ebparks.org. 

Thank you for supporting your Regional Parks!

 

Filed Under: East County, News, Parks

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