Features

The board of directors of the East Bay Regional Park District has postponed an eminent domain action on 238 acres along the Richmond shoreline in order to allow all the parties the chance to attempt to work out an agreement. 

Board members heard 22 speakers at a public hearing on the Breuner Marsh property Tuesday afternoon before voting to defer any action for at least 30 days. 

The property owners, with the support of the Richmond City Council, want to develop a mix of 1,000 residential units and retail development on the site, along with a transit station. But at the request of a coalition of Richmond residents and environmental preservationists who say they want to preserve the area as an open space wetlands habitat, park district staff recommended that the park district acquire the property through eminent domain and add it to the adjacent Point Pinole Park. 

The Richmond City Council then authorized city staff to challenge the park district’s eminent domain action in court if the district board authorized the proposal. 

Representatives of the park district, the City of Richmond, the property owner, and the property manager are expected to meet over the next month to see if a compromise can be reached. 

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